Getting Rid Of Back Pain - Part 2 Inversion Tables
Posted: Sat 14 Feb, 2009 11:35 pm
In your spine, there are a bunch of bones [ called vertebrae ] separated by shock absorbers [ called disks ].
These disks are made up of two parts;
1. A jelly like interior [ called the nucleus pulposus - NP ]
2. An outer part made up of layers of tough fibrous material [ called the annulus fibrosis – AF ].
http://www.daviddarling.info/images/ver ... _disks.jpg
http://www.bartleby.com/images/A4images/A4interv.jpg
http://www.becomehealthynow.com/images/ ... natomy.jpg
Nerves come out of the spinal canal between the bones and run off to the heart, arms, kidneys etc. As long as the disks are nice and healthy and full sized, they prevent the nerves from being pressed against by bones.
However, when the disks lose water, their height reduces. This means there is a smaller gap between the bones where the nerves pass through. This means that nerves can be pressed against.
What causes this loss of water ? Pressure. Firstly, gravity reduces our height by up to a inch during each day. When we lay down at night, we take the pressure off our spines, and the disks expand back to normal.
An inversion table can help to stretch the ligaments and muscles around the spine [ a ligament is tissue that joins bone to bone ].
http://d3f8w3yx9w99q2.cloudfront.net/13 ... 00x360.jpg
Basically you put your ankles in a small clamping device and lay back. The table’s tilt can be controlled by hand. Once you are at an angle of about 15 degrees, your muscles will start to stretch and this is good for your spine. It also helps with flexibility for the joints in your spine [ called facet joints ].
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/lp/lo/ohs/pu ... Joints.jpg
http://www.hughston.com/hha/b_17_1_3c.jpg
The two best companies out there are Teeter and MasterCare.
http://www.teeterhangups.com/
http://www.mastercare.se/
Check out the Master Care videos. The Volvo one doesn’t flow very well, but the upshot is that Volvo Aero saw a big reduction in back pain sick days when their employees used the device.
I have known many people who have gotten rid of all their back pain by just using these devices.
You do not need to go back very much. 15- 30 degrees is more than enough. Most people make the mistake of going too far back.
The US Army Physical Training School at Fort Benning Georgia [ same place as the jump school ] has recommended that inversion tables be used at all US Army facilities.
The Rangers also use gravity boots, but I don’t recommend them for anyone with back pain. They are a good exercise device for people who are out of back pain.
http://www.teeterhangups.com/about/history.html
http://www.energycenter.com/grav_f/army_inversion.pdf
Dave
These disks are made up of two parts;
1. A jelly like interior [ called the nucleus pulposus - NP ]
2. An outer part made up of layers of tough fibrous material [ called the annulus fibrosis – AF ].
http://www.daviddarling.info/images/ver ... _disks.jpg
http://www.bartleby.com/images/A4images/A4interv.jpg
http://www.becomehealthynow.com/images/ ... natomy.jpg
Nerves come out of the spinal canal between the bones and run off to the heart, arms, kidneys etc. As long as the disks are nice and healthy and full sized, they prevent the nerves from being pressed against by bones.
However, when the disks lose water, their height reduces. This means there is a smaller gap between the bones where the nerves pass through. This means that nerves can be pressed against.
What causes this loss of water ? Pressure. Firstly, gravity reduces our height by up to a inch during each day. When we lay down at night, we take the pressure off our spines, and the disks expand back to normal.
An inversion table can help to stretch the ligaments and muscles around the spine [ a ligament is tissue that joins bone to bone ].
http://d3f8w3yx9w99q2.cloudfront.net/13 ... 00x360.jpg
Basically you put your ankles in a small clamping device and lay back. The table’s tilt can be controlled by hand. Once you are at an angle of about 15 degrees, your muscles will start to stretch and this is good for your spine. It also helps with flexibility for the joints in your spine [ called facet joints ].
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/lp/lo/ohs/pu ... Joints.jpg
http://www.hughston.com/hha/b_17_1_3c.jpg
The two best companies out there are Teeter and MasterCare.
http://www.teeterhangups.com/
http://www.mastercare.se/
Check out the Master Care videos. The Volvo one doesn’t flow very well, but the upshot is that Volvo Aero saw a big reduction in back pain sick days when their employees used the device.
I have known many people who have gotten rid of all their back pain by just using these devices.
You do not need to go back very much. 15- 30 degrees is more than enough. Most people make the mistake of going too far back.
The US Army Physical Training School at Fort Benning Georgia [ same place as the jump school ] has recommended that inversion tables be used at all US Army facilities.
The Rangers also use gravity boots, but I don’t recommend them for anyone with back pain. They are a good exercise device for people who are out of back pain.
http://www.teeterhangups.com/about/history.html
http://www.energycenter.com/grav_f/army_inversion.pdf
Dave