Inversion Therapy for Healing Back Pain and Stress of the Mind
It can be pretty tough for a doctor to ascertain the actual factor that’s causing a patient to experience acute back pain. In fact, mechanical disorders are not the only cause of pain. Depression, anxiety, frustration, stress, anger and fear, as well as many other negative psychological states, can not only help cause the onset of back or other physical problems, but can also exist as a result of pain.
Whether you are aware of it or not, the spine and the mind do interact with one another on a consistent basis. In fact, some health experts believe that the spine and mind exist as a consolidated entity and that the turbulence of daily life often induces stress to not just the spine, but to the mind as well, thereby resulting in the formation of negative effects such as anxiety, depression, uneasiness and of course, acute back pain.
In some medical journals I read recently, spine specialists attributed the common causes of back afflictions to bad posture, stress, lack of exercise, poor nutritional habits and injuries incurred from participating in sports. They called the first four causes that can be rectified with persistent determination and discipline. Those who suffer back pain due to rigorous activities should consult a doctor as soon as possible!
Inversion Table Therapy in Motion
In today’s world, emotional distress, financial burdens and a sense of being overtaken by the speed of modern events have increased stress levels in our daily lives tenfold. These factors strain the body and cause extreme nervous tension in the spine as well as the mind. For some, feelings of isolation and loneliness creep in.
The tragic thing is that so many people attempt to deal with this rollercoaster ride by turning to artificial solutions such as drugs and pain medication. While these things may temporarily alleviate the pain, or distract the mind, for the most part, the root of a person’s back pain remains unresolved. In order to deal with the strains of life, we draw on our vital life force or energy reserves from our storehouse—the nerve cells. When energy reserves become exhausted due to stress overload, it can lead to the collapse of mental and physical balance.
Inversion therapy is not a miracle cure, but it can help minimize and in many cases, eliminate back pain. Inversion therapy stretches and exercises, although they seem to address only the physical body, can genuinely affect the brain’s chemical balance too, which in turn, helps in enhancing a person’s mental well-being.
Inversion table therapy is so efficacious that it aids the nerves in controlling the unconscious mind, so when the nervous system is strong, a person can more positively cope with back pain and also stressful situations. Practicing inversion therapy consistently helps to better a person’s blood flow to every single cell present within the body.
This is a highly desirable benefit because the nerve cells can get a much needed recharge. Blood flow improvement also helps to make our nervous system stronger and more robust, and as result, it will be able to better withstand stress that occurs within the spinal region.
Eliminate Stress in the Mind with Inversion Therapy
In recent years, it has become generally accepted that many back pain problems are not the result of physical breakdown alone—many are rooted in the mind and are a direct cause of stress. There are two kinds of stress: chronic and acute. Chronic stress happens over time and can be the result of something like a bad relationship or money woes. On the other hand, a sudden occurrence such as an accident or losing your job can bring on acute stress.
But no matter which kind of stress we’re subjected to, our bodies respond with a natural reaction called ‘fight-or-flight.’ It’s a reaction that can be easily observed in the animal world. When an animal is threatened, it has two choices: stand up and fight or run for its life. How the animal deals with the stress is a result of an instant judgment call: Is the danger life threatening? Is fighting worth the risk? Can the animal get away quickly?
Although human beings generally no longer have to worry about surviving in the wild, our daily stressful dilemmas result in the same kind of primal reaction. Long hours on the job, family crisis and ongoing world problems can feel like constant attacks. When our fight-or-flight response kicks in, adrenaline and cortisol, both of which are stress hormones, flow directly into the body’s system causing muscles of the back to become tense, sensory perception to heighten and the heart to beat faster.
Blood is diverted away from the gastrointestinal system and toward muscles to enable you to perform a physical action. Your pupils dilate enabling you to see better, your hair stands on end, your skin sensitivity goes up and your breath rate increases so that more oxygen can be delivered to your body.
Once in a while, this kind of reaction can be a big help, especially if there’s a task that needs to be completed—your senses will be sharper and your reaction time quicker—but if your stress level is always turned up high, the autonomic nervous system can become overtaxed.
The result includes chronic muscle tension such as tightness in the spinal and shoulder areas, a clenched jaw, sleeplessness and problems with digestion, to name but a few. It may even cause you to become exhausted and unable to concentrate or communicate effectively. Eventually, this high-stress lifestyle will manifest in a decreased vitality level and overall poor health.
Keep in mind that all this aggravation and stress gets stored in your body, causing blockages, pain and chemical imbalance. Clearing these blockages and restoring the flow of life force must be accomplished in order for the self-healing process to begin.
Conclusion
Inversion therapy is a wonderful way to begin to heal the back and mind because it helps put us back in touch with all of the sensations, both physical and emotional, which help us get a clearer perspective on life. That’s not to say that it’s a magic elixir—it can’t cure infection or mend broken bones—but inversion therapy can definitely help remove all those obstacles we love to attach ourselves to.