Teeter Hangups

Back pain relief without dangerous drugs or surgery?  There are a lot of inversion tables on the market from various manufacturers.  The main differences are the cost, quality of construction, and warranty offered.

The original infomercial

The Teeter Hangup better than pain pill

I have had regular back pain for several years now.  It may have started when I was hit by a car while riding my bicycle in junior high school.  I also did a lot of heavy lifting at work.  Later, I went to college, eventually ending up doing a lot of office work- hunched in from of a computer.  Any one of these things could have led to to back pain.

In any event, I did relatively well popping Ibuprofen for several years, until the unimaginable happened.  I had a massive heart attack at 36.  I nearly died.  When I was in the hospital, the cardiologist told me that Ibuprofen could have caused the heart attack.  He told me I had to quit taking any NSAIDs and needed to stick to Acetaminophen type pain relievers.  If you have ever taken Tylenol, you know it works for a headache mostly, but it simply does not work for back pain.  I even tried muscle relaxants which left me cranky and sleepy.  I had to try more natural type solutions such as stretching, exercise, acupuncture, etc.

I purchased a Teeter Hangup inversion table and cannot be happier with my decision.  My father used to hang from a bar or a tree limb to get relief with spinal decompression. If you have ever something like that, then you know that it can be a good stretch, but your arms get tired.

It makes sense that if that type of stretch feels good to you, you might also get some relief from using gravity as one does with the Teeter Hangup inversion table or similar.

Why The Teeter Hangups Table?

I have to admit that I am cheap.  I wanted an inversion table but did not really want to pay a lot of money for it.  If I knew that something like the Teeter would work for me then I would not mind spending just about any amount of money. It's a lot harder to plunk down the money for a something when you are not sure if it will work for you.  This is especially true after I had just spent $400 on acupuncture and was feeling like it was time to go back from more.

Lucky Break- Try Before I Buy

As luck would have it, I was visiting my aunt for a family reunion a couple of months ago.  They had a Teeter Hangup table in the guest bedroom I was staying in.  I did not try it until my last day visiting, but I was very happy I did.  It took a little getting used to, but I could tell that it was going to help my back.  I think their table was a model F-8000, although I am not really sure which model you buy really matters much, since any of the newer ones are very similar.

I did some research on various types of tables for sale.  I found some used Teeter Hangup tables and some other off-brands, and realized a few things.

• The Teeter Hangup is built well- Seems to be the best.
  
• The Teeter Table is tested to support a specific amount of weight (300 lbs in some models)
• The Teeter Hangups table has a 5 year warranty.
  

On that same visit with my aunt, I found out my mother also owned a Teeter Hangup table.  She said it had helped her back quite a bit.  I guess my aunt and my mother bought them around the same time. 

Inversion Therapy Not For Everyone

My mother told me that my aunt's inversion table was for sale because my aunt and uncle did not use it.  Apparently, they both liked the idea of using the table and felt that it did work for their back pain, but could not deal with the idea that they were hanging upside down.  That seemed odd to me.  I wanted to buy theirs, but they were 3,000 miles away and shipping would not have worked very well.

Teeter Hangup Complaints

The idea of using an inversion to reduce or eliminate back pain may not be for everyone, but many will get relief from tight muscles and pinched nerves from a mis-aligned spine.  

• Some feel hanging upside down is a weird feeling.
• Hanging by one's ankles can be uncomfortable-  this can be reduced by getting the Teeter Hangups boots, but they are about $100.  I have not tried the boots.  You can also try adjusting your shoes and pants for padding and to reduce any strain.
  

The Bottom Line

 Using the Teeter Hangup can do a really good job at relieving your back pain.  You may still need to do some other stretches too, for areas you cannot stretch using the table (like your tight butt muscles which can cause low back pain).

Using the table is very relaxing.  A little like a massage, you find yourself getting a little sleepy while hanging.  When you come back upright, you feel energized and a little euphoric.

You definitely want to check with a doctor, especially if you have known physical problems or illnesses.  You don't want to make something worse than it needs to be.

The Refurbished Teeter Hangup

I purchased my Teeter Hang ups F7000 table on Amazon- Refurbished with the same factory warranty as a new one.  I save tons of money because it was used and I also got free shipping. 

Save a few dollars and buy one locally or get the refurbished model on Amazon if it is still available.  Mine was about $220 including shipping in Oct 2009

The refurbished table came with a few scratches on it, but everything worked.  The paper assembly instructions were missing, but the instructional DVD with exercises and tips also showed how to assemble it so it was not big deal.  Assembly took about 20 minutes.

If you get any inversion table, take your time with it.  It takes a little getting used to but really worked in my situation.

Post your review or comments about the Teeter Hangups inversion table below.