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 can be caused to either left or right or both sciatica nerves. The pain is often felt either in the lower back, buttocks or in different parts of the leg. Along with pain, some patients may also suffer from numbness, muscular weakness, pins and needles or tingling sensation. There may also be difficulty in moving or controlling the leg. One of the best known treatments is the inversion therapy. Inversion tables for sciatica are one part of this therapy.
Inversion Therapy
In inversion therapy, the body is suspended from the lower body and the pull of gravity decompresses the joints of the body. Hanging upside down causes each of the joint in the body to be loaded in an equal as well as opposite manner to standing in an identical position of joint alignment. Benefits of inversion therapy are particularly seen on the spine as it relieves pressure on the discs and nerve roots, which in turn helps the discs to recover lost moisture and come back to their original shape and, thereby, decrease the pressure that they exert on the nerves.
Apart from the benefits of this therapy for the spine, inversion therapy also helps stimulate circulation due to gravity acting on the circulatory system in the opposite direction. In this case, gravity opposes what it normally assists in and assists what it normally opposes when a person is standing upright. This increase of circulation of blood helps to increase oxygen supply to tissues in the brain and roots of the hair.
Inversion Tables for Sciatica
Inversions help to release the pain accumulated on the spine but most of us will not be able to do the inversions on our own. Hence, the way out is to do the inversions with the help of these tables. A number of people suffering from sciatica claim to have been relieved from pain with the help of inversion tables. Sciatica causes include compression on the spine. The benefits also include decompressing the nerves in the spine. Hence, these tables are used in sciatica pain treatment.
According to the experts, using these tables for sciatica 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 benefits from 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.
When you are using an inversion table, you will not want to spend more than 2 to 5 minutes at a time and not more than twice or thrice a day at the table. It will also help to relax the tightened muscles around the sciatica nerve and help in relieving the pain further. However, it you suffer from 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 talk to your health care professional before you use this table to relieve yourself of sciatica pain.
