About Inversion Therapy
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What is Inversion Therapy?

Inversion Therapy is a very advanced technique. It is not dangerous to perform, but it must be learned through personal contact and under the close supervision of an instructor.

Benjamin J Marantz, who became a student of massage after a professional career in acrobatics, originally developed inversion therapy, originally known as acrosage. As he studied, Marantz became aware of a relationship between the two activities. He realized that, in supporting his acrobatic partners, he had been unconsciously activating pressure points similar to those described in shiatsu.

This observation became the basis of inversion therapy. It involves the practitioner using his legs to support the patient upside down while leaving his arms free to massage the upper body, especially around the face and head. Mobilizations can also be given to the spine and limbs, and the patient may be allowed to simply relax in the inverted position.

The technique is claimed to be very safe and suitable for most people, except those who have serious cardiovascular problems or medical conditions of the eye. Marantz himself explains its advantages in terms of the reversal of gravitational forces, which relieves pressure on the spine and congested areas of the body such as the lower abdomen.

The technique is also claimed to improve posture and spinal alignment. Marantz cites the efficacy of yoga postures as confirming the therapeutic effects of inversion and considers that the supporting technique central to his therapy makes it accessible to people with spinal or neck disorders. He believes that inversion therapy also boosts self-confidence and quotes this as the most common psychological response to treatment.

Inversion therapy is consistent with many other forms of massage in that it is also beneficial to the giver. The technique does not depend purely on strength, and when perfected it can be given to a patient of up to twice the therapist's body weight.

Using muscle control and the structure of his or her own skeleton to support the patient, the practitioner can relax freely while massaging, and feel refreshed on completion.

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