Inversion for Back Pain

Throughout the course of a lifetime, the human body is routinely put through all manner of stresses and strains. From old sports injuries to slight bumps and short falls, you're lucky if you reach middle age with only minor aches and pains, and many people develop painful physical conditions much earlier in life. Back pain in general can result from a wide range of causes. Overuse and injury of the trunk muscles can lead to imbalances in muscle tensions, which leads to imbalances in the spinal structure and greater propensity for injury. Inversion therapy is an excellent technique used for treating back pain by allowing for spinal realignment and strengthening of the trunk muscles.

There are many ways in which back pain can become a significant problem for many individuals. Compression of the spinal discs is a naturally occurring phenomenon that crops up at various levels of intensity for everyone at some point in life. The shock-absorbing fluid within the disc tissue can be forced out of the spinal column, and the pressure put upon the nerve roots that travel through the vertebrae can also result in severe pain. Imbalances in the spinal muscles and reduced ligament strength can also bring about bulging, herniated discs which themselves are the basis for increased levels of chronic back pain.

So how can inversion therapy help to reduce instances of back pain and the opportunity for chronic back pain? Inversion therapy is more than simply turning upside down for a period of time and hoping for some beneficial result. Standing on one's head or holding inverted hand stand positions will do little to reverse the normal compressive forces of gravity. In these instances, gravitational compression will simply be working in the opposite direction. With inversion therapy, specific devices are used so that the body is suspended by the limbs in an inverted position, allowing for a stretching action to take place in the spine and vertebrae. The most popular devices are inversion tables, inversion boots, or various combinations of these two.

As the body is suspended in the inverted position, the body's own weight works with the natural forces of gravity to gently pull the spinal column back into alignment, allowing for expansion of the disc tissue and subsequent reduction of pressure on the nerve roots in the back. Muscles, ligaments, and other connective tissue that are regularly subjected to downward force throughout the day also receive relief and experience the benefits of gravitational pressures in an opposing direction. The expanding action that results from inversion therapy also permits greater circulation throughout the body and especially the spine as the regular compression is reversed. The increased circulation allows for improved oxygen and nutrient supply to the soft tissues as well, encouraging healing and strength throughout all the soft tissues.

All of these improvements allow for an environment in the body that encourages rejuvenation of areas regularly at the source of physical pain. Inversion is an excellent technique to relieve many sources of back pain, and should be a part of a regular plan for addressing muscular and skeletal imbalances that may cause chronic pain.