Inversion Tables for Sciatica

Sciatica gives rise to a set of symptoms which includes pain. It is caused by general compression and/or irritation to one of the five spinal nerve roots. The compression or irritation may be caused to either left or right, or both sciatica nerves. The pain is often experienced either in the lower back, buttocks, or in different parts of the leg.

Along with pain, some patients may also experience numbness, muscular weakness, tingling sensation, or difficulty in moving or controlling the leg. One of the best known treatments is the inversion therapy, which makes use of the inversion table.

In inversion therapy, the body is suspended from the lower body. Therefore, the gravitational pull decompresses the joints of the body. Hanging upside down causes each of the joint in the body to be loaded in an equal and opposite manner to standing in an identical position of joint alignment.

Benefits of inversion therapy are particularly seen on the spine as it relieves the pressure on the discs and nerve roots. This helps the discs to recover lost moisture and come back to their original shape, and thereby decrease the pressure they exert on the nerves.

Apart from the benefits of this therapy for the spine, inversion therapy also helps stimulate blood circulation since the gravity acts on the circulatory system in the opposite direction. In this case, the gravity opposes what it normally assists in, and assists what it normally opposes, when a person is standing upright.

This increase in blood circulation helps increase the oxygen supply to the tissues in the brain and roots of the hair.

Inversions help release the pain accumulated on the spine, but most of us will not be able to do the inversions on our own. Therefore, inversion tables help achieve this goal. A number of sciatica patients claim to have been relieved from pain with the help of these tables. 

Sciatica occurs due to compression on the spine; however, the nerves in the spine may be decompressed by using these tables. According to the experts, using these tables is safe because there is no twisting of the spine, which may be caused with the other devices.

At the same time, when you do the inversions, you need not be fully upside down as in some cases, it may cause the patient to get woozy. The patient can be at an angle of 30 degrees from the floor to reap the benefits of this specialized table. There are various exercises which can also be practiced using the table, but only after seeking professional medical advice about the same.

The table should not be used for more than twice or thrice a day. Also, it should be used for about 2-5 minutes at a time. It will also help relax the tightened muscles around the sciatica nerve and help relieve the pain further.

However, if you have certain medical conditions such as high blood pressure, glaucoma, heart disease, or if you have undergone a back surgery or are pregnant, then this table is not meant for you. It is recommended that you consult your healthcare professional before you use this table to relieve yourself of sciatica pain.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.