My pt guy told me that he did not like doing traction which is kinda like the inversion table on anybody that has back surgery. That's not medical fact just what I have been told in the past.

I have an inversion table. Used it after micro on L5-S1 after the 6 week checkup. You may or may not get relief. If it was just DDD in your disks then the concept of opening the space up with inversion seems reasonable. If your problems are herniated discs impinging on nerves. Then it is hit or miss. I found that inversion pulled on my IT band on my left leg and caused me more pain. I was also told to use one of those hard foam rolls and roll my IT band over it. To help stretch it to relieve pain. Makes it worse. A simple piraformis stretch helps take the tightness out of the IT band.

I've talked to some people who use it often and feel the pressure on their backs relieved from using it. They do 2 sessions a day for 5-15 minutes.

I would have talked to a physical therapist or tried inversion on a table that belongs to someone you know before purchasing one. Like the other posters stated, it's not for everyone, and you won't know until you try it. A physical therapist might be able to point you in the right direction or include it as part of a comprehensive therapeutic plan.

Good luck.

I've had an inversion table for over a year and love it! I cannot hang completely upside down (all the blood runs to my head) so I just get my head below the level of my hips and can feel the pressure release on my lower back immediately.

I had some minor hip irritation after a few days of hanging, however it went away and now I feel even more aligned.

If you are considering an inversion table make sure you give it a good month of daily use before you put it in the closet...like everything...healing takes time. I'm sure this keeps the fluid in the disks full.

Everyone in our family uses it occassionally when the have back issues...hopefully it will prevent disc damage for our kids.

I bought mine used...it was virtually new!$100

you don't need to be completely inverted, ie, upside down. Consider that 180 degrees. 90 degrees being level. At 135 degrees you are placing most of your weight towards the floor. Stretching your spine. Less blood rushing to your head. That seems to be fine. For those who can deal with 180 degrees that's fine too. I did it both ways. At 135 degrees it helped and was less of a beating on my ankles.

Ultimately it didn't help with my issue. It's in the closet collecting dust.

See if you can try one before investing.
We borrowed one.

First, I was told after 1 microdiscectomy, you have 10% chance of reherniating. I did (or they left a piece) so my chances of reherniation are up to 20-30% but it goes again, it does go up to 50%+.

My surgeons all told me inversion does help some people and will work on DDD or disc height issues to 'unload' the disc. It wont' work on a ruptured disc where there is broken disc that has come out and pressing on the nerve.

I agree on giving it time. I am cleared to use one before my revision but haven't asked if I can use it post op yet. I suspect they won't want you on it until 6 weeks to 3 months post-op.

Varying opinions on if they work. I felt better in some ways but then I hurt more in others so I stopped. I had trouble with blood rush to my head and not feeling well and I was barely inverted. But others I know swear by them.

I love the inversion table. I go to 90 degrees plus. My surgeon told me it probably wouldn't help, but go ahead and do it anyway. Not sure how much it really does for me, but I crack a lot when I hang on it.