Stamina InLine Back Stretch Bench

Definitely works. I have huge back problems. I did fix most of my back problems going to the chiropractor but gets really expensive going every month. I do recommend going to a chiropractor first in the beginning especially if you have serious back/spine issues. This a much cheaper alternative to help maintain your results once your fixed.You can definitely feel the stretch it puts on your back much like the expensive machines the chiropractor also has.I would also point out that bigger people are probably gonna have a harder time using this. I'm 5'6" so it was perfect for my size.

This stretch bench is easy to assemble, use and store. It take a little time to get used to cranking it properly, without occasionally releasing the tension. It does it job and I do feel the benefits of using it. I use it once a week as a prophylactic for back pain, or whenever I start feeling discomfort in a lower back. I stay stretched for a minute or as long as I feel comfortable. I also found that placing a small pillow under the lumbar area helps with stretching. The only thing that I do not feel working well for me are the handles that go under the armpits. Perhaps I have not figured it out yet, but so far they do not feel like providing a firm anchoring for the upper body or comfortable place for the arms while being stretched. One time I used a long half-round foam roller for lumbar support, which extended about half a yard from each side if the bench, I found it much more comfortable to place the arms on these extended portions of the roller. Overall I really like this stretcher and feel the benefits of released strain in the back right after using it.

I’ve had an L5-S1 disc herniation for almost eight years (4mm protrusion- apparently not a good surgical candidate). I’ve been dealing with constant psiatic pain since 2010. I go to physio and massage regularly but they only help temporarily. I tried decompression at physio but I questioned the value of using their stretch machine at $50 per session. This device gives me the same stretch - if not better as I can control it fully.I like to use this massager before bed, so that my stretched back can stay horizontal and deconpressedfor the night (a lumbar pillow helps maintain the pull). I usually lie on this bench for 15-30 minutes and wince through the pain, but it’s such a good pain. Pressure is taken off the pinched nerve fully, and I can feel my back loosening up the more I use it.I think it’s meant to be used on your back, but I find it’s more effective and comfortable lying on my stomach. I use a pillow and blanket to make it more comfortable, then I read a book or play with my phone while on it.A couple of suggestions...1. I read that the board is quite stiff and this is true. But I think it needs to be to do its job, and I don’t think it’s too uncomfortable.2. The foam pads are insufficient. I wrapped some packing foam around them and that seems to help.3. The foot pads are particularly uncomfortable. As you increase the stretch, more weight is placed on your ankles and it can hurt. Solution: use a soft blanket as a buffer, feels much better.4. The “armpit” pads could be a little taller. When on my stomach, they feel a little short and would hold me better if an inch or so longer. FYI if the manufacturer reads this. Small issue, bench still does the job as-is.I’m very pleased with my purchase and recommend this device to those suffering from disc herniation.

This is one of those reviews that has its good side and its bad side.It is easy to set up. The packing is extremely well done and the directions are very easy to follow. It is a very sturdy bench and it does stretch not only your lower back but also your thighs and calves. My chiropractor told me he wanted me on it 10 minutes daily. I only accomplished this after several days trying different methods (descriptions below). It is difficult to get down and up off it since it's suppose to be set up on the floor. I have a thickly padded area rug beside the bench so I can roll off the bench, get on my hands and knees then get up.The foam underarm supports caused my arms to go numb and my fingers to tingle. NOT good! I totally agree with the reviewer who suggested getting a chest strap to hold you in. I went one better. I went to the local box store and got a belt thinner from the athletic department of the store (Thank you Butch! Your idea works!) Then I went to the men's department and purchased a wide belt. Both are long enough to go around the machine and my waist. I attach myself with the velcro thinner belt then tighten the man's belt as tight as I can over the thinner belt. Both these totally relieve the underarm part of this bench to the point I don't have to use those numbing armpit supports. Also a must.. wear thick socks! There is a lever that is on the right side. This is what you pull toward you when you are ready to start the stretching. This works very nicely since it is totally under my control. It is also used to release the stretch. It actually releases the bar that your ankles are locked into. It is spring loaded so when you push the lever forward that spring jerks my ankles, legs, thighs right back into the starting position which actually hurts because it puts a sudden hard slam on my already tender lower back. To get past the sudden release of the lever, along with the pain I get from it, I came up with the idea of undoing my belts first, get my feet out of their position, sit up THEN release the spring loaded lever. This works.I also added a pillow to support my neck and a rolled up pillow to support my knees. The pillow under my knees helps relieve the pressure off my knees while I'm stretching.The description says cushioned bench. Really? It's basically a board with barely enough vinyl padding on it to say it's padded.I really can't say how easy (or hard) it would be to keep setting it up and taking it down after each use. I'm under strict doctor's orders not to lift anything over 10 lbs from the floor so this stays set up in my spare bedroom with all my additions laid out.Since it's not an option to go upside down, this seemed a reasonable option (price was OK once I added my various pieces to make this work).

Background: ruptured a low back disc in 2016.Went through traction therapy with 2 different doctors, and different machines, dozens of times, over the course of 5 months.I’m familiar with traction/decompression.My back was aching after a strenuous job for several months. I thought this may be an option to spending $50 per session.I sincerely wish I had never considered it.I assembled the back stretch bench in the living room, as my wife looked on, and we chatted about how nice it would be if I could use this while traveling for work, as well.Once it was completely assembled, I set it for my height, and put my feet between the rollers, and the upper cushions under my armpits.Used the ratcheting mechanism to slowly extend the machine, and allow a moderate stretch, pulling at my ankles, and resisting with the cushions under my arms.But. When I released the tension, by pushing the ratcheting mechanism all the way down, the machine SNAPPED back to the original position!Think about a ratchet strap, pulled taut, then suddenly released.It was NOT smooth, gentle, or acceptable.“Oh! Ouch. Oof! That was rough!”My wife’s eyes were huge“Oh my god! Are you alright?”It was obvious that it was bad.My back and hip were sore immediately.I spent the rest of the evening on the floor, on ice and heat.The next day it was worse, and the day after that, I could hardly walk.That was almost 2 months ago, I’ve had terrible sciatica nerve pain down my left leg, in my thigh and the front of my shin ever since that night.It’s bad enough that I’ve decided to take a couple weeks off work to focus on healing, since it’s not getting better with time and chiropractic sessions.I tried to return it, but maybe the returns window closed already. Either way, there’s no option to return.Which means I’ve been injured, and I’m out the price of this product, I’ve had to pay for numerous chiropractic sessions in an attempt to solve the injury, AND I’m about to lose thousands of dollars because I need to take time off work.This item is Painful, leading to very expensive costs to offset its use.

So it started with pain in my left leg. Although I've never had it I knew it was sciatica.I went to a chiropractor. They took x-rays. They found more issues like Scoliosis. I knew I had it because I had an MRI a year ago. Degenerating discs. Just a few other age related things.They wanted me to continue going for treatment for about a year. The treatment included, chiro adjustments, decompression, shots, a back brace, etc. etc. The cost? After insurance? $4500. NOPE.Oh, but we have financing. NOPE! Remember that I only went to get an adjustment for the sciatica which only gave me pain when I bent down to put on my socks and shoes.So, I did some research. I decided to try this bench for spinal decompression. I've used it for about 4 days and the sciatica pain is already better. I can bend all the way down when I sit to tie my shoes.I did a little more research and decided to get an inversion belt to use with the bench. It stretches your back without stretching your legs or ankles. It gives a different type of stretch but I like both ways.I'm careful not to over tighten the bench and do 1 min on, 1 minute off for a few rounds. When I'm done I stay laying down for a few minutes before getting up. I also purchased an icing belt but it hasn't arrived yet. It ices the lower back because you will be a little sore after.After only 4 days, the pain isn't completely gone and I'm sore when I get up in the morning. I take Tylenol Arthritis twice a day for that. Together with the bench, I'm getting back to normal.I hope this bench helps keep you out of the somewhat shadier chiropractors offices. They're not all bad. But they're not all good either.

Overall, I'm very pleased with my purchase. As others have noted, we're dealing with a high quality, well-built device that is carefully packaged and on top of that, I received it more quickly than any other product I've purchased from Amazon. For a number of years, I've been doing my impression of The Incredible Shrinking Man. All my life, I was 5’ 7 ½’’ tall but now am 5’ 5 ½’’ tall. I'm not happy about losing the two inches but my primary concern is an unpleasant tingling in the hip/pelvic area that has been gradually increasing. I'm guessing this is nerve related and I don’t know when/if it will subside or turn into a permanent condition. Thus the stretch bench. I had previous experience with a Stamina inverter a few years ago which I felt was producing beneficial results but it also resulted in a nosebleed and I became afraid to use it.I assigned myself two 10 minute sessions per day; once when I get up and again when I return home at the end of the workday. The afternoon stretch takes place just before 20 minutes on the bike followed by 10 hikes up and down 19 stair steps. I've been using the stretch bench for just over a month and while I likely have some lack of objectivity I can comment on one quasi-measurement of benefit. The tingling I mentioned above would show up half way through the up and down stairs hikes but now, since I've been using the stretch bench, they sometimes show up towards the end if at all.I consulted with my personal physician before purchasing the stretch bench and he okayed it. He also thought an MRI would be in order and while I will do that, I've not had it done it yet. This is another guess but I think the stretching might be of even more benefit to a younger person. We shall see.I noticed several comments when I read through the product reviews before making my own purchase. More than one person complained about discomfort in the armpits due to the tension and another comment related to the armpit cushions being pushed together, squeezing one’s chest when tension was applied. I tried putting some narrow wooden blocks between those armpit cushions and the bench frame to stop the squeezing and that does work. I've discontinued their use but if I continue to increase the tension – as I plan to do, I may go back to using them. I'm not the doctor but from the get-go I decided I should gradually increase the level of stretch. Some of the reviewer comments gave me the impression a number of folks were going at it full tilt (or more accurately, full stretch) right from the beginning.I'm up to 13 clicks now and I estimate each click is worth a generous ¼ inch. I hasten to state that I am not stretching myself 3 ¼ inches. It's 13 clicks from the time I fit myself onto the bench and start clicking. Based on my relatively brief experience, I feel I can see the effective clicks increasing.The other comment I saw related to the sudden, jarring release when one removes the tension. I don’t like that either and what I've taken to doing is to raise my arms to disengage the armpit cushions and then scooching down (by lifting my knees slightly) till I can shift my ankles out of their restraints.

I've only been using this for a week but it is fantastic. Easy to adjust to fit different heights.I had an incline table previously and never liked hanging upside down and it took up way too much room. By taking the arm and foot holds off on this I can store it under the bed.I've had traction at physical therapy and this feels very similar. For all the negative reviews out there that talk about a jolt when you hit the release, these people are not reading and following the instructions. It clearly says to disengage your arms first before pushing the release lever.Using this once per day has allowed me to wake up without my back being tight and some days painful for the first time in almost 15 years.The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because the bench is pretty stiff. A little bit of padding would go a long way.

As someone who was desperate to find a solution to my debilitating sciatica due to a sudden weightlifting injury and a resulting bulge in L4 L5, I decided to invest in this machine first, thinking it will be a “gradual” step in the right direction.Well, there is nothing gradual about it. I’ve done my share of research, read everyone’s reviews (positive & negative) and thought I was prepared to tackle this thing carefully and ease into a few minutes of daily use. The first day I did it was awesome - I stretched both on my back and then flipped over to my stomach. I had no issues and felt an immediate improvement in my back and leg symptoms.Then the next day, all excited by progress made in prior day I decide to take it up a notch. I went straight on my back and decided to add a bit of an extra stretch this time around by pulling the level 5 or so times. I felt a very intense pulling sensation. I stayed in it thinking it was helping me. I stayed in it for a few minutes. Then I had a bit of an issue getting out of the stretch and had to do some wiggling (as I don’t think the level releases abruptly in this newer model unlike what people describe was the case in previous models). I didn’t think much of it and continued on with my day.This time I felt very different. My legs felt super loose and wobbly and I figured I’d just give it some time as I know my body tends to be very sensitive to any kinds of changes or sudden manipulations and sometimes does crazy things, which I’m used to by now. I then decided to go for a low-impact (Barre) workout class later in the evening. Everything seemed to be going fine until the very end of class where we got to the abs part, at which point I started to feel a sharpish lower abdominal pain and a pulling sensation in my groin. It’s two days later and I still have mild pain in this area. I am starting to get concerned I got a hernia thanks to that extremely deep stretch earlier in that day from this machine which probably created a micro tear in my ah muscles, followed by a workout that pushed the whole thing further.So in summary, my left leg and sciatica on that side feels a lot better, but I have a potential hernia to worry about along with this still weird wobbly feeling on my right leg and what feels like a newly acquired mild sciatica on that side along with some numbness and tingling in both legs. It’s crazy how a quick session on this thing can do so much damage in one sitting. I spent 3-5 minutes on it that day and this is the damage that I am left with.Needless to say I will no longer be using this machine. And I hope my leg sensations go back to normal eventually. Like if it’s that easy to mess up our spine then that’s a whole other issue.For those who are curious about this machine, I think it has its benefits. Just really make sure you ease into it and don’t overstretch (I think almost no one in the earlier reviews stressed that part). I believe lying on your stomach may be a bit safer, and really don’t stretch yourself so much that it’s hard to wiggle out of it as this is what happened to me. Really take your time to gradually get to know the inner workings of this machine & how it operates. Try to have another person there helping you in case you are having a hard time releasing the stretch. As careful as I was, I still got injured. And if you have major back issues, I would completely advise against using this.

This device is ingenious! My one recommendation though is that it needs some kind of waist harness. I feel like my butt does not slide easily on the bench which means that the stretch is mostly isolated to be between pelvis and ankles (my legs). What I really want is a spinal stretch/decompression.If there were a harness to wrap around my waist with straps to attach to the ankle piece then I feel like it would directly pull my pelvis and cause my buttocks to slide.Otherwise, it could use some kind of slip surface underneath my butt to enable better sliding.Also, I find that if I lie facing down then it does produce a spinal decompression, but only between my T10 to S5. I'd really like the stretch to go all the way up to my T2.