Is Upside-Down Inversion Therapy Good for Your Back and Joints?

7 minute read

The gravity that keeps us here on Earth also compresses your spine, which in time can cause back pains, interfere with circulation, and exacerbate inflammation problems throughout the body.

On top of the gravitational constant, much of the chronic pain we feel in our lives comes from improper posture, sitting incorrectly, and lifting heavy objects. These common activities cause your body to become misaligned, and this leads to many of the pains so commonly felt by the adult population.

To reverse this, you essentially need to reverse your position, which means inverting yourself. Inversion therapy does just that, by allowing you to be in a position where your feet are elevated above your head. Inverting your position will invert the impact that gravity has on your spine and your pain.

Defy Gravity and Defy Pain

Yogis have been using inversion therapy for centuries to help realign their bodies and prevent chronic pains. Bringing the body back into balance not only reverses common pains, but it promotes more efficient function within your internal systems.

More recently, inversion therapy has been used to treat common back and joint pains. Your joints, along with your spine, can fall prey to the pressures of gravity and inversion techniques can bring the relief you seek.

The medical profession remains split as to whether or not inversion therapy is beneficial. While some physicians do not support the idea that is can be used to treat pain, there are numerous studies showing that there are a few benefits to being upside down, although it is notable that these seem to have more short-term benefits rather than long-term ones.

Better Drainage

Your lymphatic system is an essential component of your immunity and relies on your muscles to promote the removal of toxins. Any misalignment to your posture causes muscles to contract less, which means toxins are not flushed out as efficiently as they should be.

When you invert yourself, drainage can flow without the restrictions of gravity, which means your body is more efficiently cleared of potentially harmful toxins.

Less Back Pain

Inversion therapy reduces muscle tension and relieves stress placed on your lower back. Tense muscles also trap toxins and become inflamed, which also causes pain. In addition to this the health of your spinal discs improves.

Reduced Nerve Pain

Along with the compression of discs comes the potential for pinched or trapped nerves. Because so many of your nerves stem from the spinal column, a disruption can cause problems all over your body.

If you notice tingling or pain in your extremities without any obvious cause, you could have a pinched nerve. Inversion therapy can relieve the pressure on your nerves.

Go Upside Down to Keep Your Health Up

Inversion therapy is a great way to defy gravity and bring relief to common back and joint pains. Most people understand that inversion therapy can help your back but do not realize the benefits it can have for your joints too.

Every joint in your body feels the pressure of weight and gravity each day, and this causes natural wear and tear. While inversion therapy provides relief for this you also need to promote joint health.

Joint health supplements can boost the strength and health of your joints, to make them more resistant to the daily wear and stress of gravity. Since you cannot defy gravity forever, your best bet against joint damage is to boost your joints from within.

There are a few key ingredients you can include in your diet to ensure that your joints stay strong and healthy.

Collagen: Undenatured collagen is the best for promoting joint health because it is the closest version to the natural collagen that makes up your joints. Inflammation and stress on your joints causes collagen to break down which causes pain and immobility.

Ensuring you get collagen support will keep your joints healthy for longer.

Boswellia Serrata: This natural gum resin contains a variety of benefits and has been used for centuries to control inflammation and support joint health. As a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound, boswellia serrata prevents damage to your joints in between your inversion therapy sessions.

Curcumin: This compound is found in the spice turmeric and has been used in ancient traditional medicines for centuries. Helping to fight inflammation, curcumin protects your joints from the pressures of the day and allows time for natural healing.

Once you have the supplements to boost joint health, you can be assured that your joints can withstand the daily dose of gravity. Inversion therapy can serve as a support system to give your joints the break they need every now and then. However, with a combination of inversion and joint health supplements, you can prevent common joint problems like arthritis.

It’s worth noting that you don’t need to have an inversion table to reap the benefits:

♦ Yoga poses, like headstands, provide the benefits of inversion without you having to leave your home.

♦ You can lie on the floor with your feet on the couch as a form of inversion therapy.

♦ Try inversion boots that attach to a bar and allow you to hang upside down like a bat.

♦ Sit on a fitness ball and lay back so your head is below your hips to make your own inversion table.

The Bottom Line

Inversion therapy is a relatively new approach to joint pain, despite it having been used for centuries. Your joints feel the pressure of your weight every day, and this gets compounded by gravity, making them vulnerable.

With supplemental support, you can promote joint health from within and inversion therapy provides the rest your body needs. Turning your life upside down every now and then doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.