spinal decompression

[Tony_Pride]

anyone here ever use any spinal decompression or inversion therapy? could you give me any advice on how i may use these exercises for my bad back?

[RU4A69]

I know I couldn't possibly be any more off topic, but Lamictal (a mood stabilizer and anti-epileptic drug) is the only thing that has ever helped my back.

Something in my heart of hearts tells me that spinal decompression doesn't work. Also-deadlifts help my back considerably. I try to avoid ab work because that hurts my back to the point where I have to take more tylenol than a human liver can possibly digest. When I do do ab work-it's usually hanging leg raises. I am NOT saying everyone should avoid ab work.


When my bed broke (I'm 210 ) and I had to sleep with my matress on the ground-that helped A LOT. It was a very thin matress. I'm considering throwing my new bed away, but my girlfriend will think I have Briandamge.

[Tony_Pride]

I know I couldn't possibly be any more off topic, but Lamictal (a mood stabilizer and anti-epileptic drug) is the only thing that has ever helped my back.

Something in my heart of hearts tells me that spinal decompression doesn't work. Also-deadlifts help my back considerably. I try to avoid ab work because that hurts my back to the point where I have to take more tylenol than a human liver can possibly digest. When I do do ab work-it's usually hanging leg raises. I am NOT saying everyone should avoid ab work.


When my bed broke (I'm 210 ) and I had to sleep with my matress on the ground-that helped A LOT. It was a very thin matress. I'm considering throwing my new bed away, but my girlfriend will think I have Briandamge.

thanks for the info, but if i wanted to take those meds i'm not sure i could get my doc to prescribe them to me. the doc has given me stuff before but it did'nt work.

[sugarface]

try some gravity boots and you'll become addicted. i think it feels wonderful.

[Tony_Pride]

what are gravity boots?

[BigRagu]

i believe your spine decompresses as u sleep........ that is why u wake up taller then u went to bed.........

[NMBdybldr]

I have some disk space narrowing in my back and it has caused endless amounts of pain. When it first started, the vertebrae were pinching nerves and I had severe pain in my ribs. It also caused extreme GERD, and I lost around 40lbs. It seems that I have found only 2 things to help overcome it:

1) STRETCHING: You can't stretch enough. I spend a solid half hour stretching my back/hamstrings/glutes as well as doing some core exercises from PT before any workout (even if I am only doing shoulders).

2) I found a product called "The Miracle Ball". It is a small inflatable ball like the ones used in pilates, except only about 8" diameter. You lay on it and it separates the vertebrae and stretches them out. I start with it just between my hips and keep moving it up until I reach the shoulder blades. You can also lay on your side with it under your ribs which is helpful for me because I get rib pain due to vertebrae being out of alignment.

P.S. a chiropractor and physical therapist got me back to normal and these things seem to be able to keep me from getting worse.

[Contract Killer]

I use an invert table everyonce in a while. When I say use it, I mean I drive to fitness depot and use theirs, lol. It feels so good, I swear I'm an inch taller when I get off that ****.

[Thuirwyne]

Do you also stretch your quads, hip flexors, and psoas? Many times with lumbar issues, you'll get back spasms, and then if your quads are tight, that will make your back revolt even more.

Try just hanging from a high bar for 3 sets of 2 minutes. I'll bet if your feet don't touch the floor all the way the 1st set, by the 3rd set both feet will be flat on the ground. That's decompression. It's the same as the gravity boots without having to hang upside down.

I was told never to do any heavy overhead exercises and definetly no squats because of a partially deteriorated and another compressed disc. Physical therapy, Flexiril, chiropractors and 4 years later of course I squat and do everything else with less pain because of the stretching. It's going to be an issue forever, but not so bad unless someone kicks me in my back!

[ATrainer]

Using the ab straps on the lat station for lats and abs has always done well for spinal decompression. My current lifting partner claims that it is the only thing that has popped his spine.

[Mikey170]

You might pullup one of the sites on the net that try to sell the machines, but to be honest I would try to find some medical evidence that say that they work before I invest some time and effort in them.

Seems to me that if the great creator had wanted you to hang upside done he would have given you longer toenails.