Inversion Table vs Spinal Decompression Therapy

Dr. Rowe goes over the pros and cons of a inversion table, including when to choose inversion table vs spinal decompression for neck, lower back, or sciatica relief.

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Inversion Table vs Spinal Decompression: Pros and Cons of Inversion

Patients are always asking me about the effectiveness of inversion tables, and if they help with lower back pain. In this quick video, I’ll help answer this question and give you some pro’s and con’s of inversion tables, and compare it to a treatment you might find will give you better relief. Stay tuned!

Hey everyone, Dr. Rowe here at SpineCare in St. Joseph, MI.

Inversion tables are pretty easy to buy, you can get them online at Amazon or at large retailers for a few hundred dollars. A lot of people use them for lower back pain relief, pinched nerves, sciatica, or just for keeping the back maintained.  

So what do they do? They function by using gravity and body-weight to help stretch and lengthen the spinal column, decreasing overall pressure in the spinal discs. Less pressure in the disc can mean less pain. It can also aid in helping to increase flexibility and joint movement. So this would be good with someone with early stages of spinal disc or joint degeneration.

From what I hear from patients, inversion tables can help with minor low back issues such as tight muscles, and minor back aches and pains. Usually it helps if you’ve overdone it, and need a good stretch in the back to relieve tightness.

A big drawback I hear is that you’re going to be in an inverted state, so think being upside-down for several minutes. And you’re usually hanging from your ankles. If you have vascular or blood-pressure issues, vertigo or are easily disoriented, you might want to consider this before buying.

Also take note that inversion therapy will may make you feel worse if you have significant muscle-guarding in the low back. Muscle guarding is the body’s defense mechanism when you get a back injury. The body will try to lock down the area by tightening surrounding muscles, to help prevent further injury. Inversion amy increase muscle-guarding, since the body may treat it as an added stress, causing a delay in the healing process.   

Like any form of therapy, some patients are going to have great results, some not so great. So give it a try, and if it works… keep doing it. If not, make sure to get one with a money-back guarantee if you’re not happy with it.

Inversion Table vs Spinal Decompression: When to Choose Decompression

So what if you have something more serious than minor low back aches and pains? Can inversion therapy help with major issues like lumbar disc herniations? Well, the jury is still out. What I can say is while it will help decrease disc pressure, it is by no means the best form of treatment for disc herniations or pinched nerves.

When it comes to these type of conditions, you need something that will lower disc pressure much greater than just using gravity and bodyweight. In fact, you need much more.

This is where Spinal Decompression Therapy comes in. Research has shown that non-surgical Spinal Decompression can create a negative pressure within the disc causing a "vacuum effect". This vacuum effect can "suck" the disc material back inside, relieving the pressure on a pinched nerve.  

Spinal Decompression Therapy is so effective, that it has a reported measured success of over 90% treating low back pain and sciatica. If you’re interested in learning more, please check out our website page.

So, in short, inversion tables are good for minor issues, like aches and pains. If you have something more severe, like a disc herniation or sciatica, go with the treatment that is most effective.

Your back is worth more than a half-measure. Give Spinal Decompression Therapy a try, it might be the pain-relief answer you’re looking for. 


Chiropractor in St. Joseph, MI — Dr. Michael Rowe

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