Periodically patients will
ask me about inversion tables. The concept is that traction of the spine
utilizing only the body’s own weight is a safe and efficient system. If
implemented properly, this is correct; improperly – disastrous.
At the risk of giving away my
age again, you may remember a little film which launched Richard Gere into
stardom called “American Gigolo”. While I have never seen the whole movie,
anyone with cable could hardly miss seeing pieces of it while channel-surfing
during the 500 times it was aired in a month. The scenes running behind the
opening credits showed an extremely buff Gere, clad only in underwear
resembling a Speedo, utilizing a new product called “Anti-Gravity Boots” while
doing his weight training – women drooled, and men shriveled up and turned
green with envy.
“Anti-Gravity Boots” are
specially designed cuffs which buckle tightly around the ankles, and which have
a large hook on the front. A strong rod is wedged tightly into a door frame,
near the top, and then the person does a pull-up, flips himself upside down,
clips the ankle hooks over the rod, and then hangs upside down from his feet.
Gere upped the ante by then using a pair of dumbbells and going through a
workout.
Some time after this film was
consigned to the dusty shelves of obscurity, there was a sharp rise in the
number of ankle, knee, and hip problems wending their way to orthopedic
surgeons. These joints are perfectly designed to support large amounts of
weight in a standing position. They are easily damaged when weight is hanging from
them.
Enter inversion tables.
Manufacturers realized that only a small percentage of the population was
capable of hanging themselves upside down in a doorway and wanted to create a
product to allow the majority to enjoy the same experience. Tune in to my next post
for a discussion of inversion tables, what to look for and what to avoid, and
alternatives.
Getting rid of your pain,
Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor
Val Vista Chiropractic
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