Hi I was recently asked if there are any contraindications to performing tasks while being suspended upside down for up to 10 min. I searched the literature and found that sympathetic nervous system is activated, and that cerebral blood flow seems to actually be mildly reduced. In these studies, all subjects were reported as "healthy" but there was no mention of any medical conditions that would have been considered as contraindications.
Personally, I might be worried about previous retinal detachment or cerebral bleed, but can't think of anything else, and nothing that would really be found on physical examination. If anyone has some ideas or experience, please let me know what is typically screened for in these subjects. Ian Shrier MD, PhD, Dip Sport Med, FACSM Associate Professor, Dep't of Fam Med, McGill University Past-President, Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine Check out: www.casm-acms.org<http://www.casm-acms.org/> SKYPE name: ian.shrier Centre for Clinical Epidemiology Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research Jewish General Hospital 3755 Cote Ste-Catherine Rd Montreal, Qc H3T 1E2 Tel: 514-340-7563 Fax: 514-340-7564
