The resident GP of the Daily Express and a practicing family doctor Why is my topper mattress giving me lower back pain? Q I never had any back problems until I bought a topper mattress. Since then I have developed lower back pain that I have on and off throughout the day. I thought the topper was meant to help the back. I bought it from a reputable supplier and it helps me sleep very well. Do you know why I am experiencing this? I am 42 and have no other health problems. Lower back pain does not always relate to problems with your mattress [] A. You are assuming your new mattress topper is to blame for your back pain but it is quite possible the two are unrelated. The most common cause of back problems is a mild ligament or muscle strain and although this may be triggered by lifting a heavy object it often starts out of the blue. It is unlikely your mattress caused the pain but it may not be helping it to get better. A good mattress should mould slightly to your body so it provides support along the spine.
It should not sag. Very hard mattresses often don’t provide support to the natural curves of the spine and this means they are not ideal for those with bad backs. The best person to sort out the cause of your pain is a qualified physiotherapist who will also be able to give you exercises to help you to stretch any tense muscles and improve your posture. You will probably also benefit from strengthening your tummy muscles as these play an important role in supporting your body frame. Q I am a 56-year-old woman with small bumps underneath the skin of my forehead. They’re not in my pores as they can’t be pressed out. I did manage to get one out and discovered they are small crystals, the size of a pinhead. Can you tell me what causes them and how I can get rid of them? A These sound like milia spots. They are tiny white or cream spots that usually appear around the temples and occasionally on the sides of the eyes and across the cheeks. They are tiny cysts that are filled with keratin – a protein that gives strength to the skin.
Quite why they appear isn’t known but some people are more prone than others. They are not related to diet or skin hygiene and they are neither harmful nor infectious. They are usually hard to squeeze out so can be a cosmetic nuisance. Try holding a hot flannel on to your face as this softens the keratin. Then use an exfoliating facial scrub as this may help take the surface off the spot. Gently squeeze but don’t use bare fingertips – always cover them with a tissue. Don’t squeeze too hard as you risk causing inflammation and scarring. If a spot is really bothering you your GP may be able to deal with it using a sterile needle (don’t ask for this when the surgery is busy). Alternatively a qualified beautician may be able to remove them. Q My five-year-old daughter is constantly ill with coughs, colds and tummy bugs. She never seems to be completely well for more than three or four weeks at a time. I cook healthy meals, give her multivitamins and she spends much of her time playing outside getting lots of fresh air and exercise.
Every time she becomes unwell she makes our baby son ill as well as us. AThis is a familiar tale that I hear from lots of parents. There are more than 200 different viruses that can cause colds and although you become immune to a strain after you have caught it, that leaves another 199 that can make you ill. The time you are most vulnerable to new infections is during your early childhood when you are mixing with others at nursery or school and it is normal for youngsters to get one cold after another, especially during the winter. Gradually they become immune to a larger number of different strains and that means that by the teenage years they are ill far less often. The good news is that your baby son is catching all those bugs now so hopefully he will be immune to a lot of common strains of virus by the time he reaches school. Further to the letter regarding acupressure wristbands (August 11), I discovered they ease my sickness on ships, planes and cars and I wear them nearly all the time.
They also take away the fear of flying as they lower my blood pressure. I too suffer from restless legs (August 4) but have found relief from a cream called Balmosa, used for chilblains and muscular aches and pains. I apply this every night to my legs, especially the area between ankle and knee. l If you have a health question for Dr Rosemary write in confidence to her at Northern & Shell Building, 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EN, or e-mail health@express.co.uk. Dr Rosemary’s reply will appear in this column. She cannot enter into personal correspondence and, due to the volume of letters, she cannot reply to everyone.Does it just sit on top of the mattress or does it have those sides that go down the sides of the mattress and under?by It looks like you are not signed in. To proceed you will need to either sign in or create a new accountSign InDoes it just sit on top of the mattress or does it have those sides that go down the sides of the mattress and under?by It looks like you are not signed in.
To proceed you will need to either sign in or create a new accountSign InHow thick is this on the edge of it?by It looks like you are not signed in. To proceed you will need to either sign in or create a new accountSign InDoes this mattress have a skirt?by It looks like you are not signed in. Memory Toppers Versus Egg-Crate Foam Pads Health Concerns Mattress pad retailers and manufacturers say their toppers can cure a wide range of sleep problems (insomnia, backpain, joint aches, etc). No mattress foam pad can cure these problems but what they can do is help prevent bedsores, bring some pain relief and increase comfort during sleep. This, however, doesn't apply to everyone as we're all different and require sleeping surfaces suited to each and every one of us. But first, here's what you must know about home mattress trials and what makes a good foam mattress. Topper Recommendations from Doctors Many customer say in reviews that memory foam pads have helped them with apnea, fibromyalgia, insomnia as well as back and hip pain.
There are no solid studies to back up these claims which is why doctors reserve judgment and many choose not to recommend memory foam mattress toppers as medical treatment. This doesn't mean that they don't work, it just means scientific proof is yet to be found that they do. Egg crate foam toppers, on the other hand, have been known to receive more endorsement from doctors, especially since many hospitals use this type of pad for recently operated patients. Some doctors even suggest that patients take the egg-crate mattress topper home and continue sleeping on it after being discharged from hospital. The convoluted shape of these foam toppers can prevent and help heal skin ulcers, eliminate bedsores, reduce pressure points, allow air to flow and prevent your body from becoming too hot during sleep (fever is notoriously dangerous for recently operated patients). Low quality egg crate pads, on the other hand, may be dangerous as they are a source of toxic formaldehyde transmissions.
These two types of mattress pads work differently in offering support and comfort. Support is one of the major criteria when buying the right sleeping surface. Visco memory foam toppers provide proper support as long as they are the high-density type, are layered over a firm, flat mattress and is the heat-sensitive type. Egg crate pads, unlike memory toppers, cannot, on their own, offer proper support since they are very light and thin at the dips. It all depends on the kind of mattress they are placed on. The foam pad will offer necessary support and proper neck and spine alignment if placed on top of a firm mattress. Health care specialists say that to be labeled as providing pressure relief, a mattress has to have the pressure of 32mmHg or lower, whereas pressure reduction performance is agreed to occur between 32mmHg and 50mmHg. Good quality visco memory foam toppers like Tempur-Pedic overlays were shown to reduce average pressure to around 15 mmHg from nearly 30 mmHg.
We couldn't find any numbers related to the pressure exerted by an eggcrate mattress pad on the body, but considering its shape and doctor-endorsements, we believe that these toppers do relieve pressure points. Allergy And Topper Choice Just like there are no allergy-free mattresses, there are no regular allergy-free pads (except for the ones manufactured especially for people suffering from allergies). Since egg crate mattress pads are also made of foam, they are just as prone to host dust mites as memory foam toppers are, even though foam is generally not a source of food in itself. The only way to keep dust mites out from your mattress topper, be it the memory foam or egg crate type, is to use dust-mite resistant encasings and covers. When I laid on it, I couldn't imagine anyone wanting memory foam. Once on it, I could barely move and turning over was a real challenge. I also could see how this could get very warm at night. The mattress was firm and soft at the same time (as advertised), and we woke up with our backs feeling all springy and stretched out.
We did notice that the temperature of the bed was warmer than with our old mattress, but taking off one layer of blanket solved that problem. We also could let the house get colder in the winter nights which might save energy, though to be honest, we didn't track it. My wife now sleeps through the entire night. It did not heal her back, it just provides great support to assist her in obtaining a good night's sleep. The material forms/molds to the body like a parent holding an infant child. I tried an egg crate mattress recently with my 9 mo. because she refluxes and has a hard time sleeping. I thought it might help her. My Foam Mattress Has Memory! A Critical Eye On The Latest Mattress Technologies Authenticity TestHow can you check if your purchase as good as a true Tempur-Pedic bed? You can try the wine glass test, the egg test, or the fridge test. Top Memory Foam ComplaintThe most commonly reported problem consumers have with memory foam mattresses is that they sleep hotter when compared to conventional sleeping surfaces.