Chronic back pain is one the most challenging medical conditions to treat and/or cure – and yet it sends more people to the doctor than sore throats. Sitting all day at a desk or standing in heels wreaks havoc on spinal alignment and most of us don’t exercise enough to undo that damage. Sleep can help heal the abuse we throw at our backs but most of us don’t sleep on a mattress that adequately supports our backs and joints. And when we don’t give our backs the rest they need, mornings can be painful. If you and your mattress have lost that loving feeling, let’s talk about the ways a mattress can hurt your back – and the types of mattresses that can help back pain management and support. Mattress support refers to how well a mattress can maintain an equally level surface for the lighter (head, hands and feet) and heavier (hips and torso) parts of your body. A very soft mattress may be supportive initially buy may fail to support your body equally as time goes on.
In extreme cases, a soft mattress that begins to sag (which often occurs in the center third of the mattress) can result in lower back pain in and out of bed. An important thing to note is that some degree of dipping (in that middle third of your mattress) is a natural occurrence as areas that support the heaviest parts of the body compress over time. While a supportive mattress is important, pay attention to how it conforms to your shape as well. Conformability describes how a mattress molds to the unique curves of your body. A mattress with good conformability attends to heavier and lighter areas equally, which relieves pressure point pain and protects your back from pain. A mattress that lacks conformability can result in lower back pain by forcing it into an unnaturally flat position. Your body is in alignment when the spine is (mostly) straight when lying on your side. When you lie on your back, your spine naturally forms an “S” shape. A supportive, conforming mattress allows your back muscles to relax, which improves healthy blood circulation and reduces tossing and turning.
Mom always said the firmer the mattress, the better and for many years I slept on a mattress that felt more like the sidewalk than a bed. Thanks to those years, my chiropractor and massage therapist enjoy job security. In general, mattresses fall into three categories: Does your mattress offer you the support, conformability and firmness you need to reduce your back pain? Many people confuse firmness with support when they’re shopping for a new mattress – and conformability often never enters the conversation. To minimize pain and discomfort and help your body relax into healing, regenerative sleep, you need a mattress that conforms to your sleeping position while supporting all areas of your body – not an easy task. So how do you find the best mattress for you? Grab your partner (if you don’t sleep alone) and start mattress shopping. By shopping, we mean lying on a lot of mattresses. Talk to lots of sales people – this is their business after all – but be prepared to test mattresses for yourself.
You know how your body feels on a bad mattress, so it makes sense that you’ll also know what feels good. Try these 3 simple rules when shopping: What’s the true cost of a good mattress? If you spent $2,000 on a new mattress and slept comfortably on that mattress for 7 years, the cost of healthy sleep would be $1.27 per night – less than the cost of Starbucks coffee in the morning… If you’re ready for a new mattress, we’d love to help you find the right one for you. Visit our Find a Retailer page and we’ll locate a store close by where you can lie on our mattresses and talk to a trained sales professional.Once we reach 30, back pain is more likely to become part of our life in some for or other. It's an unfortunate truth, and for back pain sufferers, choosing a new mattress can be a particularly agonising decision. Everybody has different demands, requirements, and different ways of sleeping, but here are a few tips to consider that may help you make the right decision.
Many people have the mistaken belief that a firm mattress is the best thing for a bad back. However, if the mattress is too hard, the spine and muscles will stay tense all night, while a mattress that is too soft will cause your spine to droop like a hammock. Both cases can have painful consequences that are bad for your health. A good mattress should support your spine evenly in a natural position and allow your muscles to relax completely. The mattress should ensure that the weight of your body is distributed evenly when you are lying down. If the mattress is too hard, your body will only be supported in a few places rather than being supported evenly. If the mattress is too soft, it will fail to provide suitable support or it will support you in the wrong places. If you tend to sleep on your back, then your weight is distributed more evenly on a larger surface and a firmer mattress is best for you. The spine needs more support to stay in the correct, natural position.
Side sleepers place more pressure on their shoulders and hips. In this case, a hard mattress is less good, because it hinders the circulation of blood in the areas of greatest pressure, which will cause them to wake up and turn around. The right mattress should be slightly softer, but still provide consistent support for every part of the body. "Skydivers" should have a mattress that responds evenly to the body's shape and weight distribution. A combination of a harder core and softer upper layer is best – it will provide support for the spine and prevent it from curving, while the softer upper layer provides more comfort for the joints and muscles. When you lie down, your mattress should allow the body's weight to distribute evenly across every point it comes into contact with the mattress. Support should mainly be felt in the lumbar region and in the neck and shoulders With most mattresses, the body's weight is focused on one point, e.g. the bottom. Take care to ensure that your mattress gives you even support for your entire body.