Many older people will tell you that they used to be taller when they were younger.
If you're a young person, you probably thought, "Oh yeah, Gramps, that's a good one!" You may be surprised to know that Gramps was right.
And reversing that process is just one of the many inversion table benefits.
You see, as we stand up, gravity works against us.
That constant gravitational force pulls our spines toward the ground, compressing vertebrae, and stressing muscles and ligaments.
At the end of every day, we're a little bit shorter than we started out, simply because of this gravitational constriction.
"It's okay," you think, "I'll straighten out at night while I sleep.
" Unfortunately, this isn't the case.
You need a force that is opposite to gravity.
Besides becoming a little shorter, you'll eventually start to notice other effects of gravity on your spine.
It will manifest itself as back pain.
Do you know anyone with back pain? Or perhaps you're dealing with it now.
This is because that spinal compression is resulting in spinal fluid being squeezed out of the discs that separate your vertebrae.
And it hurts! Worse than that is the possibility that eventually you could need surgery to repair bulging discs, or even herniated discs.
So how can you reverse the effects of gravitational compression? Or better yet, how can you reduce or even eliminate your back pain? You'll find many inversion table benefits, but back pain is the primary reason people buy one.
My husband has a bulging disc, and we've found the inversion table to be the single most helpful tool to reduce, and even get rid of his pain.
We don't have the most expensive table, ours cost about $100, but it does the job.
His bulging disc is in his lower back, and he will hang upside down from the table at about a 130-140 degree angle for about 3 minutes.
This serves to relax the vertebrae and his muscles, and allow the disc to slide back into place.
How often he "hangs" is depending on his activities and pain level.
Some weeks he hangs a few times a week, and some weeks go by without hanging at all.
Some people find the inversion table benefits to be most helpful if they hang completely upside down.
This will be up to you and your personal preference.
For my husband, he doesn't need to hang completely upside down, he usually goes over about 2/3 of the way.
At times he will, but he says that sometimes hanging completely upside down is too much for his tender back to handle.
You, and, of course, your healthcare professional, will need to determine the best angle for you.
You'll find that other inversion table benefits include more relaxed muscles, it may lengthen your spine, relieve pressure on discs and nerves, and can even repair proper spine alignment.
Best of all is the fact that an inversion table can significantly reduce, or even eliminate back pain!
If you're a young person, you probably thought, "Oh yeah, Gramps, that's a good one!" You may be surprised to know that Gramps was right.
And reversing that process is just one of the many inversion table benefits.
You see, as we stand up, gravity works against us.
That constant gravitational force pulls our spines toward the ground, compressing vertebrae, and stressing muscles and ligaments.
At the end of every day, we're a little bit shorter than we started out, simply because of this gravitational constriction.
"It's okay," you think, "I'll straighten out at night while I sleep.
" Unfortunately, this isn't the case.
You need a force that is opposite to gravity.
Besides becoming a little shorter, you'll eventually start to notice other effects of gravity on your spine.
It will manifest itself as back pain.
Do you know anyone with back pain? Or perhaps you're dealing with it now.
This is because that spinal compression is resulting in spinal fluid being squeezed out of the discs that separate your vertebrae.
And it hurts! Worse than that is the possibility that eventually you could need surgery to repair bulging discs, or even herniated discs.
So how can you reverse the effects of gravitational compression? Or better yet, how can you reduce or even eliminate your back pain? You'll find many inversion table benefits, but back pain is the primary reason people buy one.
My husband has a bulging disc, and we've found the inversion table to be the single most helpful tool to reduce, and even get rid of his pain.
We don't have the most expensive table, ours cost about $100, but it does the job.
His bulging disc is in his lower back, and he will hang upside down from the table at about a 130-140 degree angle for about 3 minutes.
This serves to relax the vertebrae and his muscles, and allow the disc to slide back into place.
How often he "hangs" is depending on his activities and pain level.
Some weeks he hangs a few times a week, and some weeks go by without hanging at all.
Some people find the inversion table benefits to be most helpful if they hang completely upside down.
This will be up to you and your personal preference.
For my husband, he doesn't need to hang completely upside down, he usually goes over about 2/3 of the way.
At times he will, but he says that sometimes hanging completely upside down is too much for his tender back to handle.
You, and, of course, your healthcare professional, will need to determine the best angle for you.
You'll find that other inversion table benefits include more relaxed muscles, it may lengthen your spine, relieve pressure on discs and nerves, and can even repair proper spine alignment.
Best of all is the fact that an inversion table can significantly reduce, or even eliminate back pain!