Stress and tension can cause pain and muscle spasms in the back, neck and shoulders, as well as headaches and other problems. Tense muscles can be attributed to misalignments of the spine, over stimulation of nerves, or poor removal of toxins by the lymphatic system and a lack of oxygen rich circulation.

A study conducted by physiotherapist L.J. Nosse¹ found that EMG activity, declined over 35% within 10-seconds of inversion, the effect was found to start at the very shallow angle of 25°. It is suggested that the stretch to the muscles while inverted allowed the circulation to enter the sore muscle, bringing oxygen rich blood; inversion also stimulated the lymph system to clear the muscle of the toxin build-up. The user therefore would feel a decrease in pain and the stiffness in the muscle would subside. As noted in previous sections, inversion also encourages re-alignment of the spine and decreases pressure on nerve-roots.

In a recent article, Dr. Howard Loomis² discusses the importance of improving lymphatic drainage and explains the methods by which lymph moves. Not only does the stimulation of the lymphatic system occur by rhythmic muscle contraction, but it can also be assisted by venous pressure, respiration and gravity. Among his instructions for maintaining proper function of the lymph system, Dr. Loomis indicates elevating peripheral limbs as an additional method of stimulating lymphatic flow.

According to the book Better Back, Better Body³ by Joanne Broatch: Much back pain is caused by muscles that are cramped, tense and in spasm. Inversion can help relieve this kind of pain [by relaxing muscles and clearing muscle congestion].

Dr. John E. Sarno, of the New York Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine claims that in more than 90% of the patients that he sees for back pain either there is no structural abnormality or the 'abnormal' x-ray does not really explain the nature or location of the pain. He calls the disorder the 'tension myositis syndrome' and describes how the tension causes muscle pain in this way: The muscle tenses and this reduces blood flow in the muscles of the neck, shoulders, back, or the buttocks. This produces pain by allowing the accumulation of waste chemicals, much the same process that causes leg muscle fatigue after a long run because of lactic acid build up. When the muscles go into spasm in the lower back, it often leads you to believe (mistakenly) you have a disc problem.

Inversion [stimulates] the flow of lymphatic fluid which, flushes out the wastes and carries them to the blood stream. And the lymphatic system needs all the help it can get. Unlike the cardio-vascular system, the lymphatic system has no pump. Only the alternate relaxing and contracting of the muscles moves the lymphatic fluid through the capillaries and the one-way valves pointing towards the major lymphatic ducts in the upper chest. Even in healthy relaxed muscles, the lymphatic fluid moves very slowly. Where muscles are in spasm, the fluid does not move, the carbon dioxide and lactic acid remain in the muscles and you experience pain. Inverting, or tipping the body so that gravity works with, not against one way valves, helps the relaxed, expanding and contracting muscles to push the fluid up to the chest where it is then dumped into veins of the cardio-vascular system to be cleansed.

Roger Jahnke, OMD writes about the lymph system from a holistic perspective in his article The Lymph⁴, describing gravity as one method of lymph propulsion:
"Because gravity exerts such a substantial force and because lymph has so far to climb to get to the thoracic duct's entry into the sub-clavian vein, any inversion of the limbs or even the prone body position allows for a free flow of lymph unencumbered by the effects of gravity. Elevation of the lower limbs is often prescribed for health problems characterised by a pooling of interstitial fluids."

Also, for centuries yoga practitioners have recognised the concept of turning the body upside down to find relaxation. The head stand position is a form of "postural exchange" (reversing the direction of gravity). Not everyone wants to do headstands, so inversion on Teeter Hang Ups® equipment creates an easier alternative with the added benefit of joint decompression.

¹   Nosse, L. (1978):  Inverted Spinal Traction.  Arch Phys Med Rehabil 59: 367-370.
²   Loomis, H., et a (2000)l: The Importance of Improving Lymphatic Drainage.  The American Chiropractor 22: 14-18.
³   Broatch, J. (1996):  Better Back, Better Body - The New Inversion Way.  29-31.Vancouver, BC.
⁴  Jahnke, R., O.M.D.: (2000) The Lymph..  http://www.healthy.net/scr/Article.asp?Id=993.

Results may not be typical and vary by user.
Please check with your physician prior to inverting.
Click Here for contraindications

• I received the F5000 Inversion table yesterday and immediately assembled it. I purchased the F5000 because I have had continued back pain due to compressed discs in my lower back in the L1/L2 areas.
  
  
  • After I ran 4 miles this morning and cooled down, I inverted myself at 75 degrees for 30 seconds, then resting at 180 degrees, alternating for 20 minutes. As soon as I removed myself from the F5000, I immediately could feel instant relief from the normal pain and discomfort I experience after exercising! My lower back muscles were more relaxed, and I had more mobility and flexibility then I have had in some time after only one 20 minute session on the F5000 Inversion Table! I will include this inversion therapy daily for obvious reasons - the F5000 really works! It made a believer out of me after just one session! Thanks so much!
    
    —D. Bigelow, Waldorf, MD
    
    
• I wanted to pass along my testimony on a great product! I purchased an inversion table a few years ago, and I find it an excellent way to control migraine headaches.
  
  
  • Not only is it great to use at the end of a long tiring day, but also first thing in the am. I spend the first 15 minutes after wake-up on the inversion table and I start the day much more clear headed. Thank you. —M. Newcombe, Beaverbank, N.S.
• I'm a huge fan of the inversion table which I purchased several years ago. Wouldn't be without it. I suffer from a very painful bulged disc in my neck due to a car accident along with Fibromyalgia and severe migraines...
  
  
  • The inversion table is an absolute must. Not only do I use it but so does everyone that comes to our home. Hard to get them back to visiting once they find the inversion table. I find the inversion table is wonderful for the lymph system, the migraines and keeps the nerves in my neck from being impacted due to the severity of the bulged disc. I spent months in physical therapy seen a gazillion specialists and took many pain killers but nothing has been as successful as the inversion table. It gives me a sense of power to help my body naturally deal with the medical concerns.
    
    —P. Schryver
    
    
• Inverting daily keeps my body stretched, relaxed, and symmetrical. The adult acne that I've had since the age of 29 has nearly disappeared. The cold hands and feet that I have experienced for years has disappeared...
  
  
  • The inversion table has literally changed my life, I have recommended it to all my friends and challenge you to buy one and not do the same.
    
    —Clara Smith