Sit and Decompress Back Stretcher 3 Minutes A Day Lumbar Traction Spinal Decompression - Inversion Table Alternative (Medium Harness No Bar)

I took a while to decide purchasing Sit and Decompress given some of the mixed reviews. However, the idea behind it made perfect sense to me so I bought it anyway. Inversion was not an option since I have high blood pressure and other options look less attractive (either because of price or because they seemed to induce less traction). I have been using it for a week and it has eliminated the constant back pain in my lower back (I have three herniated disks and lately the pain had become chronic). It actually made a huge difference in the second or third day (even though from the beginning I started feeling the stretch in my back and a difference using it twice a day for about 8 to 10 minutes). To be clear, I still have some back pain when sitting for too long at work. However, that is nowhere close to what I had (after sitting for a while, it was embarrassing to walk around since it was evident I was under pain). I am also running again and planning to return to my soccer team (I am a 53 year old still playing in a league but I had missed my last two games because of this). Like many others indicated, the brace is a bit uncomfortable since you are essentially putting most of your own weight on the rib cage. However, in my case, I did not have much problem (for my body the lower strap adjusts about an inch tighter than the upper strap so I guess I have somewhat of a V shape but not too much, at least not in the mirror). I take this over the back pain anytime. I just used a cotton shirt. I have not tried towels because I did not have much problem to withstand it for 10 minutes. Durability may be an issue as the straps are adjusted with plastic rings. However, so far they have worked great. I have the same concern with the sawing of the straps. I do not know how long they will last. However, for those with chronic back pain like I was having, I consider it a good investment even if you have to buy another one in a few months (consider that you do not have to take anti inflammatory medication, what those pills may do to your stomach, that you are a lot more efficient at work and able to enjoy other activities when you are not in constant pain, and that you may end up not going to visit the doctor because of this). I was having more recurrent episodes where you almost cannot move for a simple bad movement. Although a week is too early to tell, it does feel like this would reduce those episodes dramatically. Finally, I got a chin bar from amazon. It is pretty good and I feel extremely safe using it (I had never used one before and I was uneasy about how safe it was to hang yourself from it. The only thing is that the foam can leave some marks on your door trim (I saw other reviews for the same chin bar indicating this). To avoid that, I just used the white foam from the packaging of the chin bar wrapped around the two handles that touch the door (if fits perfectly). In summary, if you are on the fence, I would give it a try. At least for me, it has made things much better in just a week. I take the opportunity to congratulate Dr. Dorsey for an excellent idea! Update: two weeks and still working great. I really do not understand the complaints about setting it up. After the initial setup, it takes me less than a minute to put it on the door and then another minute to strap it to my body.

ALTERNATIVE: Consider a FISHER TRACTION Lower Back Unit with added knee wedge supports that’s used on the floor so you can actually relax without added pain. Almost any BODY can use that one! PHASE 1 - YIKES!: As of this review there is NO full disclosure disclaimer on Amazon about this harness being unsuitable for large busted women; I found out too late that the disclaimer is ONLY on Dr. Dorsey’s website - almost at the bottom! Fool me once . . . Dr. Josh Dorsey, you’ve got some disclaiming to do on Amazon! Sadly for me, the return deadline has passed; yeah, buyer beware. Unless you’re built like a 12-year-old boy this thing HURTS as demonstrated - if you can keep it on! Slippery unpadded vinyl material, no instructions on safety threading the webbing straps and a stubborn waist belt clip release, all say, what was I thinking? If you like hanging from your armpits and breasts, this is for you! It was designed by a thin male chiropractor without any consideration for the physiologic differences between men and women or their weight dynamics. Others have commented on this shortsightedness and Dr. Dorsey has done nothing to address it. And kudos to my husband for safety threading the drop straps that I photographed. PHASE 2 - WORKAROUND: After some pondering, I re-deployed this harness to use like a Back Bubble decompression device. Because the size I purchased was just large enough with which to work, I velcro-ed the vinyl band and adjusted the safety belt to the largest matching safe circumference. While the harness was hanging, I turned it to look like an “O,” belt clip at bottom. I then adjusted the drop straps so the bottom of the “O” was at about waist height. I could then put my body weight across the flat band by entering the “O” head first to find a point of equilibrium around my ribs, not my breasts. My hands and arms could still grip the drop straps to help stabilize my tilt. As a woman, this is the only potential use I’ve found for this poor design. Good luck!

This is a great product. For me, it is better than the inversion table or traction at physiotherapy clinics. The concept is very simple and it works. Yes, it's a little uncomfortable, but that's to be expected based on the design. Dr. Dorsey's videos provide ideas for improving the fit. My back felt much better by the second day of using it.

love it

Does what it says on the packet, but I personally find it rather uncomfortable to use.

I received the product when expected and I loved it!!!!

I was disappointed to receive this item and realise that it didn't come with a chin up bar. I realise that you have put it in the product description further down the page, but it should be in the product description under the main photo - which reads as though the bar is in the box with the belt.