last updated: Feb 17, 2017You know how annoying back pain can be. It hurts and it affects every waking moment.So finding a mattress to address your back pain is a life-changer.Since pro athletes use our mattresses for rest and recovery, people are always asking us which Essentia mattress would help their back pain.You may be asking yourself, is changing my mattress the best place to start?"The answer is YES, 8 hours per night will make or break your back!You'll want to look for a mattress with the follow 3 Attributes.1) proper support2) spinal alignment3) pressure point relief.That's what addresses persistent upper and lower back pain as well as shoulder and neck pain. LatexMemory FoamNatural Memory Foam Made using certified organic & natural components, no metals. Reduced VOC exposure, not exposed to harmful chemicals. Heat dissipates through the mattress and away from the body. Eliminates negative space, ideal for proper spinal alignment. Eliminates numbness and soreness.
Evenly distributed body weight allows for increased blood circuThe truth is, all Essentia mattresses are pretty amazing but some outperform others in terms of back support and back pain relief.In fact, the Dormeuse and Beausommet are tied for first since they offer similar performance but address 2 difference body types. If you have a pronounced lower back arch you'll need the Dormeuse. Little to no arch and you're looking at the Beausommet. If you suffer from:- Upper or Lower Back Pain - Shoulder or Neck Pain - Cervical Spondylosis, or Arthritis of the Neck - Pinched Nerve - Muscle Strain - Spinal Stenosis - Spondylolisthesis - Cervical Kyphosis - Scoliosis - Kyphosis - Whiplash InjuryOur top-of-the-line Dormeuse (softer) & Beausommet (firmer) mattress could help you get a better night's sleep. People who suffer from back injuries related to car accidents have called to thank us for these mattresses. Neck pain alone can often be resolved with one of 3 Essentia support pillows.
Top 5 Tips to Choosing a Back Pain Mattress1) Is a Firm Mattress really better for your back?You might be confusing firmness with support; recent studies show that maximum support and back pain relief are provided by a medium-firm mattress.According to a recent survey, 95% of orthopedic surgeons said they believed a mattress plays a role in lower back pain management. 31 million Americans have suffered from acute or chronic back pain.2) Again, Avoid Firm Mattresses!!!For all you stubborn folks, according to this study published in the British medical journal, The Lancet, researchers found that patients suffering from back pain were twice as likely to report improvement when sleeping on a medium-firm mattress as opposed to those patients who slept on a firm mattress.The trial involved 313 adults with chronic lower back pain and backache. As a part of the study, the subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. The first group slept on a medium-firm mattress instead of their normal mattress and the second group on a firm mattress.
When compared to the patients who slept on a firm mattress, patients who slept on the medium-firm mattresses reported reduced incidents of back pain in bed, reduced back pain upon rising from their bed, and reduced back pain related to disability. The study results indicated that a medium-firm mattress provides a better balance between back support and comfort for lower back pain than a firm mattress.Contrary to popular belief, sleeping on a mattress that is too firm exerts additional pressure on the back, resulting in more back pain for some patients. So the best mattress for a bad back is a medium-firm.3) Price Doesn't Equate to QualityWhen you're buying a car you can often relate the price tag with the quality of the product. That's not really the case when it comes to mattresses.Finding a mattress that will help your back pain doesn't have to be an expensive proposition. Going with a natural latex mattress or memory foam mattress is a great start. Avoid spring mattress because this is typically where you'll get swindled.4) Body Type MattersTop heavy or bottom heavy, 5 feet tall or 6’5, many factors need to be taken into consideration.
The decision of a soft, medium or firm mattress doesn't apply. It depends entirely on your body type and the level of support you need. 5) Know What Needs AddressingWhy do you have back pain? That's the question you need to ask yourself and seek professional opinion if needed. It's often a combination of things from sitting most of your day to bad posture to weak muscles. A great mattress can only do so much. Learn your weaknesses and address it head on.For more information, please visit our Learning Center.28% of My Patients With Severe Low Back Pain Have This Problem. Laura has a Grade II Spondylolisthesis and tried every treatment possible. She was "exhausted" from the pain and told by several surgeons that she needed a fusion. She found a better answer. When it comes to our bodies, we count on few things to last--not our hair color, height or even body composition. But, is it too much to expect our vertebrae to stack properly upon one another, without sliding forward a bit too far or hanging off the vertebrae below it?
I suppose it is for about 6% of us. When it does, we call it a Spondylolisthesis (Latin: a slipping vertebra). While many “Spondylo People” live their lives with little difficulty, about a third find it necessary to move on to surgery (with varying results). When it's in the lower spine, patients often complain of low back pain made worse from being on their feet too long, turning in bed and repetitive bending. When the "Spondylo" is in the neck, many complain their heads feel too heavy. In either area, spondylolisthesis can lead to pain shooting down the extremities and is usually associated with disc damage. Actually, the entire vertebra doesn’t usually slide forward, just the front half, often breaking at a thin, stress point, called the Pars Interarticularis (see figure on the left). The break most often occurs from a fall on the buttocks usually as a kid. Typically, the pain is short lived and the parents never know of the injury. With time, the fracture usually fills in with tough, fibrous tissue.
Sometimes a spondylolisthesis causes chronic back pain, and sometimes not. The back half of the spine may slide slightly backward. When this occurs, a slight “bump” can be felt when massaging that part of the back. The Pars Interarticularis is the weakest part of the spine and most prone to fracture, because it connects the front and back halves of our spine and is made of cartilage. It takes years, after we’re born, to fully calcify and become bone. In fact, sometimes (even without a trauma) the two halves don’t properly unite due to a lot of bending or heavy lifting when we are young. This is called a Spondylolysis. If the front half slides forward, it’s called a Spondylolisthesis. Genetics seem to play a factor, since one has a up to a 5 times greater chance of developing a “Spondylo” if a relative already has one. Spondylolistheses is also related to another, genetically based, spinal abnormality called a Spina Bifida Occulta (normally occurring about 15% of the time).
The figure on the left illustrates how, in these people, the back or posterior portion of their spine, called the lamina and spinous processes, never form. In fact, hair often grows on the skin directly over it. Since the ligaments that stabilize the spine attach to these missing pieces, their absence causes instability and may lead to slippage--creating a Spondylolisthesis. Statistics bear this out. Those with a Spondylolisthesis have up to five times the Spina Bifida Occultas than does the average person. It’s not always the child falling on his “behind” that get’s a spondylo. So do teenagers (especially during an intense growth spurt). The elderly may develop it from arthritis and disc disease. The degeneration, even without a fracture, may allow slippage. Repetitive weight lifting, forward or backward bending, gymnastics, deep squats and dead lifts are all known causes. Anything excessive in frequency or intensity can cause the pars to fracture or degenerate, causing the spine to slip forward.
Hormones are occasionally blamed for this condition, since Spondylos occurs twice as frequently in males as females. But, since boys more frequently engage in contact sports, the hormone theory isn't a "slam dunk." Although this condition usually affects our lower backs, it can also affect our necks—usually from a car accident or severe arthritis. Stabilization in the neck is essential and Spondylos in the neck and low back must be treated by doctor specifically trained in treating this condition. So, I Know What It Is and Why It Occurs, But How Do I Treat It? The first and most important thing to find out is whether the Spondylolisthesis is unstable. Most are not, but when it is—it’s best treated surgically. It’s simple to find out, yet is often overlooked. I’ve seen many, many spondylolisthesis patients who’ve been told they needed a fusion, when, in fact, they didn’t. The doctor simply needs to take a side view x-ray (called a lateral view), while the neck or back is completely bent forward and backward.
If the vertebra with the “Spondylo” slides more than 4-5 mm from one position to the other, it’s considered unstable and will probably respond better to a fusion. But, if it slides less that 4-5 mm, it nearly always responds better to proper, conservative care by a specialist trained at non-surgical Spondylo treatment. The treatment includes strengthening the stabilizing muscles, in the correct ratio, mobilizing and correcting the alignment of the adjacent vertebrae and correcting faulty movement patterns that have developed unconsciously. Here are a few more things you should know: Most cases of Spondylolistheses don't require surgery and are best helped by conservative treatment. As you know, we have a nationally known Spinal Stenosis and severe disc disorder clinic. We fully understand all the non-surgical methods of treating this condition and know when surgery is, and is not, your best option. Click here to read about The Research Performed at The Morris Spinal Stenosis and Disc Center On The Non-Surgical Treatment of Spinal Stenosis and Severe Disc Disease (28% had Spondylolisthesis)