Teeter Hang Ups EP-950 Inversion Table with Healthy Back DVD

I am an average guy in my late 30's and have had no serious back problems like I read in some of these reviews. Over the last couple years I have started to feel a very subtle dull ache in my lower back after a long 12 or 16 hour work day. I remembered my older step brother having a teeter hang ups when I was a teenager and back then I didn't see the point of it. I had zero pain as a kid and I thought it was just a fun thing to hang upside down. The one memory I had from the old teeter of the early 90's was that the regular padded bar foot harness was not kind to my ankles. Now older and wiser I was drawn to purchase the EP-950 because of the contour ankle supports. Here is my stellar review:PURCHASE: 5 of 5 stars (you get the quality you pay for)I purchased new from Amazon.comDELIVERY: 5 of 5 starsSurprisingly the package arrived in perfect condition - no dents, tears or anything. The box was as good as new. I thought the box might show wear and tear from reading some of these reviews but it was in perfect condition... gotta love those UPS guys!SETUP: 5 of 5 starsI found setup to be easier than expected. There are far fewer screws to tighten than expected. In fact I'll break it down for you: Side handles (2 screws each x2 handles) = 4 screws. Handle plastic guards = (2 screws each x2 guards) = 4 screws, Underside carriage support bar =2 screws for a GRAND TOTAL OF 10 screws - thats it. Once you tighten the 10 screws you simply place the back support carriage onto the support stand - then slide the foot support rail into the back support carriage. Thats it ! So setup was easy.FIRST USE: 5 of 5 starsLike I previously mentioned, I do not have any major back pains. I just get a slightly sore back after a long day's work. I am 37 years old and just about 200 lbs and work mostly sitting in front of a computer all day. I was curious what would happen first going on my new teeter. First thing I noticed - the 950 contour ankle supports are FAR MORE COMFORTABLE then the padded bar support I used when I was a kid. At 60 degrees incline there was no ankle discomfort whatsoever. I hung at 60 degrees for 5 minutes. The only time I noticed slight ankle discomfort was at full 90 degree inversion (once again this was while only wearing socks and no shoes). Absolutely zero discomfort once you teeter back to 60 degrees or less and no lingering discomfort whatsoever. One thing I must mention - and I have no idea why nobody seems to mention the flex back support of the teeter. The back rest of the teeter is incredibly comfortable and I thank my lucky stars I have the flexible back support instead of a rigid board like most of the knock off brands. The flexible back support allows bending, stretching and makes it easy to get that lower back crack you just cant get normally. The head pillow is adjustable and I had to adjust it higher after realizing your back actually does stretch and elongate while inverted. I tried the 60 degree inversion for about 5 minutes - It was incredibly relaxing. The dull back pain was gone in an instant and I had zero pain from my muscles stretching. It does feel invigorating to rest at zero incline (flat) and then teeter back and forth using your arms so you go back to about 20 degrees and back to zero and repeat. The biggest unexpected surprise is below:IMMEDIATELY AFTER USE: 5 of 5 starsAfter being on the teeter my first time I felt revitalized. The circulation and blood flow felt amazing and I cannot begin to tell you how relaxed I felt. It was like all the day's stresses literally just floated away. No joke. The best part is - after getting off the teeter and sitting on the couch to unwind I felt so relaxed it had the same relaxing feeling as if I paid for a professional massage. The subtle stretching of the muscles was an unexpected surprise and the relaxed feeling lasted at least 30 minutes after stepping off the teeter. It completely took my stress away.OVERALL: 5 of 5 starsI am extremely happy I made this purchase. The contour ankle supports are very comfortable, which was my largest concern. I will be looking forward to relaxing on my teeter for at least 5-15 minutes every day.Thank you Roger Teeter !-Travis

The EP-950 is well built and thoughtfully engineered, but it could benefit from a couple of tweeks IMHO. The pivot-point covers could be slimmed a bit so when you have your hands on the grip handles, they dont get side-swiped by these pivot-point covers when teeter-tottering. I find that oscillating helps my spine relax better than just hanging in stasis.Another ouch is the support braces -when you are fully inverted and doing the twist, I have banged my elbows on these braces a couple times. Some foam tubing slipped over them would minimize the pain of contact.I've been using this about a month now and although my lower back pain subsided almost immediately, I'm still having great pain caused by my sciatic nerve. I dont really expect the teeter to help with this but it is too early to conclusively say.I will say one thing, hanging upside down isnt that comfortable. The ankle grips will make your ankles hurt while you hang, and the blood rushing to your head while inverted doesnt feel too good either. These are not necessarily the fault of the teeter, but more the physical stresses of such an un-natural exercise. I have found that you get used to this, but also if you work your muscles (such as partial sit-ups or side-side stretching) while hanging it tends to minimize the effects.Your mileage may vary. I think hanging 10 minutes at one shot would be punishing...I cant do it yet but maybe I'm a wuss so far I'm only good for a few inversions spaced over 1-2 minute sessions.

This item may seem pricey, but if you have back pain or a desire to decompress your vertebrae, it's a MUST! I own the boots, which I purchased in the late 90s. As a soldier who jumped out of airplanes and worked as a drill sergeant, I was constantly putting my back though incredible rigors, which led to chronic back pain and ultimately degenerative disk disease. I use the table twice a day. The only possible problem I foresee is the coated rubber parts at the foot holder and pillow deteriorating, but nothing yet. I've owned it since 2013 and it still looks new.