Flexibility is as much important (if not more) as aerobic fitness or building muscles. You should make sure to include stretching in your daily routine because of its benefits. Stretching helps by keeping muscles strong, flexible and healthy. It can relieve joint pain and reduce strain. I had the problem of back pain before, and that time I researched about back stretching machines. In this post, I will cover everything you need about these fantastic machines.
So, what are the Best Back Stretching Machines available in the market? The best back Stretching Machines I recommend are:
- Teeter EP-560 Inversion Table
- Innova ITX9600
- Invertio Inversion Table
- Stamina InLine Back Stretch Bench
- Nubax Trio Portable Back Traction Device
- Magic Back Stretcher Device
- Teeter EZ-Up Gravity Boots
Read on, for the complete review of above mentioned back stretching machines.
If you ever performed any sports or went to the gym then probably you know how important stretching is.
The first thing your coach will tell you to do stretching before any exercise. Stretching helps to keep muscles flexible. It reduces the risk of getting a strain, muscle damage, or joint injury during exertion.
Looking for body fat scales to monitor your progress?
There are various exercises and stretching machine available. Some such as full stretching machine focuses on overall health, whereas others such as back stretching machine focus on a specific area of the body.
Best Back Stretching Machines Reviews 2019
There are different model of the back stretching machine in the market. Every one of them has its pros and cons. For this article, we have selected some of the best back stretching devices in the market. Back stretching machine is designed to relieve you from back pain and benefit your spine.
Below is our recommended list of back stretching machines
Teeter EP-560 Inversion Table
Teeter EP-560 inversion table is back stretching machine by teeter. This inversion table has the number of safety features such as wrap-around ankle cups and hand grips. It has soiled construction with heavy gauge steel parts and safety such as cam locks and auto-locking hinges.
Teeter EP-560 inversion table is suitable for people with 4 feet 8″ to 6 feet 6″ height and up to 300 lb. This study construction inversion table comes with 5 years of warranty
Innova ITX9600
Innova ITX9600 is the inversion table by Innova health and fitness. This inversion table is lightweight, foldable and easy to store. Innova ITX9600 comes with an affordable price and has a comfortable and secure sturdy steel frame.
According to manufacturer ITX9600 is suitable for the user from 4.10” to 6.6” height and 300 lbs weight. It has a retention mechanism to adjust the maximum inversion angle. You can easily adjust 15, 30, 45, 60 or 85 degrees using the metal pin.
On the downside, the ankle holder has limited options and provides and are not comfortable enough.
Invertio Inversion Table
This back stretching inversion table by invertio have a sleek and stylish design with the weight capacity of 300 lbs. It is constructed using heavy duty 1.25” steel tubing and has the dimension of 51” (L) x 28.25” (W) x 59.5” (H).
Invertio inversion table has a foldable design which makes it easy to store. It has non-marring and non-skid composite feet for minimizing the risk of scratches on your floor. For comfortable use, it has foam padding on ankle supports, headrest, and backrest.
This invertio inversion table can be easily adjusted according to the user height. According to the manufacturer, this table is suitable for anyone with a height between 4.10” to 6.6”.
Stamina InLine Back Stretch Bench
Stamina in line back stretch bench is a good alternative for an inversion table. In this user can decompress the spine without the need to be in inverted position.
In line back, stretch bench by stamina has super dense contoured foam in bench, ankle and arm support. It is easy to use and effectively decompresses your spine. You can easily control the amount of stretching by using the lever on the side.
It has a weight capacity of 250 lbs and has a soiled and sturdy construction. It is expensive than most of the inversion table on the list. If you cannot use inversion table because of the reasons mentioned below then Inline back stretch bench is a good choice.
Nubax Trio Portable Back Traction Device
Nubax trio back traction is another good alternative for a standard inversion table. This machine is smaller than standard inversion table and spinal decompression is achieved using active stretching.
Nubax trio weighs around 22 pounds and is easy to assemble, move and store. This machine is easy to use and just 3-6 minutes daily use of machine can give positive effects.
Nubax trio portable doesn’t decompress neck area, which is possible by inversion table. It is also expensive then inversion table in the list.
This machine is designed mainly for people with lower back pain as it stretches vertebrae’s from mid shoulder range to tailbone. It is recommended to read more details about the effectiveness of this machine from the link below.
Magic Back Stretcher Device
The magic back stretcher is one of the most affordable in our list. This device can help in posture correction, lumbar support, and relief in back pain. This simple and compact device is easy to use and requires minimum efforts.
This device only weighs around 1.8 pounds and has 3 adjustable settings. You can adjust the arch shape in 3 adjustable positions according to your comfort or preference.
Its durability, design and low price are its main pros. On the downside, it may not be as efficient as inversion table or other back stretching machine we mentioned above.
At the time of publishing this post, this device is around 30 dollars and have 634 reviews on Amazon.
Teeter EZ-Up Gravity Boots
Teeter is one of the renowned brands in the world of inversion. They have various inversion-related products such as inversion tables, gravity boots, and pull-up bars. Teeter brand is famous for their safety and high-quality products. EZ-up gravity boots are also not an exception.
EZ-up gravity boots are lightweight, comfortable, and sturdy with the number of safety features. It has the flexible shell of DuPont Hytrel and soft foam liners.
EZ-Up gravity boots have the double-lock system and adjustable straps. For pressure reduction and better comfort it also features removable calf loops.
On the other hand, they are expensive as compare to other brand gravity boots. Also, you will need to buy a pull-up bar which can further increase the cost of complete setup.
Best Back Stretching Machines Buyers Guide
What are back stretching Machines?
Stretching helps to improve flexibility, health and stamina. There are several machines in the market for stretching exercise. One type of them is back stretching machines which focus on your back.
Back stretching machines come in many designs and size. Some of them are simple, effective, and affordable. We recommend you to consult your health professional before getting one. Back stretching machines are extensively used by chiropractors, physical therapists and at home.
Keeping such a stretching machine at home will save your money and time of going to the therapist or gym. But make sure to learn the proper use of these machines.
Back stretching machines help in improving posture, relieve back pain, realign the spine, and enhance nutrient flow to the spine.
How does back stretching machine work?
Back stretchers come in many design and size. But all of them have the same function, which is stretching and relaxing your muscles. Some type like Inversion Tables is beneficial, but they are not suitable for everyone.
Back stretching machines help to elongate the spine vertically. Stretching of the spine helps to relieve compression from the sciatic nerve. It also helps to create space between vertebrae, which helps in reducing the pain of bulging disks.
Our spine provides primary support to the body and consists of 33 individual bones over each other. These 33 different bones are interlocked with each other and refer as vertebrae. With back stretching machines, our spine is gently pulled. It changes the position and force of the spine and creates negative pressure on the spinal disks.
By relieving the pressure from disc and nerves of the spine, bulging disks may retract. This process also helps in better movement of nutrient-rich fluid, oxygen, and water into the disks.
Who can use back stretching machine?
Before using back stretching machines, it is recommended to discuss with your health professional. Back stretching devices are generally considered safe, but it is necessary to take precaution before using these machines.
If you have the following condition, you should not use back stretching machines.
- Pregnant
- Fracture
- Advanced osteoporosis
- Tumor
- Metal implant in the spine
Benefits of using a back stretching machine?
Back stretching has several benefits, such as:
- Create negative pressure between disk, to repositioning and retraction of a bulging disk.
- Improve better movement of healing nutrients, oxygen, and water.
- Relieve in muscle spasm.
- Helps in the condition such as Sciatica, Lower back arthritis, and Spinal degeneration
- Improve posture and make vertebrae flexible, healthy, and strong.
There are other benefits but there are not enough research currently to support.
- Stress and depression relief
- Prevent age-related shrinking
- Improves brain functions
Different Types of Back Stretching Machines
Maintaining a gym membership or going to chiropractors for your back pain can be expensive and time-consuming. Back stretching machine at home can save you from these.
There are different types to choose from. Below you can find the most common back stretching devices and there pro and cons.
Inversion Tables
Inversion tables use your body weight and gravity to stretch the spine for traction. In this type of stretching machine, the user adopts the upside-down posture utilizing the inversion table. This position helps to relieve pressure on nerve roots and disks of the spine. The reverse gravity effect also helps to attain proper space between vertebrae.
There are many other claims about the benefit of using this machine. Such as improving posture, stimulates blood flow to the brain, relieves varicose veins, and preserves height. But there are not enough studies to prove these claims.
There are few risks of using inversion table such as it lowers heart rate. It increases pressure in the eyes and raises blood pressure.
It is very important to consult your health professional before using the inversion table.
Orthopedic Back Stretchers
Lumber stretchers relieve back pain with simple yet effective design. They are usually compact, affordable, and easy to use. They are simple to use but works only for back stretching.
Orthopedic back stretchers help to realign vertebrae to improve your posture and relieve pain. This simple design is beneficial to reduce pain for the lower back.
In orthopedic back stretchers, quality is very important. Good quality one should able to adjust according to your back shape. It should also be able to trigger pressure on the required area for improving blood flow.
Non-Inversion Back Traction Device
The inversion table is an excellent choice to get relieve from back pain and for back stretching. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for everyone as we discussed above. Fortunately, there are many devices which are ideal for most people.
In the non-inversion device, you have to get on your knees and lean forward. It helps you to stretch your spine and relieve pressure from spinal disks.
Pull Up Bars
Everyone knows about to pull up bars. They are not specifically for back pain. But when you combined them with gravity shoes, they become the adventurous and effective option. Although before using option, remember it requires a lot of efforts from your side. It may look easy, but it requires good stamina and strength.
With gravity boots and pull up bar you can hang upside down from the ankle. Make sure your bar is secure and take proper precautions before using it.
Factors to Consider in Back Stretching Machines
There are a few factors to keep in mind before you buy your back stretching machine. Below points will help you to understand it better.
Type
There are stretching machines for whole body and then there specifically for back stretching.
In the back stretching machine, there are multiple type and design.
Seems confusing, right?
You should consider the one which suits your needs. All these options have some pros and cons which we mentioned above. You can choose according to your preference.
Comfort
You will see most similar back benching machines have the difference in their prices. Of course, the price should not be the only factor to decide whether the device is good or bad.
Material and quality of construction impacts the comfort of the back stretching machine a lot.
Consider the one with sturdy construction. We have recommended some of the best back stretching machines above which have positive reviews from their users.
Size and cost
Back stretching machines come in every size big and small. You can choose the one according to the area available for you to use.
Budget is also important as a machine with more features are expensive than machines which focus only on one part.
User weight support and assembly
It is an essential factor as it decides how safe your machine is when you will use it.
Make sure to check the package or ask the manufacturer. Always choose the one which can support higher weight than anyone who will use it. Some back stretching machines require assembly.
