Does inversion therapy relieve back pain? Is it safe?
Inversion therapy, which involves hanging upside down, doesn’t provide lasting relief from back pain, and the head-down position could be risky for anyone with high blood pressure, heart disease or glaucoma. In theory, inversion therapy takes gravitational pressure off the nerve roots and disks in your spine and increases the space between vertebrae. One form of inversion therapy involves full-body, head-first suspension from a horizontal bar in a stabilizing frame. Another form uses a similar inversion frame with supports that keep your knees bent and hips flexed. In a third form, you lie on an inversion table that gradually tips you into a head-down position. Inversion therapy is one example of the many ways in which spinal traction (stretching the spine) has been used in an attempt to relieve back pain. Well-designed studies evaluating traction have found the technique ineffective for long-term relief. However, some people find traction temporarily helpful as part of a more comprehe
