Back Pain - Inversion Therapy

Does anybody here use inversion therapy for their back pain? My back has been feeling worse over the years. I went to see a specialist a few years back and their only insight was to stretch and do more core work...even though I had a pretty strong core at the time. Anyway, I've used an inversion table before for a few weeks and it seemed to alleviate some of the compression pain.

Thoughts? I talked to a guy in the gym today that uses hang ups every day. He said he had a lot of back pain from snow skiing over the years and was on the verge of back surgery. He started doing inversion related therapy, and he says his back has been without pain ever since...and that was 15 years ago!

I figured I would give it a go again for a longer period of time and see if it helps. Stretching and core work hasn't done a lot for me over the years.

I have had bad back pain for several years and just recently had a laminectomy/Discectomy.

I have done decompression therapy which is the same method as inversion just laying horizontal and having a machine pull you from the hips. I have also tried inversion therapy. Both work well depending on what type of back problems you have. Inversion worked really well for me after wakeboarding. I would try around 7-10 minutes of it almost every day and I certainly had less back stiffness and less pain. However Inversion isnt the most comfortable thing, for one there is a lot of pressure on your ankles (since its holding your body weight) and two all the blood rushing to your head. Overall it worked for me but for my injury (disc bulge) I had much more than back pain. I had pain run down my sciatic nerve so that was only fixed through surgery. Overall though I would recommend it.

They also sell an inversion table at Cost Co for around 200.00

Thanks for the advice Matt. I can definitely see how it is hard on your ankles. I would really want to take my time getting to vertical. You can do a lot of work at 45 degrees which doesn't put near as much strain on your ankles. I'm glad to hear it helped your back.

There is a nice inversion table through Sams Club for $150. That's the one I have. I know it does something in terms of decompression because when I get off of it I'm in temporary pain for 3-5 min as the spine contracts again. I had a discectomy/laminectomy Feb of 2007. I can't say I have used the table consistently enough to make a judgement, but I certainly wouldn't consider it a miracle worker. It is really interesting how there is a total lack of information out there about them though. None of my doctors/therapists really had much to say about them and there is next to nothing on the internet.

Yeah, it seems that most of the doctors I've talked to don't seem to have an opinion on them one way or another. It if truly works, I'm sure they aren't really jumping up and down to tell you about it.

The thing I'm most impressed about is the testimony of people that have used this technique for years. They will know better than anyone about the advantages and disadvantages of doing something like this. The main thing I guess you have to be careful of is the origin on your back pain. For those that have compression related issues it makes sense it provides pain relief for them, but obviously if you have a bulging disk it might not be the best or only fix for you.

First go see a chiropractor, but a get a referral from a friend or co-worker. There are bad apples in every profession.

I have a Teeter Hang Up in my office. Many patients use it and really like the results.

Thanks KJ. The chiro didn't do a lot for me. I think it might have helped slightly but the financial cost outweighed the benefit IMO.

Eubanks, I know you've said you have done "core work" and it hasn't helped. What exactly were you doing, if you don't mind me asking?

I have had three discectomies and am starting to have some pain again. Maybe I should check one out. Seems like a cheap alternative.

AMO - Well, stretching was the first and foremost thing mentioned as a solution by the doctors so that is where I focused most of my time. For core I was doing various exercises...crunches, candle sticks, back extensions, leg raises, etc. I was just doing a bunch of different things.

There is no doubt that stretching and core work provided more pain relief than just sitting around on the couch, but I was still in a lot of pain. My back pretty much hurts 24/7 no matter what I'm doing.

Have you had an MRI? I have dealt with a lot of this in my professional career and I found some solutions that work for me. I'd be happy to share them with you, if you are interested.

Sure, feel free to email me. No, just X-rays.

Eubanks, just shot you an email.

I hate to say it gentlemen, but there is no quick fix for back pain no matter what any doctor tells you. It's constant work on proper bio-mechanics in everyday life and especially on the water. That includes everything from sitting and getting up from your chair at work to training in the gym.