The Complete Handbook of Inversion Tables & Systems

Chapter 1: Understanding Inversion Tables & Systems

Inversion therapy is a method of traction applied to the spine and lower body by suspending the body upside down, in whole or in part, using a pivoting frame. An inversion table is the most common mechanism for this: a flat board, hinged near the middle, with a platform for the ankles at one end and a handle at the other. The user straps their ankles into the platform, leans back, and the board rotates around the pivot, taking the body from a vertical, upright position to an inverted one, typically at angles between 20 and 90 degrees.

To understand what an inversion table actually is, it helps to look at the physics it exploits. When you stand upright, gravity compresses the intervertebral discs in the lumbar spine. This compression drives fluid out of the discs and increases pressure on the nerve roots that exit the spinal column. When you invert your body, even at a partial angle, the gravitational force on the spine is reversed. Instead of compressing, the spine is subjected to a tensile load. This creates negative intradiscal pressure and allows the discs to rehydrate. It is the same principle used in mechanical traction tables found in physical therapy clinics, but inversion tables allow the user to achieve a similar effect at home or in a gym setting without a therapist actively controlling the pull.

The key word in the previous paragraph is "partial." Many people imagine inversion therapy as