Having trouble logging in? Sign up for a free account Get unlimited access on Medscape. There are many causes of back pain and it is important for serious or chronic back pain that you see a qualified medical professional for treatment or advice. This article is not meant to replace professional medical advice. Suffer from back pain? You are not alone! According to the Medical Journal of Australia (2009) up to 80% of Australians will suffer some form of back pain and 10% suffer a serious disability as a result of it. The term ‘back pain’ covers a huge spectrum of disorders, from very serious spinal degenerative conditions, to nerve issues, to the vague ache of your back letting you know that the mattress might be getting a bit long in the tooth (maybe like oneself!). It is a very complicated and personal thing with pain levels ranging from slight to excruciating. There is no single solution for back pain, be it medical treatment or mattress, so we set out to find what type of mattress would be most likely to alleviate typical non-serious lower back pain that many Australians experience.
Traditionally the espoused remedy from orthopedic surgeons and others has been a ‘hard’ mattress. Well, there’s only one problem with that. For most of us, a hard sleep surface is a contradiction in terms of our ability to sleep, regardless of how much good it might be doing elsewhere. Even if it’s helping alleviate back pain, if the hard surface is uncomfortable, you won’t be sleeping anyways! We are by nature creatures of comfort, regardless of what’s ‘best’ for us. We all know our personal choice of comfort foods aren’t strictly following doctors orders! So do we really have to take to the ‘plank’ so to speak and sleep on a girder to help that lower back pain? Well there’s good news, some research around from properly designed medical tests shows that medium-firm mattresses rather than firm mattresses improved back pain symptoms. Phew that’s lucky, no concrete slab required after all! One such test concludes that medium firm mattresses improved pain and disability outcomes among people with chronic non-specific lower back pain.
Research also shows that in addition to a medium firm mattress, the next best thing you can do is to buy a new mattress! The issue here is that for many of us its decades between mattress purchases and quite simply the current mattress isn’t doing the job it once did or should do. Some research shows the average age of mattresses is 9.5 years! Hang on, just think about that – to get an average of 9.5 means for every 1-year-old mattress there’s an 18 year old one, and on average we’ve spent 38 cumulative months on the one mattress! The same research showed that just replacing the old mattress increased sleep quality and reduced back discomfort. The study in question replaced the subject’s current mattress with a medium firm spring mattress. According to scientific research, getting a new mattress, even if your current one is a medium firm feel, is likely to improve back pain and discomfort outcome. So there you have it, a lot of things may cause back pain, but non specific lower back pain in particular can be improved by buying a new medium firm mattress…which begs the question: what are you waiting for?
Today, about 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain ranging from headaches to low back pain. According to a National Institute of Health Statistics survey, low back pain(27%) was the most cited listed out of four common types of pain. The survey also found that Americans between the ages of 20-64 experience frequent back pain on a daily basis. And although about 92% of people agree that a comfortable mattress is important to a restful night’s sleep, many don’t take the time to research or invest in a quality mattress for their back pain. Instead, many people rely on mattress salespeople to direct and guide them to the best mattress for their particular sleep needs. Unfortunately, not all salespeople have your best interest in mind. It’s better to consider asking your doctor first for their recommendations for the best mattress for your back pain. There are several types of mattresses, but the most common ones are innerspring, memory foam, memory foam hybrids, and latex.
Of these four mattresses, innerspring is the most popular – representing over 80% of the mattress market. Mattresses should have three main components: Support, Comfort, and Durability. Innerspring mattresses vary according to the types of coils and materials used. Some are sold at a higher price due to the number of coils used, but there have been no studies that have proven that more coils equate to better sleep. Instead, it’s better to look at the types of coils used in the mattress and the gauge number. If you can’t budget for the other types of mattresses, then choose a medium-firm innerspring mattress. It’s the best bang for your buck, and it meets the criteria of support, comfort, and durability. Memory foam mattresses, short for visco-elastic memory foam, consist of slow, forming foam. Over time, these mattresses have evolved from one comfort feel to a spectrum of squishy soft to very firm. They have grown in popularity mainly due to their ability to conform to one’s unique body shape and provide pressure relief.
If you are weary of sleeping hot, though, these might not be the best option for you. But if you are a fan of very minimal motion transfer, natural alignment and pressure relief on your joints and back then this is a good option for you. Keep in mind though that you might have to save up since these mattresses tend to sell at a much higher price point than innerspring mattresses. Memory foam hybrid mattresses consist of two main components: innerspring and memory foam. If you like the bounce and support of innerspring and the pressure relief that memory foam offers then this is the mattress for you. This mattress comes in many different styles and offers a wide selection of varying comfort levels. They are also very durable because they have a base of innerspring for support. It can be difficult to find the right style for your sleep needs though because there is such a wide selection so make sure to research and familiarize yourself. Since these mattresses tend to sell in the ultra-luxury/luxury category, they can easily run up to $5,000.