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Chronic back pain and other types of pain related to bone and joint issues eventually become an issue for just about everyone at some point in their adult life. Even if you keep yourself in peak physical condition, there are always risks of injury that are sometime unavoidable - i.e. vehicle collisions, slips-and-falls, sports injuries, etc. Many form of therapy exist to help us all deal with aches and pains - some of them physical, others chemical, or even a combination of the two. If chronic back pain or pain in your neck and joints are conditions in which you suffer on a regular basis, maybe you should consider a non-traditional approach to physical therapy in the form of body inversion.
Inversion is a form of traction in which the body is suspended upside down by the lower legs, so the joints and ligaments within the body are permitted to expand rather than contract as in regular posture. As the joints and connective tissues are given the opportunity for expansion, pressure on the nerve roots finds relief and subsequent increased blood flow throughout the tissues encourages healing. The expansion action is what makes inversion so valuable for those with chronic back pain, since it is often downward compressive force that results in herniated discs and ruptured connective tissues.
Inversion therapy has been around since the time of a Hippocrates, but only over the past few decades has it become more accepted by those within mainstream medicine and subsequently the general public. You may have even sees inversion equipment such as inversion tables or boot systems in the stretching area of your local gym. If you're presently undergoing traditional physical therapy, your physician may have introduced inversion tables to you as an alternative to traditional therapeutic forms.
As it has become more accepted in the mass market, fitness equipment manufacturers have introduced various types of inversion equipment with enhanced features and improved levels of technology. Inversion tables are the more basic and user friendly pieces of inversion therapy equipment presently available to consumers. They're called a table for the simple fact that the user lies flat on their back when utilizing the device, but if you get an up close look, they hardly resemble anything you would find in the dining room. Most are constructed of strong metals, plastics, and soft nylons, providing sturdy design and comfortable use.
A typical inversion table allows the user to manually set the level of inversion, so that as you become more accustomed to the sensation and action of the table, you can increase the angle with each subsequent use. As with any piece of fitness equipment, inferior designs exist on the market, but most quality inversion tables will cost less than $300 and have max weight capacity at around 300lbs. Look for warranties around the five year mark as well, since this is an indication of the length of time the equipment is expected to last under normal conditions.
Like any form of treatment, inversion is not a quick fix, and the benefits are sometimes immediate but more often experienced over a period of time. Pain, especially the chronic type, often dominates how you feel and how you experience life. With the supervision and advice of a trained medical professional, you may be surprised to find the immense benefits of inversion therapy through regular use of an inversion table.
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