Inversion therapy: Can it relieve back pain?

Does inversion therapy relieve back pain? Is it safe?

- Susan / Georgia

Mayo Clinic neurologist Jerry Swanson, M.D., and colleagues answer select questions from readers.

Answer

Inversion therapy is often promoted as a therapy for back pain. But there's no scientific evidence that it provides long-term pain relief.

Inversion therapy involves hanging upside down — supported by your ankles — to allow gravity to naturally decompress disks and nerve roots in your spine. Another form of inversion therapy entails lying on a table (inversion table) that gradually tips you head down — again, supported by your ankles.

Inversion therapy is one example of the many ways in which traction — stretching the spine — has been used in an attempt to relieve back pain. But traction is falling out of favor with many in the medical community. Well-designed studies that have evaluated traction for back pain have found no significant long-term benefit.

However, some people find that traction provides temporary pain relief. Those with sciatica or a pinched nerve may find traction beneficial as part of a more comprehensive treatment program.

A potential problem with inversion therapy is that it may significantly increase blood pressure in your head. For this reason, you should not try inversion therapy if you have heart disease, high blood pressure or eye diseases, such as glaucoma, or if you are pregnant.