Sciatica treatment with an inversion table
If you’ve been struggling with pain in your lower back and spine, there’s a chance it’s sciatica. This type of pain is often chronic and incredibly challenging to treat, leading to difficulty with everyday movements in your life. An inversion table for sciatica is a treatment option that can turn sciatica pain on its head.
What is sciatica?
Sciatica itself is not a pain condition. Rather, it is the name for a specific type of pain that originates in the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the longest, widest nerve in the body. It starts in the lower back, running across the buttocks and down the hips and legs to the feet. Any injury or damage to the nerve at any point can cause sciatica, also referred to as sciatic pain.
Sciatica is often found in men than women, and people over 30 are more likely to experience this type of pain.
What causes sciatica?
Sciatica is caused by injury or damage to the sciatic nerve or by conditions that put pressure on the nerve itself. This can occur with a variety of conditions, including:
Spinal stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal column
Bulging or herniated disc: Intervertebral discs press out between vertebrae
Degenerative disc disease: Discs age over time and press on the nerve
Injury: This includes injury from car accidents and sports
Vertebral fracture: A crack in the vertebra places pressure on the nerve
People who work physical jobs with repetitive motions are at increased risk of developing sciatica, as are older people or those with osteoporosis.
Common symptoms of sciatica
The most common symptom of sciatica is, of course, pain. But this pain can be different from person to person. Some people experience burning pain, while others feel a sharp, intermittent pain. The pain can be local, or it may radiate across the lower back and down the leg.
In addition to pain, other common symptoms of sciatica include numbness, tingling or weakness in the legs, tightness in the calves and pain that gets worse with too much sitting, standing or lying down.
Serious sciatica symptoms
Sciatica pain can be debilitating and have other severe symptoms. If you experience a sudden loss of bowel or bladder control or numbness in the upper thighs, treat this as a medical emergency and head to the doctor immediately. These can be signs of a condition called cauda equina. Cauda equina can lead to permanent paralysis.
Treating sciatica with inversion tables
One treatment for painful sciatica flare-ups (and other symptoms, too) is inversion therapy. Inversion therapy, also called inverted decompression, uses gravity to create space between the vertebrae. Turning the body upside down, the toll of gravity is reversed, the vertebrae separate and painful symptoms are relieved.
It is possible to use gravity boots for inverted decompression, but this method requires physical fitness to hoist yourself upside down and get back down. Some people also opt for inversion chairs. If you have significant issues with your ankles and knees, an inversion chair might be a better option for you.
Do inversion tables work?
Before investing in an inversion table for sciatica, it’s essential to understand if they work. Although study results are mixed, there is some evidence that inversion tables do provide short-term relief of sciatic pain.
The Mayo Clinic noted in 2017 that although more studies are needed to prove its effectiveness, inversion therapy does provide sciatic pain relief for some patients. Another study found that patients who used inversion therapy were almost 77% less likely to need surgery.
Who should avoid inversion therapy?
When starting any new therapy for any health condition, talk to your doctor about the potential risks and side effects of that therapy.
In general, people with high blood pressure, heart disease, a history of stroke or osteoporosis should not use an inversion table for sciatica. If you have a retinal detachment, glaucoma or an ear infection, inverted decompression can cause worsening symptoms or pain.
Getting started with inversion therapy for sciatica
Look for inversion tables with locking mechanisms for safety and adjustable, sliding backrests. These features allow you to move gently during inversion, combining therapist-approved physical exercise with lengthening, strengthening moves.
As with all new treatments, it’s best to go slowly. Even with an inversion table tilted at 15 degrees, your body will feel a stretch in the muscles along the spine. You might only spend 5 to 10 minutes a day at this slight angle for a week before increasing the angle and the duration of treatment.
If you feel increased pain or just aren’t sure whether to go to a sharper angle, listen to your body and stay where you are.
Best inversion tables for sciatica
Best overall inversion table for sciatica
Innova Inversion Table with Adjustable Headrest, Reversible Ankle Holders: available at Amazon
With a True Balance system and reversible ankle holders for security and stability, this inversion table for sciatica is safe and comfortable at any angle.
Best inversion table with heat and massage
Innova ITM4800 Advanced Heat and Massage Inversion Table: available at Amazon
This adjustable table fits people up to 6 foot 6 inches and 300 pounds with a fully adjustable padded backrest and lumbar pad.
Best heavy-duty inversion table for sciatica
IRONMAN Gravity Highest Weight Capacity Inversion Table: available at Amazon
Covered with extra thick foam rubber and featuring comfortable ankle holders, this heavy-duty inversion table can accommodate athletes and weekend warriors up to 350 pounds and as tall as 6 foot 6 inches.
Best budget-friendly inversion table for sciatica
Body Vision IT9550 Deluxe Inversion Table: available at Amazon
This budget-friendly inversion table features adjustable foam rollers and a secure ankle locking system for people up to 250 pounds.
Suzannah Kolbeck is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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