Backswing - reverse gravity, revitalise
The story of your discs
The discs are little cushions filled with gel. They fill the spaces between your vertebrae to keep them in place and separate from each other.
You need the discs for :
- fluid movement good posture
- flexibility
- alignment
Gravity and your Vertebrae
The weight of gravity forces your vertebrae to put pressure on discs. As they are compressed, moisture is squeezed out. Over time the gel can harden and flatten to the extent that discs cannot provide proper support.
Result is:
- loss of height poor posture misalignment inflexible
- back pain - pinched nerves, bulged discs, worn facet joints loss of body shape
- restricted movement degeneration
The consequence of vertebrae compression
The weight of gravity forces your vertebrae to put pressure on discs. As they are compressed, moisture is squeezed out. Over time the gel can harden and flatten to the extent that discs cannot provide proper support.
The result is:
- loss of height
- poor posture
- misalignment
- inflexible
- back pain - pinched nerves, bulged discs, worn facet joints
- loss of body shape
- restricted movement
- degeneration
UNDER PRESSURE 24/7
Discs are under pressure day and night. Bending over doubles pressure on the lower back relative to standing.
- Sitting, it is 150% of standing pressure.
- Lifting yourself from a chair raises it to 250%.
- When lying down it persists at 25% because of all the muscles and ligaments thathold the spine in compression like a mass of elastic bands.
All pressure is released when inverted to 60°.
Nachemson, Alf, et al. “Intravital Dynamic Pressure Measurements in Lumbar Discs.” (1970): 1-38.
PRESSURE INTENSIFIED
Weight training, aerobics and most sport intensify compression,and although this is beneficialfor bones and joints, it is only half the story about fitness. For sustained health de-compression is just as important, to allow the body to regenerate.
A medical study found that running 1 kilometer, a person weighing 70 kg exerts a load of 60 tons of pressure through the lower back.
(W Van Mechelen, Running Injuries, 1992. Review of the epidemiological literature, Sports Medicine Magazine, Vol 14 No 5, Pg 320-335).
Medical study on back pain
Newcastle University (UK, 2007) found that in cases of sciatica due to bulged (slipped) disc, inversion reduced the need for an operation from 78% to 23%.
A "slipped" disc is a weak disc that bulges and may impinge on a nerve. Inverting relieves pressure and encourages the influx of fluids and nutrients that healing.
Eventually the soft tissue that has extruded can be removed by the body and the disc may recover its proper shape. Even if it is unable to return completely to normal, regular de-compression can help keep the pressure off so there is no further damage or nerve impingement
10 good reasons to invert for 3 - 5 minutes a day
- Relieve back pain
- Regenerate discs
- Improve posture and flexibility
- Strengthen ligaments and joints
- Relieve muscle tension and stress
- Stimulate circulation and lymphatic flow
- Improve appearance
- Speed recovery after intense workout
- Reverse aging caused by gravity
- Regain original body condition
REGENERATION
Inverted, your spine gently extends, spaces between the vertebrae widen to give discs space to absorb moisture.
Like sponges, they expand and regenerate. Benefit has been recorded within the first 10 seconds.
The amount of regeneration possible depends on the current state of your discs, so the earlier you start the
greater the degree of recovery.
- Backswing Positions
