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?Recently a friend of mine asked me, “Do you know what is the best mattress for back pain?” She was having a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep because of sciatica and some back problems. I figured the firmest mattress (hard mattress) was probably the best but I really didn't know for sure. To answer her question, I decided to dig into the medical literature to see what was in there about the best mattress for backI went back about 10 years. There aren't a lot of studies on mattresses and back pain.
But there's enough information there to make a And not only was I wrong about what I thought was the best mattress for back pain, but so are a heck of a lot of doctors who deal with back pain. mean better for back pain. In 2003, a study from Spain of 313 adults with chronic low back pain examined the effect of mattresses on their levels of pain while lying in bed...and when getting out of bed. Some of these people got new firm mattresses to sleep on for 90 days and some got new medium-firm mattresses. participants knew which type of mattress they had received. After 90 days, a higher percentage of patients sleeping on the medium-firm mattresses reported: The study states: A mattress of medium firmness improves pain and disability among patients with chronic non-specific low-back A medium-firm mattress provides good support while distributing pressure points on the body when lying in bed. mattress that is too soft is just as bad for low back pain as a mattress that is too firm.
In a 2005 study, The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association pointed out that in a survey, 76% of orthopedic surgeonsAnd most health professionals recommend hard or extra firm mattresses. The problem again is that these types of mattresses decrease the ability of the body to have more contact with the mattress. more pressure on the parts of the body that do touch the mattress. in turn means more pain in bed and getting out of bed. It's a known fact that low back pain significantly affects sleepA study in 2006 (Journal of Chiropractic Medicine) also looked at sleep quality in relation to medium-firm mattresses. The study of 30 women and 29 men showed this: For 28 days, subjects slept in their owns beds. Then they slept in beds with new medium-firm mattresses for 28 days. With this new bedding, there was significant improvement for back pain and stiffness, comfort, and sleep quality. Is it starting to become clear here what the best mattress for back pain is?
A 2008 study in Applied Ergonomics showed that age of and quality of bedding had a major effect on back pain. People sleeping in new beds had significantly less pain and more comfort than when they were sleeping on their older mattresses. The average age of the beds people were sleeping on before getting the new mattresses was 9.5 years. In addition, the study states: It was found that for the cheapest category of beds, lower back pain was significantly more prominent than for the medium and higher priced beds. So let's wrap up this article on the best mattress for back pain with two final studies I uncovered. Below, we'll also take a look at three top choices for where to get the mattress of your dreams. The first study was in Spine. One hundred and sixty people were divided into three groups for a one month test of new mattresses. in group one were given water beds...group two memory foam mattresses...and group three hard mattresses.
People who slept on the water beds and memory foam mattresses had improved back pain symptoms, back function, and sleep quality. mattress types were deemed superior to a hard mattress. were no differences observed between the water bed and the memory foam. Now I don't know about you, but I've slept in a few water beds over the years but never really liked them. I always felt like I was sleeping in a row boat. A 2010 study showed that replacing patients' beds with new medium-firm mattresses, layered with memory foam and latex, provided significant improvement in both back and shoulder pain. Check out this chart below and you'll see what the best mattress for back pain is. As you can see, there is over a 60% drop in back pain and stiffness, resulting in improvement in sleep quality after just one week! And these results continue through week 12. Researchers also mentioned there was a significant drop in the number of days per week that people were experiencing poor sleep and
Obviously, then, if your back gives you fits, the best mattress for back pain is one that has memory foam in it. (Or if you love your water bed, by all means stick with it.) The question then is... Searching around to find a quality mattress is like getting your teeth drilled at the dentist without novocaine. Yes, it's that painful! So I'm going to save you all that trouble. I've searched for hours all over the Internet to bring you three excellent choices of mattress companies. sells America's luxury mattresses for a steep discount. Their prices are unbeatable. And if you don't live in the United States, no problem. Saatva ships their discounted luxury mattresses where you live. After you pick out the items you want on Saatva's website, select International Checkout as your shipping option. They are experts at shipping anywhere in the world. You can read two Saatva customer reviews from Saatva customers in the right column of this page up above. This may be the best mattress company on the Internet.
Click here to go to the Saatva home page. is recommended and was featured on Dr. Oz's TV show and AndersonThey claim to have the world's only truly natural memory foamI must say, these are incredibly pure memory foam mattresses. However, they are expensive. So unless you have a lot of money, I think you can get a much better deal with the third choice below.There’s a new memory foam mattress Loom & Leaf has flipped the world of buying memory foam Now you can get a luxury queen from Loom & Leaf for onlyA similar mattress at Tempur-Pedic would cost you $3,699. Which price would you rather pay? Loom & Leaf mattresses are built in America with American high-grade, non-toxic memory foam. Certified pure by Certi-PUR. They also use a unique medical grade cooling gel. placed in the spinal zone area to keep you cool and comfortable with no When you buy one of these mattresses, you’re not only sleeping well at night…you’re helping to keep the American economy strong.