| Medical
Studies on Inversion Therapy |
Every
medical study ever done that we know of that
has focused on the therapeutic value of inversion
therapy on people with disc problems - including
ruptured discs, herniated discs, degenerative
disc disease etc. have shown that inversion
therapy has a positive effect and can reduce
the need for drugs and surgery. Since 1980 our
company has worked with orthopedic surgeons,
physical therapists, chiropractors, sports medicine
doctors and other health professionals and our
experience confirms what the studies show. If
done properly (please read - Suggestions
For Getting Started) inversion therapy can
have a very beneficial value in reversing disc
compression and nerve impingement. |
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People
ask "If inversion therapy is so beneficial,
how come there are not more studies that prove
it?" www.energycenter.com
has been in the inversion field since 1980 and
we think there are very logical answers to this
question. If you look at the Newcastle
University Study you will see it was done
at the Newcastle General Hospital in the UK
using a Teeter Hang Ups Power II Inversion Table.
The UK has socialized medicine. This is important
because if the government can save money they
will be willing to do research on techniques
that may be able to avoid expensive procedures.
In the U.S. medicine is a profit oriented industry
that may not always look for solutions to problems
if those solutions reduce the need for expensive
and maybe even dangerous procedures. If you
look into who funds much of the medical research
in the U.S. you will find it is drug companies
and other industries associated with the medical
establishment. Even government research is tied
in with the Medical Industrial Complex which
is similar in many ways to the Military Industrial
Complex - which President Dwight D. Eisenhower
warned us about. Western medicine has developed
many miracle drugs and procedures. However,
in many areas of health and medicine simple
non-invasive, inexpensive techniques are not
only overlooked and not researched but may even
be illegal. Medical doctors who look into some
of these techniques and promote them may have
their licenses revoked and even be imprisoned.
One only has to read a few books on cancer cures
the medical profession does not want you to
know about to become quite angry at what seems
to be going on. If this sounds like paranoia
please see the film 'Hoxey,
Quacks Who Cure Cancer'. Many of these alternative
therapies may or may not be effectatious but
when you read about how vicious and aggressive
the FDA, the AMA and other agencies has been
about suppressing even harmless research into
these alternatives you will see that one Bill
Of Rights our Founding Fathers should have added
was Medical Choice. The chiropractic profession
is often associated with medical alternatives.
However, it has been our experience that although
there are a small percentage of chiropractors
that have been using inversion therapy for decades
to help their patients, the chiropractic industry
and chiropractic colleges have willfully and
intentionally ignored this extraordinary therapy
for more than 40 years because it was perceived
as a threat to their practices. Dr.
Robert Martin a chiropractor himself was
heavily promoting inversion therapy in the 1970's.
Instead of viewing it as a benefit to their
patients the chiropractic industry viewed it
as a threat to their incomes. Now that they
have the DRX 9000 and other decompression machines
where they can charge a lot for the therapy
they are promoting Decompression Therapy as
one of the greatest therapies ever developed.
Well, what do they think inversion therapy does?
And we know the chiropractic colleges knew about
inversion therapy going back at least to 1980
when our company demonstrated it to some of
the major colleges. Yet we know that even to
this day most chiropractic colleges will not
even mention it to their students. Up until
the late 1970's or so traction was still very
common in medical hospitals. Then everything
changed and drugs and surgery became the rage
and the medical profession who had been using
weighted decompressions
therapy commonly for hundreds or even thousands
of years all but forgot that simple traction
is often the best therapy for compressed disc
problems. |
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Sheffield,
F.: Adaptation of Tilt Table for Lumbar Traction.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil 45: 469-472, 1964.
175 patients who were unable to work due to
back pain were treated. After eight inversion
treatments, 155 patients were able to return
to their jobs full time. Study concluded that
the main basis for improvement was the stretching
of paraspinal vertebral muscles and ligaments
and possibly the widening of intravertebral
discs.
Study found significant improvements in a variety
of diagnosis including spondylolisthesis, herniated
discs, lumbar osteoarthritis with sciatica,
and coccygodynia. Patient experienced traction
in a modified hip flexed position.
It is worth noting that previous to his use
of inversion therapy, Dr. Sheffield regularly
used mechanical traction with weights and pulleys.
He considered inverted traction much more effective
than mechanical traction. |
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Nosse,
L.: Inverted Spinal Traction. Arch Phys Med
Rehabil 59: 367-370,
Aug 78.
Study found emg activity (an indicator of muscle
pain) declined 35% within the first 10 seconds
of inversion. Study found that inversion increases
the spinal length. Study concluded there is
a correlation between a reduction in emg activity
and an increase in spinal length. |
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Gianakopoulos,
G, et al: Inversion Devices: Their Role in Producing
Lumbar Distraction. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 66:
100-102, Feb 85.
Study found all subjects experienced intravertebral
separation in the lower lumbar vertebrae. Study
concluded that although mechanical traction
has been used for centuries, only gravity assisted
traction (inversion) offers an effective means
of achieving pelvic traction at home. |
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Ballantyne,
Byron, et al: The Effects of Inversion Traction
on Spinal Column Configuration, Heart Rate,
Blood Pressure, and Perceived Discomfort. Jour
of Orthopedic Sports Phys Ther. 254-260, Mar
86.
Study concluded that inversion can be an effective
means of spinal traction. Subjects inverting
in the hip flexed position experienced greater
separation between the lumbar vertebrae.
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Kane,
M, et al: Effects of Gravity-facilitated Traction
on Intravertebral Dimensions of the Lumbar Spine.
Jour of Orthopedic and Sports Phys Ther. 281-288,
Mar 85.
Study found gravity-facilitated traction (inversion),
produces significant intravertebral separation
in lumbar spine. Study concluded gravity facilitated
traction may be an effective modality in the
relief of low back pain. |
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Goldman,
R, et al: The Effects of Oscillating Inversion
on Systemic Blood Pressure, Pulse, Intraocular
Pressure, and Central Retinal Arterial Pressure.
The Physician and Sports Medicine. 13: 93-96,
Mar 85.
Study concluded that full inversion using oscillation
procedure presents no risk to normotensive healthy
subjects. |
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Dimberg,
L, et al: Effects of gravity-facitliated traction
of the lumbar spine in persons with chronic
low back pain at the workplace.
116 people were enrolled in the randomized controlled
trial which lasted for 12 months. A randomized
controlled trial with two training groups and
one control group was conducted to asses the
effect of gravity inversion on pain level and
absenteeism due to LBP. Average age = 44 years.
77% men
Group 1: used inversion for 10 minutes 1/day
Group 2: used inversion for 10 minutes 2/day
Group 3: control group
Results after 12 months of training program:
1. The employees in Group 1 and 2 decreased
sick days due to back pain by 33%. 2. Average
sick days to due back pain fell by 8 days per
individual in the treated group. 3. "Inversion
is an efficient and cheap way to improve employee
health and possibly reduce sick day costs to
the employer." |
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Nachemson,
Alf, et al: Intravital Dynamic Pressure Measurements
in Lumbar Discs. 1970.
Study measured internal disc pressure (in the
3rd lumbar disc) through a range of activities,
including standing, sitting, bending and vertical
and supine traction. The study suggests that
a traction load of 60% body weight is sufficient
to reduce the residual pressure of 25% standing
body weight to zero. |
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After
several years of evaluation, the US Army Physical
Fitness School has decided to incorporate Inversion
into its world-wide physical training doctrine.
The Army Rangers at Fort Benning, GA use gravity
boots to invert, "reversing" the damage
done to their bodies during their demanding
training. To them, Inversion represents the
"Quiet Side of Fitness"-a restorative
fitness tool to help decompress and mobilize
joints to prevent injuries. Soldiers use gravity
boots to stretch while inverted, moving joints
through their full range of motion. |
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Medical
Studies on the 90/90 Inverted Position
As
in using the DEX ï decompression & extensionTM
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Vernon,
H.: Inversion therapy: a study of physiological
effects. The Journal of CCA 29: 138-140. Sep
85.
Study found a general reduction of emg (an indicator
of muscle pain) after three minutes of inversion.
Study found the flattening of the lumbar spine
involved a stretching of spinal muscles and
ligaments which lead to a 25% increase in forward
spinal flexion.
Study found significant intravertebral separation
(posterior and anterior). Study concluded that
an inversion chair may be sufficient to reduce
the majority of intravertebral disc protrusions.
Study concluded that the cardiovascular system
(heart rate and blood pressure) remained stable
through three minutes of seated partial inversion.
Authors conclude this stability is due to the
full comfort and support of the chair during
partial inversion. |
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Meshino,
J.: The Role of Spinal Inverted Traction in
Chiropractic Practice. ACA Journal of Chiropractic
18:63-68, Feb 84.
Study stated the hip flexed position facilitates
lumbar traction by flattening the lumbar spine
and decreasing the loading effect of the psoas
muscle on the lumbar spine during traction.
Study stated inversion therapy is preferred
over mechanical traction because there is no
need for a constricting harness and the safe
and simple operation of an inversion chair allows
the patient to administer traction.
Study stated inversion helps to negate the effect
of gravity on the spinal column. Study stated
inversion offers promise as a form of prevention,
maintenance, and therapy. |
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For
more in-depth study on back pain, sciatica,
scoliosis etc. see the research work of
Nachemson:
National Center for Biotechnology Information
U.S. National Library of Medicine
Click
Here |
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