Inversion for Neck Pain

If you look at the structure of the human body, the tissues that make up what we call the neck are actually a continuation of the spinal column that extends above the shoulder structures. The neck is subject to many of the same pressures and stresses as the spinal column with additional patterns of movement that are not possible for the spine. The area of the spine below the shoulders also has the added protection of a rib cage, internal organs, and layers of muscular tissue. The neck is fairly vulnerable to injury if one is not careful, and even if precautions against injury are taken, there are many instances in which injury and cause for neck pain are simply unavoidable. Inversion is generally a technique used for correcting the causes of back pain, but inversion can be applied in order to alleviate neck pain as well.

Just like in the rest of the spinal column, the neck is composed of a series of boney disks separated by cartilage and other soft tissues. Whereas the cartilage of the spinal disks are generally focused on the task of compression and absorption, the disks within the neck work as a stack of plates that slide and pivot on one another as the head moves up, down, and side to side. This fantastic range of motion often comes at a price in the form of herniated disks and osteoarthritis from years of wear and tear. Using the head to push against heavy objects (wrestling, sports, etc.) or more mundane tasks like sitting hunched at the computer for a few hours can cause muscle strains that result in sharp neck pain. Whiplash is another painful neck condition with which many unlucky individuals must cope, usually as a result of some trauma like car crashes or other sudden shocks.

In many instances, over the counter pain medication, resting, and stretching exercises are simply not enough to relieve severe neck pain. If you have consulted a physician due to severe neck pain and your current regimen of therapy doesn't seem to be the entire solution, consider inversion for neck pain as an addition to your current treatment. Traction is a form of therapy that uses weights and pulleys to slowly stretch and realign the spine and neck over time. While traction can often be an intense process, inversion therapy is a much less severe form of traction that uses the body's own weight to affect what weights might do in conventional traction therapy.

Inversion therapy for neck pain treatment can be achieved through various pieces of specific equipment, the most efficient and safe being the inversion table. With any piece of inversion equipment, the body is suspended by the limbs in an inverted position. This way there is only the possibility for expansion and no chance of compression on the joints and connective tissues. This is a great benefit for many of the sources of neck pain. Suspending the body upside down allows the disks and other structures to expand by the weight of the head, resulting in realignment of the spine with the neck, expansion of the disk cartilage, increased circulation, and reduction in the compressive forces on the nerve roots. All these make for a neck that has much less opportunity for pain and a greater likelihood of healing and regeneration of the neck structures.

If you are experiencing neck pain on a regular basis or if you have sustained a recent injury that has brought on sever sharp neck pain, be sure to consult with your physician before starting any therapeutic healing regimen. If you've tried other forms of treatment and you are not satisfied or if you want to try something different with a proven track record, consider trying inversion for neck pain that just wont stop. It may be just what you've been looking for.