Dave, inversion therapy is very effective and used by a number of physical therapy centers in my part of the nation. It has the same effect as traction therapy, which was used for many years until inversion therapy came along. Essentially, this is for someone with disc compression and can be somewhat beneficial with disc herniation. The weight of your body pulls the vertebra apart, separating the spaces and relieving the pressure on the discs.

The effect is short term, lasting from a few hours to a few days. Unfortunately, I have one that is brand, spanking new here that I cannot use because when you are inverted, your gut pushes against your diaphragm, which makes breathing somewhat difficult. My lung volume is only 20 percent of normal at this stage of my pulmonary fibrosis, therefore, any decrease in my ability to breathe is brutal. I am giving my inversion table away, but only locally as the shipping cost is nearly $100.

All the best,

Gary