The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) recommends your mattress should support your body weight evenly, without gaps between your mattress and your body. However, there is no "one size fits all" type of bed, and choosing the best bed for your back depends on your preferences and condition. You may need to change beds if you gain or lose a lot of weight, become pregnant or change sleeping partners. If you sleep with a partner, an adjustable mattress may be best for your back because you can each select a firmness level. A bed that is too firm can increase pressure on parts of your body, decreasing your quality of sleep and making you wake up sore. Too-soft beds don't support your back properly, and your spine won't be aligned and rested as you sleep, cautions J. Talbot Sellers, D.O., of the spine-health website. A 2008 study performed by Harvard researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that people who could customise their mattress firmness to suit them slept better and experienced less back pain and soreness.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders states that people with back pain should sleep on their sides on a firm surface. Sellers stresses that since choosing the best bed for your back is a matter of personal preference, you should test a mattress in the store. Buy from a store that has a return policy if you're not comfortable sleeping on it after two or three weeks. Ron Miller, PT, writing on the spine-health website, suggests that adjustable beds—also called semi-Fowler beds—can be very comfortable for people with back problems such as spinal stenosis or osteoarthritis in the spine, or after back surgery. Similar to some hospital beds, you can raise or lower an adjustable bed so your upper body is raised to 30 to 45 degrees. Put a pillow under the backs of your knees to keep them slightly bent and your spine at a natural curve and take pressure off your lower back. The Better Sleep Council suggests other options to a traditional box spring mattress. Futons are often quite firm, as well as being affordable and versatile since they can function as both a sofa and a bed.
Inflatable air mattresses can be filled to your comfort level, as soft or as firm as you like. Foam mattresses come in a variety of styles, from memory foam which molds itself to your body as you sleep, to layered or textured foam. Water beds are now designed to look and feel more like a traditional mattress, providing better support and insulation compared to the sloshing waterbeds of the 1970s. Gain 2 pounds per week Gain 1.5 pounds per week Gain 1 pound per week Gain 0.5 pound per week Maintain my current weight Lose 0.5 pound per week Lose 1 pound per week Lose 1.5 pounds per week Lose 2 pounds per week Mattresses & Back Pain The Best Mattress for Large Heavy Side Sleepers Recommended Mattresses for Children How to Alleviate Hip Pain in Pregnancy by Sleeping on the Side Are Memory Foam Mattresses Good for Your Back? How to Lengthen Your Spine With Sleeping Positions What Firmness of Mattress Is Best for a Toddler?
How Do I Know What Type of Mattress Is Best for Me? Exercises After ACDF Surgery for a Stiff Back With Lower Back Pain Hip Problems After Pregnancy Exercises Exercise & Lack of Sleep The Effects of Sleeping on Your Back While Pregnant Sleeping Positions to Reduce Back & Hip Aches Causes, Risk Factors and Prevention of Back Pain Ways to Incline While You Sleep With a Back Wedge Baby and Bed Bug Bites What Ages Are Toddler Beds Designed For? Leg Strengthing Exercises After Being Bedridden Bed Wetting and Child AbuseEight out of ten people will have back pain at some point in their lives1. Symptoms range from a dull, constant ache to acute, debilitating pain. And since people spend about one-third of their lives in bed, the mattress you use can impact whether or not you suffer from back pain more than almost anything else. That's why so many people are searching for the best mattress for back pain. Scientific studies have proven that getting the right mattress for back pain can improve your symptoms and sleep quality2.
The best mattresses for back pain will evenly support your weight and allow your spine to remain aligned. When looking for the best mattress for back pain, the two main things to consider are its firmness and the materials it's made from. Scientific studies have proven that getting the right mattress for back pain can improve your symptoms and sleep quality.The best kind of mattress for spinal stenosis is one that promotes natural spinal alignment. This differs for individuals, which is why it's important before buying a mattress to lie down on it in your usual sleep position for at least 15 minutes to determine its comfort level. What is known is a medium-firm mattress seems to provide proper support and more comfort to people with lower back pain than a firmer one. But whether that medium-firm mattress should be made of coil, memory foam or latex foam is up to personal preference and comfort. Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the spine in either the lower back or neck area.
For some people with spinal stenosis, an innerspring or coil mattress offers more support than a memory foam mattress. Bedding support is important to help relieve pain caused by spinal stenosis. In particular, innerspring mattresses with offset coils are designed to conform to the body, providing comfortable support. Some innerspring mattresses have pocketed coils that move independently of each other. This allows the coils to react and respond quickly to motion, such as when turning in bed. The best coil innerspring mattress for people with spinal stenosis should have a high number of coils to provide proper support to the spine. With a memory foam mattress, density is important for people with spinal stenosis. Look for memory foam mattresses with high-density foam because it works best in evenly distributing body weight and relieving stress on pressure points such as the lower back. Although memory foam mattresses maintain the natural curve of the spine and improve circulation, some people with spinal stenosis might find it tedious to switch body positions.
That's because high-density memory foam takes longer to respond to shifts in body weight. In these cases, lower density memory foam might be best. A latex foam mattress, whether made from a natural or synthetic blend, provides solid support, especially if the latex is constructed in one solid piece. Latex foam is one of the best mattress choices for spinal stenosis sufferers because it is very effective in reducing pressure points and distributing body weight. More importantly, it recovers quickly to weight shifts from changes in sleeping positions. You May Also Like The wrong mattress can actually contribute to back discomfort instead of offering restful nighttime relief. If you have a bad back, you... People with back pain often avoid exercise. This results in reduced strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. If you have been diagnosed with... Spinal stenosis is an abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal that causes compression or squeezing of the the spinal cord and nerves...