#1 in Sleep Product Research Millions Served Since 2008 Ratings > Mattresses and Bad Back Problems Unbiased Comparisons Based on 22,478 Owner Experiences Some mattresses perform significantly better than others in preventing / relieving pain, including back, hip and shoulder pain. Before discussing which are best, three interrelated terms are important to understand: support, conforming ability, and firmness. Support refers to how well a mattress keeps the sleeper's body on a flat and level plane. Owner experience data shows that support is a key factor in preventing and alleviating pain, especially back pain. Support can be undermined by excessive softness and excessive firmness – but it is most often undermined by sagging of the mattress. Sagging is the top complaint of mattress owners overall with at least 30% reporting a significant problem. Sagging occurs when part of a mattress, usually the middle, becomes compressed and lower than the rest.
Sagging often puts a person's spine into an unnatural position – especially for side and stomach sleepers. Consequently, mattress owner experience data shows a clear connection between sagging and pain, especially back pain. The greater the sagging depth the more likely it is that sagging will cause a person to have discomfort or pain in bed and possibly out of bed. * especially for side and / or stomach sleepers. It should be noted that despite the fact that back pain for many people may occur with less than 1.5 inches of sagging depth, many mattress warranties cover sagging only if it has a depth greater than 1.5 inches. Conforming ability refers to how well a mattress conforms or molds to the contours and curves of a person's body. A mattress has good conforming ability if all of one's body is supported equally by the mattress. A lack of conforming ability means there are gaps in support. The result can be that at least one part of the body – such as the lower back – is placed in an unsupported, unnatural and therefore stressed position which can cause pain.
A lack of conforming ability also often results in some parts of the body – namely shoulders and hips of side sleepers – feeling more pressure than other parts because of unequal support. Such pressure can be a source of significant discomfort. Having the right firmness is an important factor in preventing / relieving pain. Learn more: Mattress Firmness Guide & Comparison. The graph below shows the pain-relieving ability of the different mattress types based on actual owner experiences. The types that are better at reducing (back, hip and shoulder) pain are more supportive, less likely to sag and more likely to have effective conforming ability. Keep in mind that the chart represents what is often but not always the case; model or individual mattress may go against these findings somewhat. Sagging and loss of support (barring mechanical breakdown) is usually less of a problem with airbeds compared to most other bed types. And the air chambers inside an airbed provide at least fair conforming ability and allow for adjustable firmness / support to suit personal preference and sleep position.
Airbeds, however, with little or no comfort layer can be too firm on hips and or shoulders of small- to average-sized side sleepers. While memory foam mattresses can develop problems (sagging, excessive softness, and loss of support) these problems tend to not be as common or serious as they can be with innerspring-based mattresses (memory foam's main competition). Memory foam also provides good conforming ability for average- to large-sized people. Firmness levels tend to be mostly medium to medium-firm. Smaller-sized people may experience excessive pressure points as they tend to not exert adequate pressure on the mattress to benefit from the foam's conforming ability. Latex can develop body impressions and soften to some extent, but these problems tend to not cause widespread pain problems. Latex often conforms moderately to the body. Firmness tends to be medium to firm (but soft varieties are available). Hybrid mattresses often provide above-average support, but such support breaks down for at least 18% of owners within three years due to sagging.
Conforming ability tends to be good if at least two inches of memory foam is present. A variety of firmnesses are available. While waterbeds are often highly conforming, their support is questionable. At least 15% of owners claim that their waterbed causes back pain because of poor support. Firmness can be adjusted somewhat by adding or removing water. Innerspring mattresses often provide at least fair support, but such support breaks down for at least 20% of owners within three years due to sagging. Models with a significant comfort layer often provide fair conforming ability, while models with a minimal comfort layer often provide poor conforming ability especially for small- to average-sized people. Futon mattresses offer mostly fair support and conforming ability. Futons tend to be more firm than soft. While mattress support, mattress conforming ability, and mattress firmness are crucial factors for preventing / relieving pain, they are not the only factors. One's choice of pillow is important as well.
If your pillow – specifically its loft or height – is not compatible with your mattress – specifically its firmness level – then neck, upper spine, head and shoulder discomfort or pain are possible. See our pillow loft guide and calculators to learn how much loft may be best for you.Best Mattress for Back Pain Best mattress for back pain Sleep Number beds or medium-firm mattresses may help ease pain According to the National Institutes of Health, back pain is one of our society's most common medical problems. It's estimated that about 8 in 10 Americans suffer from chronic or occasional back pain. If you're one of them, can the right mattress choice help ease your suffering? Absolutely, sleep experts say. And while most don't recommend specific brands or models, they do recommend that back-pain sufferers follow a few general tips. finds that a medium-firm mattress is best for sore backs. According to this website, a medium firmness provides both support and conformity, which appears essential to relieving or preventing back pain;
by contrast, a firm mattress won't offer enough conformity, while a soft mattress won't provide enough support. point out that it's important to balance back pain relief with overall comfort. If a mattress is too firm, your back may feel better, but you may suffer from joint or pressure point pain. They agree that a medium firm mattress may be the best choice to find that balance. also suggests that an adjustable bed may provide relief. The website notes that ideally the upper body should be positioned at an incline of 30 to 45 degrees, and the knees should be supported so they slightly bend. "The combination of upper body incline and the knee support can help take some of the stress off the lower back," according to this website. If you think an adjustable bed might help you find pain relief, especially if you sleep with a partner who doesn't suffer with back pain and wants a different firmness level, the best choice may be an adjustable air mattress like the Sleep Number Bed .
, adjustable air mattresses are far superior at easing all kinds of pain. In particular, Sleep Number beds earn very good ratings for side sleepers, excellent ratings for back sleepers, and overall top ratings for durability. The Sleep Number brand is also one of the top-rated mattress brands overall. Owners praise the comfort and adjustability of Sleep Number mattresses, and quite a few note that their new mattress has relieved pain and/or improved sleep quality. Many also say that buying a Sleep Number bed has resolved partner quibbles over what type of bed to buy, or the necessity of buying a soft bed and adding a board or padding to one side to increase firmness, or vice versa. The downside to Sleep Number beds is that they tend to be pricey, and may not be necessary if you're not sharing your bed. Fortunately, many other mattress brands, such as Simmons Beautyrest, Sealy Posturepedic (Est. $600 and up) and Tempur-Pedic (Est. $1,700 and up) make memory foam mattresses in a wide range of firmness levels.