Fifty Plus (50+) - Inversion Table - Anyone else?

Curious

Anyone else using one regularly?

I use a Mr. Teeter.

Why?

What exercises, if any, do you do while hanging?

How long are you usually inverted?

Are you fully inverted, hanging free by your heels, so to speak?

Do you wear shoes while inverting?

Do you see any relationship - positive or negative - with bicycling?

http://inversiontableexercise.com/wp-content/uploads/_Inversion-Table-Exersize.jpg

Dnvr,

Have you seen any or felt any benefits using it? I have thought about one of these for a long time but never pulled the trigger.
Would you say it was a worthwhile investment for you?
Okay since I am asking questions....How long do you use it for..per use and weekly?
Okay enough questions
for now.
Thanks for any answers.
kr

About 20 years ago I was suffering from nearly incapacitating pain in my lower back. Drugs seemed to be of little benefit for more than temporary relief. After consutation with a couple of orthopods who seemed to know what they were doing surgery was ruled out. Some friends suggested I try inversion.

I tried two kinds. One was a set of boot like thingies that hooked over a rod. The other was an actual table that could be slanted at a variety of angles. Both brought immediate relief to the back but resulted in too much blood to my head if I used the devices long enough for lasting benefit. In short; no matter how I used the machines they provided no more than short term benefit at best and the extra blood pressure to the head was a real risk. To me the risk of bursting an unknown weakness in a blood vessel for such minimal gain wasn't worth it.

My Physical Therapist showed me some exercises which I started and which did provide long term relief. No problems since then as long as I remember the exercises.

From ads on TV I gather chiropracters now have a stretching device that does not require a person to be inverted. I suppose that would eliminate the blood rushing to the head problem. Some locals claim great things from the device.

f

Dnvr,

Have you seen any or felt any benefits using it? I have thought about one of these for a long time but never pulled the trigger.
Would you say it was a worthwhile investment for you?
Okay since I am asking questions....How long do you use it for..per use and weekly?
Okay enough questions
for now.
Thanks for any answers.
kr

I use it pretty much daily - but about 3 - 5 minutes. I hang without any shoes or boots on, and it works fine for me, but others need a boot or shoe. When I was having a serious back problem before the fusion, it really helped. Sort of like a chiropractic adjustment on your own.

After the fusion, I OK'd it with my PT and MD, and they said fine. It certainly gives one a stretch in a different direction. I think it does no harm, and perhaps some good. I do some "curls" while upside down. I hang fully upside down - that is - the only thing touching is my feet, everything else is loose and free. It taakes a bit to get used to, and to feel comfortable by oneself, At the beginning, I only went over a bit, and had my wife near me.

As far as returning to a stand up position and controlling one's tilt, it is a matter of getting the right balance - the pivot point has several adjustments - and using body weight (mostly the position of your arms - up and down) to control tilt.

When my son with the profound developmental disability was young, he was on a program where we used "suspended inverted roataion - SIR" regularly. Not only was he upside down, we swung him in large circles, etc. This did amazing things to reduce his extreme (at that time) hyperactivity and inability to process stimuli.

Forgot - I got mine for $100 off of CL from a guy who said he cured his back pain by the table and swimming. He included a fitness ball for that price although I already had 2 of them. Now I have 3. If I could only figure out how to use 3 at a time!! :)

Thanks for the info. I really like { Sort of like a chiropractic adjustment on your own.**
I like the idea a lot and now will go through the process of trying to pull that darn trigger. That takes me a long time with certain things and with others it is a hair trigger.
A little OT but I am having trigger problems with a GoPro camera right now.

I don't own one, and have never used one, but I had quite a fright from one.

In the summer of '08 when I went to Colorado, I shared a hotel room with a guy from Arizona. We'd only ever emailed--never spoke or met.

I had checked-in first and was all settled in, sitting on the bed reading when this big hulk of a guy comes into the room carrying what looked for all the world like some heavy-duty BDSM equipment. :eek:

Thankfully, it was an inversion table. No whips and chains to go with the straps. Even so, I declined the offer to try it out. :twitchy:

I bought one a year or so ago. I try to hang for 10 or 15 minutes a couple of times a week. It seems to help, but it isn't a dramatic improvement.

I have one and use it regularly - several times a week. Teeter brand. Daily when the back acts up. I bought mine following a mishap resulting in a compression injury to my lower spine. A buddy with severe sciatica was using his and claiming good things from it. Before ordering one, I set up a make shift inclined board for myself that I used several times convincing myself that it worked. Within a week of starting to use it, I noticed the stiff neck (diagnosed degenerative disk disease of the the c4-c5) I lived with for several years went away. I think it helps my lower back as well. I gradually worked up to hanging fully suspended. I wear shoes when hanging. I will hang anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes. I worked up to the ten minutes when I first started using the inversion table. I think I get just as much benefit from 3 to 5 minutes. when I feel energetic I will do torso rotations, crunches and back extensions while inverted. Some times I get the head rush while hanging, usually doesn't bother me. If I skip doing stretches after working out at the gym, I promise myself I will hang when I get home. sometimes I do.

The good: Inversion therapy can help to stretch your spine and pull disks back into place. Helps take pressure off your back and makes things feel and work better.
The Bad: Inversion therapy causes an increase in blood pressure. It can cause your blood pressure to increase to unsafe levels, which could cause a heart attack or stroke.

the good: Inversion therapy can help to stretch your spine and pull disks back into place. Helps take pressure off your back and makes things feel and work better.
The bad: Inversion therapy causes an increase in blood pressure. It can cause your blood pressure to increase to unsafe levels, which could cause a heart attack or stroke.

and the source of your information is:??

http://www.ehow.com/about_5426568_inversion-table-dangers.html

Inversion Tables and Stroke


There was speculation that using an inversion table could contribute to strokes (http://www.ehow.com/about_5426568_inversion-table-dangers.html#). The media reported the risks, but studies on the use of inversion tables found no evidence to support the speculation. Research done at universities including Marquette, Iowa and Portland showed that using an inversion table will not increase the risk of a stroke in users. However, those with high or uncontrollable blood pressure should be cautious when using an inversion table.

Read more: Inversion Table Dangers | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/about_5426568_inversion-table-dangers.html#ixzz1G8qT8GPE) http://www.ehow.com/about_5426568_inversion-table-dangers.html#ixzz1G8qT8GPE (http://www.ehow.com/about_5426568_inversion-table-dangers.html#ixzz1G8qT8GPE)

Wasn't there a post a while back about a 50+er that got stuck for 4 hours upside down on one of these things?

We do have one and have used it infrequently but it does make your back feel better.

I use one & get some relief with it for lower back/hip pain. I do not turn completely upside down , but am up about 45° from being verticle. I wear shoes & sometimes I twist left & right, pull my arms to my chest & then extend them over my head as far as I can reach.
I have a bar hanging up outside that I hang from, like doing chin-ups. I hang there for about a minute, then swing my feet forward & back to stretch out. This seems to help my mid-upper back.

I like my Teeter. It is really relaxing to hang for 15 to 20 minutes at the end of the work day. It helps a lot with any lower back issues.

I have a Teeter that I use for about 5 minutes twice a week after the rowing machine. I wear shoes, not having installed the special hookups to use the boots I bought. I think it helps but I cannot quantify it. I sometimes do some upside down crunches and some twists. I remember getting some extension add-on to aid stretching / twisting but I misplaced it.