Do You Suffer From Back Pain?
There is nothing more debilitating than back pain, especially when compounded with lack of sleep, and it’s estimated that 50% of people suffer from various degrees of back pain sometime in their life. Many sufferers of back pain can benefit enormously by sleeping on the right mattress, but which one? Until now there was no set solution, but with the advent of memory foam mattresses, many sufferers of back pain are finally getting their first good night’s sleep.
The Answer – A Memory Foam Mattress
Memory foam mattresses are made from a visco-elastic material that was originally developed by NASA. The first company to see the benefits that this new compound offered the sleeper was a small Danish company called Tempur-Pedic. The company experimented and developed this new compound and soon the Tempur Pedic mattress was born. Tempur-Pedic carried out various clinical trials and soon found that memory foam mattresses – as they were soon called – offered support that was vastly superior to conventional mattresses.
Why Is A Memory Foam Mattress Different
Basically, a memory foam mattress is totally different from conventional mattresses. A memory foam mattress, as manufactured by Tempur-Pedic, consists of a solid block of visco-elastic material; there is no ticking, coils or frame. A memory foam mattress responds to heat and body pressure to mould itself to the exact shape of the sleeper’s body. This means that weight is distributed evenly and the correct amount of support is given to each part of the body. A memory foam mattress delivers orthopedically correct alignment of your neck and spine.
Independent research, carried out by the Institution for Clinical & Physiological Research at the Lillhagen Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden, found that the vast majority of the 23,000 patients studied suffered less pain when sleeping on a Tempur-Pedic mattress and experienced greatly enhanced and deeper sleep. And, to date, over 30,000 medical doctors, chiropractors, physiotherapists and osteopaths world-wide recommend the TEMPUR Mattress and Neck Pillow for those who suffer from back pain.
Other mattress manufacturers soon woke up – pardon the pun – to the amazing benefits of memory foam mattresses. Needless to say they now offer their own version.
The TrueForm Posturepedic mattress by Sealy uses memory foam, and is designed to ensure the easing of pressure points to alleviate back pain. The Sealy TrueForm is a proprietary combination of multilayered memory foam.
The International Touch is the memory foam mattress made by Serta. This mattress uses Serta’s patented KoolComfort technology to ensure that the mattress remains cool when in use. It also incorporates a fiber layer to wick away moisture that helps regulate body temperature. This layer is non-allergenic. Finally, Serta claim that their memory foam mattress is up to 30% than their rivals – whether it’s as good is debatable.
To answer; what is the best mattress for back pain is easy: a memory foam mattress. However, memory foam isn’t to everyone’s liking. Memory foam lacks the ‘springiness’ of traditional mattresses. A memory foam mattress feels quite firm initially, before it gradually molds itself to the shape of the sleeper’s body. Sleeping on a memory foam mattress can take a couple of weeks to get use to.
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Sleeping on the wrong mattress can cause or worsen lower back pain. Lack of support from a mattress reinforces poor sleeping posture, strains muscles and does not help keep the spine in alignment, all of which contribute to low back pain.
Sleep comfort is also sacrificed if a mattress does not match one’s individual preferences. A mattress that provides both comfort and back support helps reduce low back pain, allowing the structures in the spine to really rest and rejuvenate during the night.
With the vast variety of mattresses on the market, choosing the right mattress can be difficult. The following practical guidelines are designed to help patients with low back pain choose the best mattress for both back support and sleep comfort.
The Best Mattress for Low Back Pain
1. Personal preference should ultimately determine what mattress is best. There is no single mattress style or type that works for all people with low back pain. Any mattress that helps someone sleep without pain and stiffness is the best mattress for that individual. Patients with low back pain should choose the mattress that meets their standards for comfort and support and allows them to get a good night’s sleep.
2. Understand and inquire about the physical components of the mattress. The coils or inner springs of a mattress provide the support. Different mattresses vary in their number and arrangement of coils. Padding on top of the mattress comes in many different thicknesses. Mattress depths typically range anywhere from 7 to 18 inches deep. Choosing the number of coils, type of padding and mattress depth should be determined by individual preferences.
3. Find a mattress with back support. A good mattress should provide support for the natural curves and alignment of the spine. The right amount of back support also helps the patient avoid muscle soreness in the morning. While there is not much clinical data about mattresses, one study found that medium-firm mattresses usually provide more back pain relief than firm mattresses.
4. Achieve a balance between back support and comfort. Overall comfort while sleeping on the mattress is equally important as sufficient back support. Sleeping on a mattress that is too firm can cause aches and pains on pressure points. A medium-firm mattress may be more comfortable because it allows the shoulder and hips to sink in slightly. Patients who want a firmer mattress for back support can get one with thicker padding for greater comfort.
5. Know when it’s time to get a new mattress. If an old mattress sags visibly in the middle or is no longer comfortable, it is probably time to purchase a new one. Putting boards under a sagging mattress to keep it from sagging in the middle is only a short-term fix for the sagging; a new mattress is still needed.
Choosing the Best Mattress for Lower Back Pain
By: J. Talbot Sellers, DO