Inversion therapy is the latest solution to stress, back pain, depression and bad posture,

Hang upside down for good health!

Inversion therapy is the latest solution to stress, back pain, depression and bad posture,

    The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown uses an inversion table every day to maintain mental acuity and overcome writer’s block. Hollywood actress Eva Mendes routinely inverts herself for 20 minutes to keep her complexion radiant. American comedienne Rosie O’Donnell has revealed on a talk show that when everything failed, inversion therapy got her through depression. In the West, physiotherapists and chiropractors have been using inversion tables for decades to aid the healing process.
    With inversion tables finally making their way onto Indian shores, we got the expert take on how this practice improves a person’s overall health. 

What it means: Inversion therapy involves hanging upside down or at an angle for a variety of therapeutic purposes. Inversion is actually a 3,000-year-old concept. Yogis have long preached the value of inverted asanas like headstands and handstands to re-balance the body, help increase circulation, stimulate the brain, enhance glandular system functioning, and relieve pressure on the abd o m i n a l o r ga n s . Hippocrates — known as the father of medicine — would hoist patients on a ladder with ropes and pulleys in an effort to stretch them and relieve their ailments. A book published in the 1970s by US-based Dr Robert Martin Jr. increased the spread of inversion through a programme that used special tables. By the 1980s, multiple companies were creating inversion tables to cater to the craze for clinical and at-home therapy. 

How it works: An inversion table is like a flexible bed that twists and stretches with you. Leg clasps are provided so you don’t fall off. It uses the earth’s gravity and your body’s weight to stretch the muscles and the spine. Gravity pulls the blood from your lower body, and sends it
    through the cardiovascular system to improve circulation. Inversion tables are a safer alternative to inverted yoga poses since your entire body weight is not borne by the head or hands, and there are fewer chances of injury. Apart from treating back pain, there are a variety of benefits of this therapy. 

For back pain: Inversion increases the amount of space between each vertebra, relieving the pressure on the ligaments, nerve roots and discs. With less pressure, there is less pain in your back. 

For depression: Just as exercise produces endorphins (opiumlike compounds in the brain), inversion therapy has a similar effect. Circulatory and lymphatic stimulation, and oxygenation of the brain have a positive effect on a person’s outlook. 

For posture c o r re c - tion: When the body is inverted, it remains in alignment with gravity. The spine is then more prone to return to its natural form, which resembles a soft ‘S’ curve. 
 
Inputs by inversion therapy practitioner Arvind Agarwal, and physical therapists Dr Rajveer Singh and Dr KS Bhawish

(Above) How the inversion table works; (left) Hollywood star Eva Mendes regularly uses an inversion table to retain her glowing complexion