Appointments at Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic offers appointments in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and at Mayo Clinic Health System locations. Does inversion therapy relieve back pain? Answers from Edward R. Laskowski, M.D. Inversion therapy doesn't provide lasting relief from back pain, and it's not safe for everyone. Inversion therapy involves hanging upside down, and the head-down position could be risky for anyone with high blood pressure, heart disease or glaucoma. In theory, inversion therapy takes gravitational pressure off the nerve roots and disks in your spine and increases the space between vertebrae. Inversion therapy is one example of the many ways in which stretching the spine (spinal traction) has been used in an attempt to relieve back pain. Well-designed studies evaluating spinal traction have found the technique ineffective for long-term relief. However, some people find traction temporarily helpful as part of a more comprehensive treatment program for lower back pain caused by spinal disk compression.
Your heartbeat slows and your blood pressure increases when you remain inverted for more than a couple of minutes — and the pressure within your eyeballs jumps dramatically. For these reasons, you should not try inversion therapy if you have high blood pressure, heart disease or glaucoma. Edward R. Laskowski, M.D. Acupuncture for back pain?Prolotherapy: Back pain solution? Chou R. Nonpharmacologic therapies for acute and chronic low back pain: A review of the evidence for an American Pain Society/American College of Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline. Annals of Internal Medicine. Clarke J, et al. Traction for low back pain with or without sciatica. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Accessed March 21, 2014. Haskvitz EM, et al. Blood pressure response to inversion traction. Lamarr JD, et al. Intraocular pressure response to inversion. American Journal of Optometry & Physiological Optics. See more Expert Answers Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.
Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic.— The Mayo Clinic Diet, Second EditionMayo Clinic on Better Hearing and BalanceMayo Clinic Healthy Heart for Life!Mayo Clinic on ArthritisThe Mayo Clinic Diet Online Other Topics in Patient Care & Health Info Diseases and Conditions A-Z Tests and Procedures A-Z Drugs and Supplements A-Z Patient and Visitor Guide February 2014 View more Featured Imagine taking a truly relaxing vacation without packing, making transport reservations, or leaving the city. It’s called a spa-cation and it’s become quite a trend in Naperville. When the economy dipped a few years ago, many spa owners expected a decline in their business. Surprisingly, many reported an increase. “Instead of spending thousands of dollars on a vacation, people are choosing to treat themselves to spa services,” said Anne Marie Kollias, Coldwater Creek Spa director.
Vacating your cares and worries with a decadent spa treatment for even a few hours can help you re-enter the world feeling healthier, energized and perhaps even feeling younger. Fortunately, Naperville offers some of the most unique products, treatments and services in the country. So if travel is out of the budget this year, get away to one of these four Naperville spa-cation destinations for a brief, yet satisfying, adventure. Timeless offers many unusual, holistic and alternative treatments, but their biggest draw is the salt cave. Timeless operates one of only a handful of available spa therapy salt caves in the country. The beautifully simulated indoor cave is actually a 400 square foot room, awash in 11,000 pounds of Himalayan pink salts that were transported and installed over a three-month period in 2009. Visitors pay $25 for 45 minutes to breathe the salt air in the comfortable, 78-degree cave. As the lights dim, clients settle back in zero gravity beach chairs and enjoy the twinkling fiber optics above that simulate a peaceful, starry sky.
So why breathe salt air? “It contains 84 different minerals our body needs,” said Jodi Buckle, owner of Timeless Spa and Salt Cave. The salt charges the air with negative ions that trap free radicals in the body to promote healing from the inside out. Although results are individual, the cave air is supposed to boost the immune system and reduce inflammation. Buckle has clients who credit the cave with helping them reduce their medication, lessen their chronic pain, and stay healthy during office flu epidemics. The Zen Bed at Timeless is a relaxation therapy offered at only five other spas in the country. The Zen bed claim to produce the equivalent of a full night’s sleep in twenty minutes. With lights dim in a solitary room, this author laid “mummy style”, wrapped in a waterproof heavy plastic sheet, before being submerged six inches and embraced by cozy water. As vigorous jets kneaded my tired back muscles, I relaxed to a state of near sleep for the entire session.
It indeed energized me for the rest of the day. In Greek, Arista means “the best” and owner Mae Calamos had the definition in mind as she carefully appointed the visually stunning, Mediterranean-inspired Arista Spa and Salon. “We want the spa to supply the backdrop for life’s special moments,” said Laura Lambert, Arista Spa & Salon director. Arista’s adjacent, full-service salon specializes in hair care, Deborah Lippman nail services, and makeup applications for that special day. The spa features individualized treatments, based on the client’s preferences. For example, each heavenly massage session offers six different techniques at the client’s discretion. The Aromatika massage lets clients create their own personalized aromatherapy blend oil which they are allowed to take home any extra. Arista’s unique beauty treatments include the Ageless Facial, which claims visible and lasting results thanks to the unusual collaboration of Natura Bisse products and a vibrating tuning fork.
The aesthetician places the vibrating tuning fork on the facial trouble spot and the vibrations combine with the lotion to stimulate the collagen and create a smoother, younger appearance for the client. Couples can reserve the private room that features side-by-side massage tables and dual stone soaking tubs. While indulging, couples can sample exotic tastes of Mediterranean delights paired with a delightful vintage. Even without their ladies, Lambert says men feel comfortable at Arista. The spa tailors treatments to men and has a locker room with a sauna, steam room, and an optional 65-degree Poseidon’s shower to cool down quickly after a good sweat. Karma Medspa and Wellness Center offers a vast array of services designed to help clients restore, rejuvenate and revitalize. Karma was opened this fall by Dr. Mathai Karingada, a licensed internist and Dr. Sajjad Murtaza, a specialist in interventional pain and physical medicine and rehabilitation. They envisioned a Medspa model that would offer comprehensive wellness services, conveniently located under one roof, and supervised by an on-site, collaborative staff of medical professionals in their specialty areas.
“Our team’s goal is to help the client take their next step towards looking and feeling their best, whether they need to restore function with physical rehabilitation, rejuvenate with a cosmetic procedure or revitalize their health with fitness classes or nutrition counseling,” said Dr. Karingada. “We can address all their needs at Karma.” Karma’s staff also includes a plastic surgeon, OB/GYN, licensed aestheticians and fitness experts. The facility hosts a 1,000 square foot gym for Zumba, strength training and yoga classes, a physical rehabilitation area and multiple patient treatment rooms for cosmetic procedures that reduce signs of aging and erase imperfections with the state-of the-art Sciton laser and medical grade products. Karma also offers some hard-to-find procedures in the area of women’s health and cosmetic gynecology. “Cosmetic gynecology is more common on the West coast, but more women nationwide are realizing its benefits,” said Dr. Sameena Rahman, Karma’s staff OB/GYN who performs the latest vaginal rejuvenation procedures, cosmetic labioplasty and g-spot augmentation.
“For many women the procedures are not about appearance or vanity, but about increasing intimacy with their partner and improving their sexual health and function.” Located in the Naperville Promenade, Coldwater Creek The Spa is one of seven in the country. “The owner of the apparel store wanted to offer something new to his customers and he thought carrying the brand to a spa would help them feel comfortable here,” said Anne Marie Kollias, Coldwater Creek Spa director. The Spa resembles the store, but is a respite from hustle and bustle. “We are strictly a spa, with no salon services. The energies are different and we believe it is hard to combine them,” she said. Coldwater Creek is known for its famous pedicures. Like all treatments, it begins with a peppermint foot soak designed to help clients transition from the outside world and relax them for the coming experience. Customers recline in a zero gravity chair and enjoy a warm neck wrap, eye pillow, and comfy blanket for the duration of their treatment, which can also include a lower leg massage.