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.Pressure points are any area on body (usually the surface) that are sensitive to pressure. Some people suffering from fibromyalgia experience tender trigger points, and thus are on a constant lookout to help relieve the pain of these tender spots. Sleeping on the wrong mattress can result in pressure point discomfort too — and a night of tossing and turning, a morning awakening of aches and pains, and a day feeling tired and not at your best. Selecting the best mattress for pressure points so you can sleep involves choosing a mattress that distributes your body weight evenly.“If the mattress is too firm, it will push on those main pressure points and take you out of alignment,” Arya Nick Shamie, MD, associate professor of orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery at Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center said to WebMD.
“If it’s too soft, those pressure points won’t be properly supported, so your whole body flops back.” Both of these scenarios can lead to an achy morning.Let’s take a look at a few types of mattresses and how they can be helpful (or not) for people suffering from sensitive pressure points.Because each coil in a spring mattresses bounces back, it may give the illusion that it would be comfortable for sensitive pressure points. In reality though, the coils spring back evenly with the same force, thereby putting pressure on tender areas of the body. For this reason, spring mattresses cannot spread your body weight evenly, leaving those tender points aggravated more easily.A good quality memory foam mattress (and the key term here is “good quality”) can help to distribute body weight evenly. Airplane seats, soles of shoes, and football helmets have used memory foam for better comfort and shock absorption. Even hospital bed pads have been made with memory foam to help patients prevent bed sores.
Memory foam springs back slowly and gradually returns to its original shape.That said, some memory foam mattresses, unlike latex, rely on a person’s body heat for its shaping, molding and conforming effects. Therefore, to benefit from their pressure-point-relieving properties, look for a high-density foam that contains an airflow system designed to allow a constant flow of air for keeping you cooler as the best foam mattress to select for pressure point relief.While a memory foam mattress relies on your body’s heat to gradually adapt to your body’s shape, latex practically instantly conforms to your body’s shape. It does this without relying on the heat of your body to do so. For this reason, latex is well-known for not “sleeping hot” as opposed to other mattress types.Ultimately, the best mattress for pressure points depends on whether you like the gradual spring back that a memory foam mattress provides or the quicker spring back of a latex mattress. Both can provide relief from tender pressure points.