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| The Monkeys in the Jungle by Henri Rousseau |
Q: Recently I had an X-ray of my spine to see what was causing my low back pain. I already knew I had scoliosis in my lumbar spine (see Scoliosis and Yoga: The Big Picture) but I was wondering what was going on with my lumbar joints. Sure enough, I had serious arthritis in my two lowest lumbar joints. While discussing this with my chiropractor, who is also a yoga practitioner, I asked if hanging upside down would be good for me. (By hanging upside down, I mean supporting my pelvis in a full inverted position, not just hanging in Downward-Facing Dog from a strap around some door knobs.) I knew that reversing gravity for the spine can make space there and provide relief. And this could be a really good counter activity to do after my gardening sessions. She said she thought that was an excellent idea! But when I asked her about preferred equipment for this, she said she had no idea.
So today I’m asking for your help, dear readers! For once, you get to answer the question. What is your recommendation (and feel free to use brand names, etc.) for a simple setup I can use in my house so I can hang upside down on a regular basis. Yes, I know about the Iyengar-style wall ropes, but I’m not sure I want anything that elaborate (though I wouldn’t mind hearing about where to get those). Isn’t there some kind of pelvic sling you can attach to a wall? (I’m not looking for anything where I hang from my ankles, by the way.)
Leave replies in the comments section or email me at nina at wanderingmind dot com.
Thanks so much,
Nina
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd27KRAG06Yi
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nZADkDVvpb8
https://www.toolsforyoga.net/product-p/sf10.htm
Nina you will get some good ideas with these three links.
Hi Nina, I have been using an Inversion Table for over ten years now and do not need anything else other than my yoga practice. I am also a yoga teacher and have had lower back problems since my teens (sacro-ileac joint dysfunction). I used to visit my chiro regularly (for over 20 years) then discovered the Inversion Table and have never looked back.. There are many types and brands but google will give you much information! I do not have to use it much nowadays as my yoga practice maintains my back most of the time, but when it doesn't, I use the table. It usually only takes a few days of inversion and I am OK again. Good luck and hope this helps. Namaste. Karen
Hi, do you want something freestanding? There are those pieces of gym equipment that are made for homes that have dip and pull up bars. They aren’t small but can fit in a home. You could get those boots that hook on to the top bar and hang. https://www.gearhungry.com/best-free-standing-pull-up-bars/
Teeter Hangups. It's the best.
I have a Teeter Hang Ups that I have used for several years for lower back issues. It does seem to help. Got it on Amazon. Think it was about $400.
I've had several setups. Currently I am using an inversion sling from Yoga Props. It's hung from eye hooks in a beam in the ceiling, set about 30 inches away from a wall. The Yoga Props website shows this same setup. The sling is quite comfortable. However, it attaches with a piece of hardware like a carabiner, but not a clip. You have to screw it together, which means it's a semi-permanent installation. (Sorry, don't know the name of the hardware.) Earlier I had a sling that I liked better (that seems to be no longer available) because it had an extra piece of webbing holding the padded section, and it connected with carabiners. Therefore I could easily unsnap it and take it to class. Then when everyone else was in headstand, I'd clip my sling into the rope wall. So in that setup, the sling was flat against the wall. I'm not sure there's any real difference in having the sling against the wall or a couple of feet away. You do need to have it close enough to brace your feet against the wall.
I've been using a sling for about 20 years. Next time I need to buy a new one, I'm going to get one with the extra handholds, like the parachute style slings, because the arthritis in my hands makes it hard to pull myself out of the full upside down "bat" pose. I usually do inverted Dandasana now so I can get out of it.
I am a practitioner of Iyengar yoga, so I also have a rope wall. In this house, which we built, I had a section of plywood wall put in, using this setup: http://www.sandiegoyoga.com/resources/ropewall/. OK, I know you don't want that, but someone else reading this might. In my old house I just had two 2x4s (one for top ropes, one for waist-high ropes) with eye hooks in them for the ropes. The flat setup is far superior to the 2x4s. Yoga ropes are also available from Yoga Props.
I look forward to seeing what you end up with.
Oh yes, Anitha posted the link to Tools for Yoga, which is where I got my old and best sling, the True Blue Pelvic Sling.
I have a yoga sling I enjoy using. My favorite is an inverted baddha konasana with the sling across sacrum. Like this image: https://goo.gl/images/nKPK2E
I have it mounted in a door frame using a trx mount. I hope you find a good solution that works for you!
I have scoliosis in upper thoracic spine and had ongoing mild lumbar pain six years ago. Had been teaching yoga for eight years at that point (at age 68 then. now 74). Had started to follow Lucas Rockwood on his Yoga Body site and bought the trapeze he sells for $99. Started hanging in it, beginning for 4 min/day. Over a few weeks increased it to 8 min/day for 4 to 5 days a week.
After doing this for a period of about 5 months I no longer had lumbar issues and slowed way down in the use and now only do it once a month.
I do NOT recommend the use of a vertical tilt board where the ankles are caught and thus pulls apart the ankle joints with your own body weight hanging vertical, totally or at an angle. The ankle joint is not formed for sustaining this expansion. It needs compression. That is the way the human body has formed it. Do not use a vertical tilt board for any regular use! The ones that used to be used in gyms where I taught have been eliminated. Not safe.
Use of the yoga trapeze, or hammock like arrangement, allows the hips to carry the body weight and not the ankles.
Yoga Trapeze® – Purple with Free DVD Tutorials -$99.00 http://shop.yogabody.com
Have you made a decision? Thinking about this for my 70 year old father, who has low back pain.