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.By Sally Ann Quirke | When suffering from hip pain at night - first determine the cause of your hip pain. Then, eliminate the cause and there is around an 80% chance that you will then be ok. A few years ago, I suffered a couple of poor nights sleep due to severe right hip pain. Now, I frequently see clients who have this complaint at my clinic - but suffering it myself has helped me to explain both why it happens, and what you need to do to get rid of it! Regarding my own episode, the interesting thing was that - within minutes of getting out of bed my hip pain was disappearing, and by 11 a.m. it was gone - but I was left wondering would my hip pain return again that night? The answer was no - it did not!
But that was because I knew what to do to prevent it from re-occurring night after night. If you are suffering from hip pain at night, you need to determine cause of your hip pain (get the help of a physiotherapist), eliminate the cause and there is around an 80% chance that you will then be ok. Hip pain at night is common. However, if you have hip pain at night AND during the day then you may need to read further than just this article. But if you are suffering with hip pain at night only, I hope the following words will help you greatly! Firstly, let’s look at the common causes of hip pain at night. With each cause, we will look at the general treatments and solutions required to reduce the chances of your hip pain from re-occurring. Poor mattresses: Often a cause of hip pain at night, particularly in patients who sleep on their side, or on a mattress that is either too hard or too soft for their posture type. If your spine and hips are not supported correctly as you sleep they will become strained and painful.
This is often the cause, when you change position and find that your hip pain will disappear. If this is your complaint, try sleeping in another bed and see if it eases your hip pain. I would also recommend that you look at your mattress. Be aware, there is no ‘one size fits all’ mattress for hip pain. Some are better than others but it is very much down to your back type and posture. So, seek professional help regarding your posture type, and the type of mattress that best supports your posture, before you open your cheque book! I recently had a client who spent 3000 euro on a bed and having assessed her symptoms, it was clear that the new bed was cause of her back and hip pain! As you can imagine, my diagnosis was not very popular! Stiff lower back: If your lower back is stiff, then excess strain may be placed on your hip joint at night when lying in certain positions. You also may have hip and lower back pain at the same time. Correcting the internal movement in your lower back with the help of a therapist will resolve your hip pain fully.
Osteoarthritis: Is where there is wear and tear in your hip joint, and is a common condition in the over 50’s age group. If aggravated it becomes inflamed and inflammation pain is often worse at night. Reducing the inflammation is the key with arthritic hip pain. Use stretching exercises alone (as guided by your physiotherapist), or with anti-inflammatory medication when your pain is severe. Tight muscles: Around your hip and lower back can result in excess strain being placed on your hip in certain lying positions. Stretching these muscles will help your hip pain at night to disappear. Again, seek professional advice on getting suitable stretching exercises for hip pain. Bowel problems: Can refer pain into the hip area. So if you are having bowel problems with or without night time hip pain, seek immediate medical advice. So consider some of the potential causes of your hip pain at night and look to see how you can address it. In my case, I resolved my hip pain through exercises and had to change my mattress.