Benefits of Inversion Therapy

Benefits of Inversion Therapy About two years ago, I woke up one morning frozen in bed. I couldn’t move an inch. I felt like I had fallen asleep in wet concrete only to have it dry all around me to form what I thought at the time was going to be my casket. The pain was excruciating. After an MRI we discovered a herniated disk in my lower back which was in turn pressing up against a nerve. As a personal trainer and lifelong athlete, I’ve had my share of overuse injuries as well as the normal bumps, bruises, sprains and strains. Nothing compared to this pain. I went through the normal procedures of physical therapy, massages and chiropractic appointments, but nothing helped relieve the pain for longer than an hour at a time. Fortunately I had an honest chiropractor who was more interested in my recovery than me paying him for ongoing adjustments. He told me about gravity inversion. I immediately went out and bought a gravity inversion table. It was somewhat pricey, but after being in constant pain for 6 months straight, I was willing to try anything. Within a week I was 75% pain free. Within a month I was 99% pain free. I have since continued to use gravity inversion at even the slightest hint of a relapse in pain. I also use it as part of my overall recovery process for my workouts, especially plyometric work. The purpose of gravity inversion is described in the name; to invert, or reverse, the effects of gravity. As we walk (and as athletes, as we run, jump, etc) our joints, including knees, ankles and vertebrae are being constantly compacted and pounded. I’ll leave the scientific stuff to your own research to save space here, but I can tell you from a professional standpoint that the concept is fundamentally sound. And I can tell you from a personal standpoint (both with myself and with clients) that the effects are just short of miraculous. Now I am a strong believer that everyone is different. So gravity inversion may or may not totally heal your pain. But I strongly believe that it will help dramatically. And even if you don’t have pain, but simply want to use it as an aid to your athletic recovery, I have found it useful there as well. Let’s face it. You can spend hundreds or thousands to go and get massages every day or you can get a foam roller for self massaging and self-myofascial release. Similarly, you can spend tons of money over time getting chiropractic adjustments or pay a little bit up front and be able to have the benefits of gravity inversion in your home. I chose the latter and it’s the best $125 I’ve ever spent. It literally saved me from surgery and has since helped me recover from constant sport playing and high impact training. DISCLAIMER: Gravity inversion is just like any other type of training or recovery method. You must gradually progress with it. DO NOT immediately hang upside down perpendicular to the floor and DO NOT invert for long periods of time in the beginning. Tables are adjustable and you should start at a slight decline angle and for a short period of time (15 seconds or so at a time, 1 minute upright between sets) and gradually increase both in inversion angle and length of time inverted. And of course, consult a physician as a pre-existing issue such, but not limited to, high blood pressure could be complicated by this practice. As you can see, I am a strong proponent for being self-sufficient. I don’t like being a slave to a doctor’s office, physical therapist, or chiropractor. For more info on how you can become more self sufficient and get completely RIPPED without being a slave to a gym, check out the TBC System at http://FullyFunctionalFitness.com Patrick Linehan http://FullyFunctionalFitness.com