Inversion tables, Jen Brea and feeling better by being Batman!

Hello

Has anyone else any experience of inversion tables? I find them beneficial in a way that I find difficult to explain - general reduction in symptoms and makes me chirpier. I also notice that not using the inversion table seems to have a cumulative bad effect.

I have three vague theories, which may even be linked:

1. I was diagnosed with benign joint hyper mobility syndrome a long time ago. I often wondered if that was relevant to the inversion table sensations, and later I read of Jen Brea's recent neck operation that seemed to be a result of extreme hypermobility of vertabrae compressing her spinal cord. I'm sure that I have caricatured her situation terribly, but I am rationing my energy and have to work that from memory. The theory would be that compression of the spinal cord would be eliminated or counteracted by using gravity the other way when hanging upside down on an inversion table.
   
2. There is that evidence / theory regarding inflammation focused on the brain stem in pwME. My anatomical understanding is minimal, but I wonder if somehow I'd be taking pressure off that for a short period.
   
3. There may just be a general circulatory or other effect that anyone would benefit from. Perhaps that effect would be a complementary factor to the above 2 or another unthought of idea.

Or it's just a placebo effect... But I don't think so, as there was no expectation of any effect....

 

When @Jeff_w was put on a traction table, he said it required 30 pounds (14 kg) of force pulling his head away from his body before his ME/CFS and POTS symptoms were eliminated. Though some CCI/AAI patients will get alleviation from symptoms at lower traction forces.

The head weighs around 10 pounds, so when you are inverted, that's the traction force from gravity that will be pulling your head away from your body (if vertically inverted). So it's possible that if you have CCI/AAI, those 10 pounds of force could be alleviating the symptoms.

But of course, as you mentioned you, will also have increased cerebral blood pressure forcing blood into the brain in an inverted state, so that's another factor that might explain the benefits you notice from inversion.



Astonishingly, of the more than 20 ME/CFS patients who have recently been tested for CCI/AAI, 90% were found to be positive.

The full significance of this finding is not clear at the moment, as it's not yet known whether the presence of CCI/AAI in most ME/CFS patients tested is a cause of consequence of their ME/CFS (or even a combination of cause and consequence).

But certainly an exciting new finding about ME/CFS that was not known before, and truly brilliant detective work by @Jeff_w.

 

They give me headaches and make me unable to think at all. After a few mins i start blanking out.

 

Yonks ago, and I do mean yonks ago, I took a yoga class and learned how to do head stands.

Being upside down made my thinking clearer. This, with pressure on my head and neck.

Only one subject in this "study", but from this I would say it's the upside down position, even with pressure on the head and neck.

But, it's just one "study subject" - and the dreaded, or not so dreaded, subjective evidence!

(Would probably hurt something if I tried a headstand now!)

 

Is it just me, but I am struggling to get thoughts of multiplication tables and logarithm tables out of my mind?

How do 'inversion tables' work? How much support does the body have and is the 'inversion' a complete 180 degrees?

Is the aim to reverse gravity on the skeleto-muscular structure or on blood circulation?

Would dangling your head and shoulders over the edge of the bed work? Perhaps I should put a pile of pillows on the floor before trying?

 

Within classical yoga the head stand is refered to as the queen of asanas and regarded as very beneficial for the brain. Though brain fog prevents me from retrieving any useful quotes from the 'Yoga Sutras of Patanjali', or is it just age [and the intervening yonks]?

 

@Peter Trewhitt, yes, I thought at first this thread about inversion tables was about some sophisticated math - if I ever knew, I have long since forgotten.

Thanks for the yoga info.

 

I have found yoga, especially the inverted poses, to be helpful.

https://tirisulayoga.com/yoga-and-the-vagus-nerve/

However, use of the inversion table made me feel unwell (result was similar to my Tilt Table test, although not quite so dramatic as I was able to disembark before I got to the point of actually fainting).

 

We have one. It is terrific for back pain. I used to be able to completely invert and feel great for a little while afterward. Lately, I've had a lot of muscle weakness and even a 20 degree tilt is no longer agreeing with me. IT makes me feel all out of sorts, but I'm thinking its a proprioception problem or something of that nature.

 

Thank you everyone. Really good to share notes with more experienced pwMEs.

Some of the humour made me smile - a thanks also for that )))

 

I spoke to my physician about the inversion table. He's considering a type of cortisol/one to increase plasma production by the liver based on my nausea and dizziness easing on the inversion table. I forget which specific substance will be prescribed though.

Has anyone else experienced this? Experiences appreciated

 

That is exactly what ended my love affair with my inversion table. My proprioception has tanked to the point that I rely on my cane to tell me where I am vs my body knowing and being upside down makes it worse. I'm trying a bit of very cautious PT to try and regain some of that.

They are great if you can tolerate them, the relief from downward gravity allows the joints to relax for a bit.