Will An Inversion Table Crack My Back? (And Is That A Good Thing?)

Will an inversion table crack my back and give instant relief?

Or is the process a slow-burn that doesn’t give any immediate, gratifying sense of relief, but helps over the long run?

Well, it’s a bit of both.

Inversion therapy isn’t a one-and-done deal. Even if it doesn’t happen in the first session, your back will likely crack over time.

But the actual cracking isn’t as important as what it signifies.

It is the result of decompression and gasses escaping your joints. And this is the goal of inversion therapy.

You do it to relieve tension and return your bones and joints back to their original state, before gravity started weighing down on them throughout the day.

Keep reading for everything you need to know about inversion tables and cracking your back.

 

Will An Inversion Table Crack My Back?

Yes, an inversion table can help you crack your back, depending on how you use it.

But you need to be careful, because inversion tables can exacerbate existing knee or ankle injuries, and even caused new ones. You need to make sure you use them correctly.

If you’re strapped in with your ankle pads in place, then you may not experience any ankle pain or knee pain, but you’ll still be able to crack your back.

Ideally, you will be able to decompress your back without having to crack it to reduce the (very small) chance of applying too much tension and hurting yourself.

If you’re using an inversion table solo with no assistance, you’ll want to be careful to not overdo it and cause an injury.

 

Does Cracking Your Back Even Help?

The actual cracking of your back isn’t what helps, but rather what it signifies.

It’s like the signal that enough tension has been applied to release pressure, as in built-up pressure within your spinal column and bones in your back.

The cracking is the release of gasses that store up between your bones. So cracking your back does help, but there are other ways to release these gasses and decompress your back and spine without any cracking.

Inversion can relieve pain and help your back, even if you don’t hear a cracking sound (your body will dispel the gasses in other ways).

However, it can’t be denied that nearly all patients experience immediate pain relief after cracking their backs since those gasses are removed instantly.

As is always the case, the best way to deal with back pain is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Let’s look at some ways to accomplish that.

 

How To Prevent Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most aggressive, aching feelings that most of us will feel (apart from extraordinary pain like childbirth and broken bones).

These tips and exercises can help you prevent back pain from occurring in the first place.

 

Back Strengthening Exercises

Perform simple stretches, flexing techniques, and exercises that specifically target muscles in your back to prepare them to withstand more tension without tearing from the bone.

 

Lose Weight

Nobody wants to hear that they have to lose weight, but even being a little overweight can put unnecessary strain on your back muscles. It is imperative for your back health to stay at a healthy, manageable weight.

 

Regular Exercise

If you don’t use it, you lose it. In this case, this refers to your muscle strength and capabilities. Exercise them regularly, and they’ll help when you least expect it.

 

Know Your Limits

If you can only lift X amount at the gym, that’s fine. Wait (for a while) until you plateau and can move on in a slow, progressive format. Overdoing it can cause lifelong difficulties from long-term, painful injuries to your back muscles.

 

Common Causes Of Back Pain

While not all of these are directly related to your back, they will affect it in some way.

These effects can last for months or years, especially if you don’t properly decompress your spine and work your back muscles to prevent pain.

 

Arthritis

This is something you can’t really prevent, as most of the time it is hereditary or brought on by an autoimmune deficiency (rheumatoid arthritis, that is).

However, eating anti-inflammatory foods that control free radicals in the body can alleviate any pain caused in your muscles and joints as a direct result of arthritis. This is a killer on your back if you don’t take care of it properly.

 

Stress

Stress isn’t just something that you feel; it’s something that manifests in your body and affects everything. We’re still learning ways that stress affects the body, but suffice it to say that from the information we currently have available, we know it’s detrimental to your health.

 

Pulled Muscles And Tendons

In the throes of working out? You may tear or pull a muscle in the process, especially if you’re inexperienced. This is common, and in your back, it can cause serious spinal pain depending on the area.

You have over six-hundred different muscles in your body, and each of them directly pulls on your bones to move them. Take the necessary time to rest before getting on an inversion table.

 

Inflammation

Remember earlier when we were talking about rheumatoid arthritis? That could be the cause of inflammation that causes back pain.

But inflammation, which is the body’s natural response to many things, could be caused by a variety of things.

Inflammation can help your body heal faster. If you’re experiencing swollen muscles and areas of the skin, consider taking medication to ease the inflammation, resting, and trying inversion therapy again later.

 

Inversion Table To Crack Back: Final Thoughts

Inversion tables can crack your back. In fact, by design, they’re almost certain to crack your back.

Keep in mind that when your back cracks (or any bone, for that matter), it’s releasing gas and is not indicative of pain being alleviated or a problem within your bones being solved.

Consider cracks to be auditory checkmarks to let you and your chiropractor know that you’re on the right track.

It’s a pleasant sound so that you know the pressure is in the right area, though.

Note: This article was not written by a chiropractor or physician. While we research our articles and do our best to provide solutions, do not attempt anything revolving around spinal decompression, inversion, or pain management without seeking out help from your primary healthcare provider first. We are a website, not a medical community.