Has anyone tried a tilt table?

[susancook]

My surgeon suggested a tilt table [I've never had spinal surgery]. The PT that I go to doesn't have one, so I can't try one out. Has anyone tried it? How does it work and did it help? Would you recommend it?
Thanks
Susan

[Kat3573]

Yes I have one!!!
It's amazing it's sooo relaxing but it didn't work for me because I'm still growing I got mines at sports authority yes I would recommend it

Look up teeter hangups on YouTube To see how it works

[jrnyc]

tried one...several times...hated it....
i think it helps people with smaller curves...
it gives me a headache & nausea when the blood rushes to the head....

i have a lawn chair that tilts back just enough, feels good...
anything that takes the pressure of gravity off the spine feels good...

jess...& Sparky

[LindaRacine]

I never tried a tilt table, but I know that unloading the weight on one's lumbar spine can feel really great. Prior to my first surgeries, I used to do a back bend maneuver over a large exercise ball. It felt heavenly.

[susancook]

Yes I have one!!!
It's amazing it's sooo relaxing but it didn't work for me because I'm still growing I got mines at sports authority yes I would recommend it

Look up teeter hangups on YouTube To see how it works

Thanks for the suggestion of a place to buy one. Do you live near Portland, Oregon? Maybe I could buy yours.
Susan

[susancook]

tried one...several times...hated it....
i think it helps people with smaller curves...
it gives me a headache & nausea when the blood rushes to the head....

i have a lawn chair that tilts back just enough, feels good...
anything that takes the pressure of gravity off the spine feels good...

jess...& Sparky

That's an idea! Maybe I'll go down to Home Depot and see how reclined I can get in their chairs. I think that you can vary the decline of the tilt table, but since I haven't used or have seen one, I really don't know. Thanks for responding and thanks to the others who did. Wish that I could try one before buying it not to waste my money....or throw up or get a headache.
Susan

[Tyler]

Inversion table

I use an inversion table regularly, 5-10 min/day and have found it helpful, as part of a varying suite of stretches and exercises. A big advantage is that I can do it when I am very tired and sore, and at times just too worn out and not mentally in a place to do a full workout. I eased into it very slowly; 10 degrees down angle for a month or so, then about 45 degrees down for almost a year, only recently upping it to about 75 degrees down angle (90 degrees down angle being vertical in this parlance). I have a fairly cheap Ironman table I bought from Amazon and put together easily with minimal help from my wife.

my stats:
34 yrs old male
58 degree double curve (i.e. S)
5'9", 165 lbs;
per day: 60 mg Cymbalta, 2000-3000 mg tylenol, 600-2000 mg ibuprofen
low-gluten diet

[susancook]

I use an inversion table regularly, 5-10 min/day and have found it helpful, as part of a varying suite of stretches and exercises. A big advantage is that I can do it when I am very tired and sore, and at times just too worn out and not mentally in a place to do a full workout. I eased into it very slowly; 10 degrees down angle for a month or so, then about 45 degrees down for almost a year, only recently upping it to about 75 degrees down angle (90 degrees down angle being vertical in this parlance). I have a fairly cheap Ironman table I bought from Amazon and put together easily with minimal help from my wife.

my stats:
34 yrs old male
58 degree double curve (i.e. S)
5'9", 165 lbs;
per day: 60 mg Cymbalta, 2000-3000 mg tylenol, 600-2000 mg ibuprofen
low-gluten diet

Thanks! Susan

[leahdragonfly]

maybe on Craigslist?

Hi Susan,

I wonder if you could find one on craigslist? Amazing what can turn up there sometimes.

[titaniumed]

The exercise balls (20”-24”) are a must for pre fused scolis. The reverse stretch is one stretch I used often.

I have an arch table I don’t use anymore.......and a very heavy duty professional stretching chair...

I had inversion boots 30 years ago and would hang from a bar.......with the Dracula suit on, it was a big hit....

Ed

[susancook]

The exercise balls (20”-24”) are a must for pre fused scolis. The reverse stretch is one stretch I used often.

I have an arch table I don’t use anymore.......and a very heavy duty professional stretching chair...

I had inversion boots 30 years ago and would hang from a bar.......with the Dracula suit on, it was a big hit....

Ed

Guess that I should actually get the exercise ball out of the box and blow it up and use it....hmmmm....you've motivated me!
How do you do the "reverse stretch"? edit: thanks for the picture, just saw it! Is that you, Ed?
Any pictures of you hanging from a bar w/ your Dracula suit on? Please post!
Susan

[susancook]

Hi Susan,

I wonder if you could find one on craigslist? Amazing what can turn up there sometimes.

Didn't think about that. I will look. Can't cost too much? I'd like to try one out to see if I like the feel and headrush at all. Dr. Hart seemed to think that it would be beneficial and he thought that our PT had one for me to try out. No such luck.

[jrnyc]

Ed, i could never use those balls...trainer in gym
tried me on one once...hurt like heck...
i am not flexible...thought i was, but then had a bending
X ray and found out gravity was doing most of it...
really surprised me...maybe that was why it hurt so much...
never tried the balls again...too much pain

jess

[titaniumed]

Susan
I cannot find that comedic Dracula photo....Of course, looking for Grandpa from the Munster’s......(Al Lewis)

Jess
Interesting that you could never use the exercise balls. When where you diagnosed with scoliosis?

Another thing that is never mentioned here is “cracking” the back. I used to do this ALL THE TIME. Twisting in a chair with my legs anchored was a great way of doing this, I would pull around with my arms. It was an easy way of getting some relief from the binding and aches of pre-fusion. I stayed pretty limber through the years......after 40, things started getting stiffer.

Anybody else do this?

Ed

[rohrer01]

Jess
Interesting that you could never use the exercise balls. When where you diagnosed with scoliosis?

Another thing that is never mentioned here is “cracking” the back. I used to do this ALL THE TIME. Twisting in a chair with my legs anchored was a great way of doing this, I would pull around with my arms. It was an easy way of getting some relief from the binding and aches of pre-fusion. I stayed pretty limber through the years......after 40, things started getting stiffer.

Anybody else do this?

Ed

I have always cracked my back. I would twist in a chair, holding on to one arm. As my curve got stiffer I was no longer able to do that (until the chiropractic treatments). I also used to crack my neck. I haven't been able to do that for about two years or so. It used to ease my headaches and it frustrates me that I can't do it anymore. My neck hurts too badly. As for the lumbar, I've always cracked that, too. Now that I have the DDD I can usually get some temporary relief. I lay flat on my back and bring one leg up with knee bent and touch my knee to the floor on the opposite side while giving it a little boost by pushing on the iliac crest. I go both ways.

As far as the exercise ball goes, bending backwards is a huge no no for my lower spine. I used to be able to do back bends and grab my ankles (up until my late 20's). I can't even do a back bend anymore. =(

These are "probably" all bad habits that aren't good for us. But when you hurt you'll do almost anything to make it better.

Susan,
My doctor recommended lumbar traction. I still have to get more information on that because I'd love to try it! They don't want to give me any more epidurals for some reason. My disc actually looks better, though. It seems as though it healed somewhat after receiving the first two epidurals. It's been over a year since my last one. It worked great for me. The deep muscle masacre actually HELPED with the sciatic pain radiating down my legs. That was after the nerves were no longer bruised. It was AWEFUL during, right after and for about a week, then started getting better. Now the pain doesn't usually go down my legs. Apparently, some of the nerve pain was being caused by muscle spasms in my lower back and gluts. I'd still get the epidural if they would let me. It was so wonderful not to have any lower back pain.