Using
an inversion table is like any new physical
activity. If you are not careful it is easy
to over do it. That is why we recommend
starting at a very mild angle (your
head only 6-8 inches lower than your feet)
with the safety strap attached. Please review
the contraindications and check with your
physician if you have any health questions
concerning inversion therapy. |
|
Please
Read - We have been selling inversion tables
since 1980.
If used conservatively inversion
therapy is very very safe!
If used conservatively inversion
therapy is very very safe!
If used conservatively inversion therapy
is very very safe! |
The
beauty of using a Teeter Hang Ups Inversion
table is you can start out at horizontal,
the same position as the bed you sleep in
a night. Once this feels comfortable you
can increase the angle very slowly, one
degree at a time. Taking inversion slowly
like this causes very little stress on the
body. You can set the safety strap before
you even get on the table so you will know
exactly where you will stop. |
Please
Note
In
rare instances back pain is a symptom
of a serious medical condition.
Even medical doctors sometimes make
this mistake. Please
be aware. We know of a case
where a man was being medicated
for back pain for more than a year.
It turned out his pain had nothing
to do with his back but was kidney
related. |
***
|
Glaucoma
Pregnancy
Hiatal hernia
Ventral hernia
Detached retina
Extreme obesity
Middle ear infection
Arterial hypertension
Severe vascular disease
Anti-Coagulants (use of)
Conjunctivitis - (pink eye)
Bone weakness, recent fractures
History of congestive heart failure
History
of space-occupying brain lesion
Vulnerable areas of stress from recent surgery
See the Goldman
Study |
These
and any other medical conditions that would
limit normal physical activity may be contraindications
for inversion therapy. It would be prudent
to consult with your medical doctor. Keep
in mind that with the safety strap attached
it is possible to lay on the table at a
very mild slant board angle that may be
no more stressful than laying down in bed. |
|
This
is not an exhaustive list.
It is intended only for your reference.
Please use good judgment and check
with you doctor if you have any questions. |
| Please
read more information on this page than
just the list of contraindications. If
you do you will gain a greater understanding
of how safe inversion therapy can be if
done properly. |
Does
inversion cause stroke?
In the 30+ years that inversion therapy
has been used by the general population
there has not been one single reported case
of stroke or cardiovascular incident related
to inversion. "The risk of stroke appears
to be exaggerated. One may be at greater
risk of s stroke during strenuous weight
training or severe anxiety in the upright
posture."
(Goldman,R. dt al., The
Physician and Sports Medicine. Mar 85)
As always, however, individuals with high
blood pressure should check with their physician.
Please read High Blood Pressure below. |
|
|
| Why
do some doctors advise against inversion therapy?
|
| For
centuries traction had been one of the primary
doctor prescribed therapies for back problems.
Recently pain medication and surgical treatments
became popular. Even though traction was recommended
for centuries sometimes modern doctors will
advise against inversion therapy. It has been
our experience that one
of the main reasons they advise against inversion
is because they do not understand that the
user has total control over the angle of incline
and extreme angles that may concern the physician
are not recommended nor are they usually necessary
for achieving great benefits. What some doctors
need to realize is that a person can set the
table for horizontal or any mild degree of
incline. When very mild angles are used the
stresses on the body are minimal and any risks
are reduced. We have heard from people over
the years who avoided inversion therapy because
their doctors did not understand the potential
benefits. Some of these people found a different
doctor who did understand how much benefit
could be achieved with as little as 15-20
minutes a day of mild inversion and rhythmic
intermittent traction. This is achieved easily
with the inversion table by creating a rocking
motion. Some doctors
contraindicate inversion therapy for very
good reasons. In some cases they have
not taken the time to study this simple
therapy that has
brought pain relief and
a better quality of life to
hundreds of thousands of people. |
|
We
know that inversion was used at least as early as
400 B.C., when Hippocrates, the father of medicine,
first watched a patient have his knees and ankles
tied to a ladder to be hoisted upside down for a dose
of what has come to be known as inversion therapy.
Fore more information see:
Inversion Therapy
A Natural Approach To Correcting Back Problems |
|
Contraindications
Inversion therapy can provide innumerable benefits
to your health. Inversion can relieve back pain,
decompress the spine, stretch muscles and ligaments,
relieve stress, improve circulation and help
maintain overall good health.
However, inversion is not for everyone. If you
have any of the following health conditions,
please do not invert without your licensed physician's
approval (this is not an exhaustive list - it
is intended only for your reference.)
Anti-Coagulants
(Use of): Blood-thinning drugs or aspirin to
reduce clotting of the arteries and blood vessels.
The use of anti-cogulants signals people at
risk for circulatory problems. Advise speaking
with a physician before inverting.
Bone weakness, recent fractures, skeletal implants:
Having a person's weight pulling down when inverted
may exacerbate these conditions. Osteoporosis
is a calcium deficiency disease in which the
bones become porous, brittle, and very weak.
Advise speaking with a physician before inverting.
Conjunctivitis - (Pink eye): An inflammation
of the transparent membrane that covers the
front surface of the eyeball and the inner surface
of the eyelids caused by bacterial or viral
infection. Advise speaking with a physician
before inverting.
Glaucoma: A condition of elevated pressure within
the eye because of an obstruction of the outflow
of the clear, watery fluid circulating in the
chambers of the eye. The resulting pressure
(which is imperceptible without an eye exam)
kills cells in the optic nerve, which can lead
to a gradual loss of vision. Anyone with an
eye condition should speak with a physician
before inverting.
Heart / circulatory disorders: Any condition
involving the circulatory system. Speak with
a physician before inverting.
Hiatal hernia, ventral hernia: A hiatal hernia
occurs when intra-abdominal pressure increases
cause a portion of the stomach to move into
the chest cavity through a weakness in the diaphragm.
A ventral hernia develops at the site of previous
surgery, usually along vertical incisions. It
may also result from weakness in the abdominal
wall. Advise speaking with a physician before
inverting.
Middle ear infection: The middle ear helps equalize
air pressure in the ear. A person may feel discomfort
or disorientation during inversion. Advise speaking
with a physician before inverting.
Obesity (extreme): In some people obesity can
be associated with the undetected onset of many
of the circulatory and eye problems mentioned
above. The weight capacity of each of the inversion
products should not be exceeded.
Pregnancy: Pregnant women should exercise caution
when inverting. Advisable to talk with physician
first.
Retinal detachment: A separation of the retina,
the thin, delicate membrane covering the rear
portion of the eye, from the optic nerve. Usually
results from a hole in the retina that allows
the vitreous humor fluid to leak. Treatment
is almost always surgical. A retinal hemorrhage,
in most cases, can heal by itself. Anyone with
an eye condition should speak with a physician
before inverting.
Spinal injury: Any severe spinal cord trauma
requires a person to consult their physician
before inverting.
Stroke: Occurs when a blood vessel in the neck
or brain becomes blocked or when a vessel in
the brain bursts open. Symptoms include paralysis,
difficulty speaking, memory loss, and impaired
thought processes.
Transient ischemic attack: Often called a "ministroke,"
a TIA occurs when the blood supply is temporarily
interrupted to a part of the brain due to a
blockage. Often precedes the onset of a full
stroke, and requires immediate action.
|
Inversion
Therapy and High Blood Pressure
See the Goldman
Study and Conmplete
Care Center Findings |
High
blood pressure, hypertension: A common disorder
in which the heart is pumping blood through
the circulatory system with a force greater
than that required for normal blood flow. An
elevated blood pressure which exceeds 140/90.
It is true that certain people should not invert
if they have uncontrolled high blood pressure.
However, inversion can cause a state of relaxation
that results in a drop in heart rate and BP
(sometimes even lower than at a resting state).
Some doctors have used inversion as a treatment
for high BP. Advise speaking with a physician
before inverting. Doctors who use inversion
will test a patient's BP as they do a mild inversion.
If your blood pressure is under control, using
an inversion table in a conservative manner
starting our slowly and at a mild angle is considered
quite safe by those of us who have worked in
the inversion field for many years. The Teeter
Hang Ups inversion tables have a safety
tether strap so you will safely stop before
going over too far.
The stress reduction afforded by the stretch
and circulatory stimulation of inversion therapy
as well as pain reduction MAY go a long way
to reduce stress induced high blood pressure.
|
If
your blood pressure medication includes diruetics
(water pills) you may want to read Grapes
and Rasins |
|
|
| Discs
are soft, rubbery pads between the hard bones (vertebrae)
of the spinal column. When they are young and healthy,
discs are plump with water, which keeps them hydrated
and they have the perfect consistency to work as shock
absorbers for the vertebrae. They also act to maintain
the space between the vertebrae so the nerves are
not impinged upon. Over time the daily stress of gravity,
sitting, twisting and the process of aging may dry
them out like grapes turned into raisins. This is
called desiccation. This disc desiccation or drying
out can be reversed and the disc can be rehydrated.
As discs deteriorate, their tough outer shell weakens.
One swing on the tennis court or lifting in the wrong
way can burst the interior gel through
the
caseing, like jelly squishing out of a doughnut.
|
|
vertebrae are separated allowing the discs to regain
their form and function. After the pressure is taken
off the nerve there can be a rocking motion added
to the inversion therapy.
The rocking motion creates an accordion like pumping
action that helps to hydrate and increase the fluid
circulation to the discs. It creates a compression
and expansion. One of the reasons discs degenerate
and don't regenerate well is due to the passive nature
of the fluid flow to the discs. They are not vasuclarized
like a kidney. The fluid flow to and from the disc
is based on body movement such as walking and breathing.
The rocking motion on the table facilitates this fluid
flow as good or better than perhaps any other activity.
|
|
The result is the infamous herniated disc (also referred
to as ruptured or slipped disc).
When a disc bulges against one of the two sciatic
nerves, which run from the spinal cord down the legs,
the pain can be excruciating. This bulge can also
take place in the cervical area which affects the
neck, shoulders, arms and hands.
Inversion therapy adresses the duel function of the
discs, their ability to act as shock absorber
and spacer. With mild inversion the |
Disc
Desiccation and Diuretics for High Blood Pressure
- Water Pills |
We
have no way to verify this scientifically,
however, we have been working in the field
of back problems and inversion therapy since
1980 and in the medical field before
that and it has been our observation
that there may be a correlation between diuretic
therapy and disc problems. Long term use of
diuretics to help control high blood pressure
may contribute to disc desiccation which is
described above. Most people who have disc
problems may have one
or two compressed, herniated or ruptured discs.
We have found people who have disc problems
and who are on diuretics seem to be more likely
to have 3-4 or even more compressed discs
than the person who is not on diuretics. Also
when we hear someone has sciatica on both
sides, this is often a sign to us they maybe
on diuretics. When people tell us they have
5 compressed discs and we ask if they are
on diuretics, we are not surprised
to hear that they are. They are surprised
when we ask them the question because they
had never made the correlation before. We
have even spoken with nephrologists (kidney
and blood pressure specialist) and they had
never made the correlation either but believe
there maybe be a causal relationship.
To our knowledge we are the first people to
make this observation. |
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