Traction

Traction Man is Here
$11.70
My son brought this book home from the library. I can only say that I love Traction Man! He enjoyed the book, the action, and most of the humor (some of it was a bit beyond him). But I loved it--the pictures--the imaginative story. I told my son that a Traction Man book is what I want for MY birthday. We have also read "Traction Man meets Turbo Dog" which is also a wonderful book. I hope to see many more in the series.

Ironman Gravity 1000 Inversion Table
$199.00
The Ironman Inversion Table was no more difficult to assemble than any other "some assembly required" products we have purchased recently. In fact, all of the difficult parts came pre-assembled. I agree with the others who indicated about 45 minutes to assemble.

The height adjustment is very fast and simple to operate. As it turns out this is very important. My wife is 5'-5" and I am 5'-11". We need to be able to quickly adjust the table and have been pleasantly surprised that there is only the one easy adjustment to make. This table has a very comfortable "bed" to lean back on, and we both like the padded front and rear ankle supports. We have decided that it is more comfortable and relaxing to wear tennis shoes especially if we are going to "hang" for more than a couple of minutes but the supports work well just wearing socks if that is your preference.

That brings up another pleasant surprise, there is no need to hang up for more than a minute or so to immediately feel more comfortable and relaxed. I used to try and lay on the floor to work the kinks out of my back, and my wife has trouble with her neck. She tried chiropractors with little or no benefit. They were certainly not worth what they charged! I have no interest in paying someone to "manipulate" my spine. This is by far the most beneficial and convenient piece of equipment we have purchased. Any time, and wearing just about anything, we can adjust the height, step on, and quickly erase tension and stress. The Ironman Inversion Table fits easily into our busy lifestyle.

This comment is in response to the reviewer who has to do a full sit-up to return upright. If that happens, you have the height adjustment set too short. Please adjust the height so that you are neutral. Standing on the table, all you should have to do is slowly raise your arms and lean back to invert. Then to return upright, move your arms back towards your waist and the table should effortlessly stand you back up. You may need to set the height an inch or so taller or shorter than your actual height if your body mass is not average. Big shoulders = Taller Setting. Big Butt = Shorter Setting. Sorry about that, but that is how it works.

The Ironman Inversion Table is awesome for doing perfect AB crunches. Hook the strap to stop at about 45 degrees, and set the height one inch shorter than normal. I find it almost impossible to do a crunch wrong when I am inverted at 45 degrees. When finished, a slight tug on the handles is enough to pull the table upright.

You could spend twice as much money and not get a better inversion table.

OTC Over Door Cervical Traction Kit, Complete
$22.89
Works, but don't use it like the pictures illustrate - face the door and tilt your head down about five degrees. You'll feel the traction all the way to your upper spine.

Lynx Portable Back Stretcher
$129.95
Here's my two cents worth. I've had back problems and had worked with chiropractors for 5-6 years (50-75 visits, have 2 as friends). One vertebra in the center of my back is out of line and may never be right again. L4&5 are a mess too. Was told my bike riding and kayaking days were over. Tried looking at inversion machines, etc. but this stretcher was light, easy to store and portable. With it I was able to manually stretch out my spine gently easing the compression that caused most of my problems. It took about a week before I made any progress, but gradually my back started to loosen up and I could feel movement as I used the stretcher. Now I also rock it back and forth pushing down with one hand and then the other to free up my hips and a pinched nerve there. I use it about one a month now just to keep from getting a stiff back. There are no back problems any more and all for the price of a couple of chiropractor visits. I now can take long walks, ride my bike for miles with the wife and get out kayaking anytime I feel like it. If I notice any discomfort, I stretch out when I'm done and every thing is fine.

I've had friends try out the machine and two have purchased their own. One is a medical doctor who works as a physical therapist. She felt the traction effect the first time she tried it and said it made her back feel good. Go ahead and buy one. Go easy at first, apply gentle pressure, and don't be surprised if you don't feel anything at first. I gained all kinds of flexibility and lost my aches and pains. For $99 I got a large portion of my life back again.