Inversion tables are a popular method of putting traction on the spine, decompressing it and relieving back pains and aches. Only a few minutes a day are needed. We look at the different types of home machines, as well as alternative devices.
A doctor or chiropractor should be consulted before starting on any kind of back decompression.
Inversion Tables
Inversion tables cost from less than a hundred to a few hundred dollars for home or consumer models. Professional models cost over a thousand dollars. Insurance might pay for some of the cost, with a doctor's prescription.
Brands include Teeter Hang Ups, LifeGear, Ironman, Stamina (Elite, Calm), Kettler (Apollo), Body Champ, Health Mark (Pro), Weider, Nordic Track, Body Power, iGym, Soozier, Healthrider and Weslo.
They are like a see-saw bed. You clamp your ankles to the foot of the bed, then raise your arms to cause the bed to tilt backwards, until you are hanging by your ankles. Your weight and height need to match the inversion table's specifications. Beds are typically specified to a maximum of 250 or 300 pounds, for people who are 4 feet 8 inches to 6 feet 5 inches high.
Proper positioning for balance on the table is important. There will be height adjustments on the table to set your center of balance over the table's pivot. This is only an average. You'll need to fine-tune the setting so that you can control the tilt by raising and lowering your arms.
Advantages
- Easy to use.
- Flexible. Different inversion angles means different levels of stretching.
Disadvantages
- Ankle clamps can be uncomfortable enough to be a deal-breaker.
- Need to bend down to lock and unlock the ankles. Might not be possible for those with serious back issues.
- Inversion can be uncomfortable or dangerous for some (see the contraindications link below). Blood pressure in the head is raised.
Standard features include handles to help pull up from inverted position, and an adjustable strap to control the maximum tilt angle. More expensive models will have additional features.
Useful features
- Comfortable ankle clamps. Uncomfortable clamps are a common complaint.
- Ankle clamps that are easy to adjust (tool-less) for use by more than one person (with different size ankles).
- Easy-to-reach ankle clamps. Some models have a long locking lever, so that it's not necessary to bend over too much to lock and release.
- Foldable for storage, without needing a wrench.
- Lockable when in fully inverted position, to allow sit-ups.
- Ability to tilt past vertical, so that you can hang freely and twist or swing.
- Infrared and vibration massage back to help relax back muscles.
- Adjustable swing rate or sensitivity.
- Compatibility with gravity boots for comfort. For example, Teeter inversion tables can be fixed with a different foot bar for use with gravity boots.
- Chromed, not painted, moving parts.
- Instructional video.
- Easy-to-clean back rest: removable and washable.
- 5-year warranty.
- Height adjustment settings engraved in the metal, not painted.
Tips
- Have someone act as a safety spotter, especially for the first few times.
- Don't go for a full 90 degree inversion straight away. Start with 45 degrees.
- Wear hiking boots or use hand towels, if the foot clamp is uncomfortable.
Inversion Chairs or Hip-supported Inversion Equipment
This type of inversion equipment is good for people who experience pain at the ankles when using an inversion table. They are similar to inversion tables, but instead of lying down flat, you sit. When inverted, the thighs support the weight of the body, not the ankles. Examples are Invertrac, and Teeter Hang Ups Dex II.
The Nubax has an unusual horizontal design. Instead hanging upside-down, you lie down on the machine, facing the floor. The weight of the body causes the scissors mechanism to push against the shoulders and thighs, stretching the spine.
Inversion or Gravity Boots
Inversion boots have largely been replaced by inversion tables. Inversion tables are easier to use and safer. However, boots are cheaper and take up less space. You also hang more freely and can twist and swing when suspended.
The boots are like rollerblade boots: padded and locked with a ski-type lever mechanism. A hook on each boot allows you to hang upside-down from a chin-up bar. Special inversion racks or bars are available for screwing into a doorway. They are like chin-up bars, but jut upwards and outwards, to give more ground clearance.
Strength is needed to first hang from the bar using the arms, then to swing the feet up to hook the boots. A knotted rope tied to the bar is a good safety mechanism, to help pull the body up for the dismount.
The boots can be taken along when traveling, and used with the hotel gym's chin-up bar. Teeter brand inversion tables can used with inversion boots with a conversion boot bar. Many people find the inversion table more comfortable when used this way.
Brands include Teeter, Body Solid and Spyder.
Portable Spine Traction Devices
Small lightweight traction devices are available for travelers. Most are horizontal devices, which also makes them suitable for people who don't want to hang upside-down.
They use muscle-power to push against the feet or hips, to stretch the spine. This makes them safer, as releasing the hold will immediately release the traction.
Disadvantages
- They don't decompress the neck.
- It's difficult to repeat with the same amount of force.
- They are not suitable for weaker individuals, who don't have the necessary arm strength.
Examples are Lynx, Disc-Traction Therapeutic Belt, and Spinal Stretch.
Inflatable back braces wrap around the waist. Air is pumped in, blowing them up like a balloon, and stretching the spine. Examples are Back Bubble Spinal Decompression, and Dr Ho.
Back Stretchers
A back stretcher is a curved back support. It is placed on the floor and you lie down on it, facing upwards. The back stretcher arches the spine, stretching it. This means that it mainly affects the lower back.
Examples are Back Magic, Stretch Mate Orthopedic Back Stretcher, Lumbar Extender Back Stretcher, Spinework Spine Realignment Device and True Back Non-powered Orthopedic Traction Device.
How to Choose the Best Inversion Table or Back Stretcher
Inversion tables are easy to use but take up space and some people are uncomfortable hanging upside-down. It's possible to get good results from one without fully inverting, tilting back only 45 degrees. It's not necessary to pay for a premium model unless some of the secondary features are needed. As long as the inversion table is sturdy enough and the ankle clamps are comfortable, it will work.
The other devices (inversion boots, back stretchers, portable spine traction) all have their own advantages and disadvantages.
If you're unsure as to the benefits of decompressing the spine, simply hanging from your arms from a chin-up bar will give you a simple decompression session. It's easy but less effective than inversion because the back muscles will tense up and pull the spine together.
Invertrac has a web page on inversion therapy contraindications. If you have any of the listed of medical conditions, it means that inversion therapy is not for you. Teeter has a web page that lists medical studies on the benefits of inversion therapy. Some of the information in this article is based on user reviews of inversion equipment on the Amazon.com website.
Yuen Kit Mun - Kit Mun is a self-confessed information junkie, reading an average of a book a week over the past two decades. His growing Internet ...
Join the Conversation