Everyday Solutions are created by Everyday Health on behalf of our partners. More InformationEveryday SolutionsBack Pain Management GuideIf you have chronic back pain or want to avoid it, the right mattress — not too hard, not too soft — is essential. These tips can help you select the best one. ThinkstockWe spend about a third of our lives asleep, so the right mattress is important. And if you have chronic back pain, the best mattresses for back pain relief are those that give your spine just the right amount of support, in all the crucial areas.“Any time our bodies are in the same position for more than 20 minutes, we ‘mold’ to that position a little bit more, so it’s important to spend 7-9 hours per night in a position that’s appropriate for what’s going on with your back” says Suzanne Tamlyn, DC, chiropractor and owner of Hudson Valley Whole Life Center in Newburgh, New York.To understand how to maintain the proper mechanics of your spine, you need some spinal anatomy basics.
Your spine supports your head, keeps your body upright, allows you the flexibility to bend and twist, and protects your spinal cord. Your spine has three sections and three normal, gentle curves that need to be supported when you are standing as well as when you are sleeping.Your cervical spine includes seven vertebrae, supports your head, and has a C-shaped curve. Your thoracic spine includes 12 vertebrae, supports your upper body and has a reverse C-shaped curve. Your lower back, or lumbar spine, is your back's foundation, includes five vertebrae, and also has a C-shaped curve. If you don’t maintain these curves, you increase the stress on the bones and muscles of your back, and that can lead to chronic back pain.Best Mattress Type for Back Pain“The best advice I could give is the ‘Goldilocks Method’ — not too hard, and not too soft,” says Dr. Tamlyn.Try these tips to help find the right mattress for you:Support. Mattresses for back pain must support the heaviest parts of your body where the natural curves are located.
These areas are the head, the shoulders, and the hips. Don't forget that you also need a good pillow to support your head.Back pain and bed selection. It's not just about the mattress. You also need a good bed foundation. Putting a new mattress for back pain on an old, worn-out bed spring is not a good idea. Most mattresses work best with a matching foundation or box spring.There are many mattress options, including springs, foam, water, and air. Any of these can work as a mattress for back pain, but you really can't tell what feels best for you until you lie down and try it. Generally, however, memory foam mattresses are able to reduce pressure points better than other types of mattress, according to the American Sleep Association.And it’s not all about the mattress, either. “Finding the appropriate pillow is also key to keeping great spinal hygiene while sleeping,” says Tamlyn. You can also try keeping a pillow between your legs when lying on your side or under your knees when lying on your back to help alleviate back pain.
When Do You Need a New Mattress?When it comes to mattress shopping, “usually, you get what you pay for,” says Tamlyn. “If you have a quality mattress and no underlying spinal dysfunction, you can sleep on it for many years without issue. But it’s rare that no one has some kind of spinal dysfunction.”Here are a few rules of thumb for knowing when it’s time to replace your mattress:The lifespan of your mattress depends on the kind of use your mattress gets, but you should evaluate your mattress for quality and support at least every 7 years, according to the Better Sleep Council. If you start waking up with aches and pains, especially chronic back pain, it is probably time to go shopping.Your mattress support needs may change over time. As you get older, you may need more support, as the spine experiences degenerative changes over time.Since the changes in your mattress occur gradually over time, it is a good idea to try out a new mattress after a few years to compare and feel the difference.
Of course, if you are living with chronic back pain, talk to your doctor. It may be more than your mattress. “Getting a postural exam and a set of standing x-rays will give an expert insight into what is best for your spine, so be sure to get evaluated for a customized recommendation,” says Tamlyn.Last Updated: 12/21/2016 7 Bad Habits That Cause Back Pain What Does It Mean to ‘Throw Out Your Back’? Best Exercises for Lower Back Pain Is Your Bag Hurting Your Back?Choosing the best mattress for your individual needs is pivotal to achieving quality, restful sleep for your physical and mental well-being. With proper care, the lifespan of a typical mattress averages between eight and ten years. If your mattress is old or you are experiencing back, hip or neck discomfort from sleeping in your bed, it is time to invest in a new mattress.Purchasing a mattress can be a daunting task, especially with the number of choices and types that are available to you. As you begin your search for a new mattress, familiarize yourself with the different types that are being sold in various price ranges.
It also may be helpful to look online for the best mattress ratings and reviews to help you evaluate your options. According to Consumer Reports magazine, the best mattress is the one you find most comfortable and supportive, and the only way to know for sure is to try some out.It is important to note that while more expensive mattresses may offer thicker foam, more padding, and/or fancier materials, these enhancements may or may not make a significant difference in how the mattress feels to you.Following is an overview of the basic types of mattresses on the market, which can be found through online retailers or in an array of furniture and bedding stores.Known as the traditional mattress, innerspring mattresses come in a variety of trims and offer an extensive list of comfort and support options. As the name suggests, innerspring mattress cores are manufactured of steel coils or springs. Different mattress companies will engineer springs differently to manipulate the sleep surface's firmness, comfort and support characteristics.
Innerspring technology has been around for centuries, allowing manufacturers to fine-tune mattress-building into a near science. This allows consumers to choose from a wide range of options to find the best mattress to address their needs for support and comfort.Innerspring mattresses come in all price ranges. They can be the least expensive option – as well as among the most expensive choice. To get a better understanding of just how wide the pendulum can swing when it comes to these mattresses, it is worth digging a little deeper into the three most popular types of coil systems described below.Bonnell Coil - This type of coil is shaped like an hour-glass and represents the cheapest and longest-running coil type used in mattress manufacturing. The Bonnell Coil can be easily damaged or worn out and there is a high incidence of sagging reported among owners. Continuous Coil - The continuous coil is a single wire system weaved into hundreds of interconnected coils. This system helps to extend the mattress life and reduce the incidence of premature sagging.
Pocket Coil - Pocket coils are independent coils that are individually encased in fabric, foam or other material. This type of coil system provides varying and appropriate levels of support to different areas of the body (such as the head, chest, hips or ankles) based on weight.Of course, different mattress manufacturers may offer variations of the above in order to present a unique product that sets their brand apart from competitors.Memory foam mattresses have experienced a surge in popularity in recent years. These highly engineered mattresses are manufactured using synthetics, foams and chemicals. In their most basic form, a memory foam mattress will consist of a thick base foam layer that is not unlike many of the foams used in seats or packaging.The top layer of the mattress is where you would find the actual memory foam. Made using technology developed by NASA (hence the name "space age memory foam" that is often used), this comfort layer is thinner than the base layer. It is designed to provide body contouring characteristics, heat retention and superior support.
Since memory foam material is highly flammable, mattresses are engineered with fire retardants and other chemicals for safety protection. However, those chemicals often leave an odor that is present when the packaging is removed on new mattresses. The smell usually disappears within a couple of days.By design, memory foam retains body heat. As a result, some users complain about being hot during the night because of the mattress. Others find them to be the best mattress on which they've slept.For the most part, memory foam mattresses are less expensive than luxury innerspring mattresses, contributing to their popularity. Manufactured from the sap extracted from the rubber tree, latex foam mattresses offer many of the same comfort and support qualities of memory foam mattresses but with two important distinctions: they are more natural (therefore less chemicals) and they do not retain as much body heat. As a result, latex foam mattresses are popular among buyers who suffer from scent hyper-sensitivities, as well as people who consider themselves "hot sleepers.”
There are two basic types of Latex Foam: Dunlop and Talalay. Both begin as the same sap from the same tree. Talalay latex adds two steps more to its processing life than Dunlop latex, and this is what makes Talalay more expensive.In terms of overall quality, experts argue that neither makes the best mattress since the additional steps in Talalay latex simply add to its range of surface-firmness. Those extra steps, however, make it less dense and durable than Dunlop latex.Airbeds offer adjustable settings that allow users to customize the comfort and support of their mattress by pumping air into chambers for a firmer sleep experience or releasing air from those chambers to achieve a softer sleep surface. best mattressSome airbeds are designed with the capability to adjust the firmness of each side of the bed separately. This makes them among the best mattress options for couples who have different mattress preferences.When most people think of waterbeds, they think of the 1980's when owners filled a matress-sized “bladder” full of water and placed it inside a bed frame.
Those old-school mattresses were trendy, but they provided poor support, little comfort and no motion-cancelling qualities.Thankfully those days are part of the past. Today's waterbeds replace the traditional mattress core with water, allowing some degree of firmness control. as well as temperature control on some models. These "new" waterbed mattresses offer good structural support and can last a long time with proper care.One of the least expensive bedding options for shoppers is the futon. Extremely comfortable, many futons offer the same benefits as higher priced memory foam and latex mattresses by providing excellent back support. Today's futon mattresses are manufactured using a variety of "fill," including cotton, wool, foam and synthetics.Since they are lightweight, futons make excellent beds for students or people who move frequently. Futons typically need to be replaced more frequently, as they are not made with the same structural support characteristics as other mattress options.