Many of us mastered handstand and head stands in our growing up years. However, hanging upside down has become a whole new ball game in recent years. It now serves a medical purpose. However, rather than using your head or hands, a person hangs by his or her feet and gravity works it's magic for a variety of medicinal purposes. It is called inversion therapy. Inversion tables, inversion chairs and gravity boots are currently on the market.
In order to understand inversion therapy one needs to understand what causes a lot of back pain. The spine is comprised of discs interspaced with a jelly like substance. Over time, due to gravity, or constant pounding from activities such as running, the jelly like substance can bulge out hitting the surrounding nerves and causing pain. When you invert your body as in inversion therapy the discs in the spine, and actually all the joints in the body are loaded in a manner exactly opposite of what one gets in a standing position. This inverted positional allows the joints to stretch back to a more natural position and hopefully relieve some chronic pain.
Muscle tightness is another component of back pain. Inversion therapy can actually help in this area as well. Hanging upside down allows muscles to stretch in ways that would be very difficult, if not impossible to achieve otherwise. This loosening can relieve back pain as well.
Proponents of inversion therapy claim that it not only reduces back pain, but also increases flexibility, helps with good posture, and aids in circulation - both cardiovascular and lymphatic.
Back pain, flexibility, and posture have already pretty much been covered. Let's explore circulation a little bit. It's believed that the position of hanging upside down allows the heart to more easily pump blood to the brain. I can only assume that this is a good thing, allowing more brain activity. The increased circulation in the lymphatic system is especially appealing to athletes. Proponents believe that inversion allows the lymphatic system to get rid of waste more quickly, which results in a quicker recovery time for athletes.
There are some opponents to inversion therapy. However, there basic argument is that inversion therapy does nothing, not that it's harmful. About a decade ago there were some claims that it could cause a stroke in participants who suffered from heart problems, however, this was later disproved by the very researcher who wrote the original article. My research has concluded that no significant injury has occurred as a result of inversion therapy as long as the products have been on the market. The only consistent side effect has been straining of the neck muscles resulting from participants using the devices for too long and too soon. Please do consult with a physician though if you suffer from any chronic heart conditions, eye conditions, or are pregnant. - 26706
In order to understand inversion therapy one needs to understand what causes a lot of back pain. The spine is comprised of discs interspaced with a jelly like substance. Over time, due to gravity, or constant pounding from activities such as running, the jelly like substance can bulge out hitting the surrounding nerves and causing pain. When you invert your body as in inversion therapy the discs in the spine, and actually all the joints in the body are loaded in a manner exactly opposite of what one gets in a standing position. This inverted positional allows the joints to stretch back to a more natural position and hopefully relieve some chronic pain.
Muscle tightness is another component of back pain. Inversion therapy can actually help in this area as well. Hanging upside down allows muscles to stretch in ways that would be very difficult, if not impossible to achieve otherwise. This loosening can relieve back pain as well.
Proponents of inversion therapy claim that it not only reduces back pain, but also increases flexibility, helps with good posture, and aids in circulation - both cardiovascular and lymphatic.
Back pain, flexibility, and posture have already pretty much been covered. Let's explore circulation a little bit. It's believed that the position of hanging upside down allows the heart to more easily pump blood to the brain. I can only assume that this is a good thing, allowing more brain activity. The increased circulation in the lymphatic system is especially appealing to athletes. Proponents believe that inversion allows the lymphatic system to get rid of waste more quickly, which results in a quicker recovery time for athletes.
There are some opponents to inversion therapy. However, there basic argument is that inversion therapy does nothing, not that it's harmful. About a decade ago there were some claims that it could cause a stroke in participants who suffered from heart problems, however, this was later disproved by the very researcher who wrote the original article. My research has concluded that no significant injury has occurred as a result of inversion therapy as long as the products have been on the market. The only consistent side effect has been straining of the neck muscles resulting from participants using the devices for too long and too soon. Please do consult with a physician though if you suffer from any chronic heart conditions, eye conditions, or are pregnant. - 26706
About the Author:
Jared is a fitness expert who writes about how to find a discount inversion table and cheap inversion chairs online and use them in your back and fitness routines.
