We feel your (back) pain
Achy back? We’ve all had one at least once. You may have lived with yours for so long that you’ve learned to ignore the pain. It always seems to be the same reasons too – you slept in a weird position, sat at a computer for 9 hours or all that yard work from the weekend is finally catching up to you. But what if it isn’t all those things?
What if your mattress is responsible for your bad back?
If you have any back pain, injury or autoimmune disorder, a good night’s sleep is more powerful and longer lasting than the strongest muscle relaxants. But if your old and sagging mattress is standing between you and the best sleep possible, your back may the victim. Your muscles, ligaments, tendons and disks can only fully rest and relax when you’re sleeping.
Choosing the best mattress for your bad back
If you suffer from back pain, finding a new mattress can be fraught with fear and discomfort. After all, what if you make the wrong choice? But there is a mattress out there that can ease your back pain. Sleep comfort is a personal experience, and the right mattress is an individual preference. What feels good to you may not feel good to your best friend or the sales person – and that’s okay.
When mattress shopping, knowing what to look for can help you choose the best mattress for you and your back. Some things to consider:
- Mattress support – Your new mattress should support the heaviest parts of your body where your natural curves are located (your head, shoulders and hips). The best mattress for you will support your spine at all points while allowing it to maintain its natural curves. Hint: you’ll know it’s a supportive mattress if you can lie comfortably on your back without tensing your muscles.
- Space for your mattress – According to experts, we all move 40-60 times when sleeping each night. If you sleep with a partner, you may need more space to allow for all that rocking and rolling. King size mattresses offer sprawlers an opportunity to move freely throughout the night without disturbing their partner.
- Comfort of your mattress – How firm or how soft do you need your mattress to be? This is where things can get tricky. Personal preference and comfort level are the showstoppers when choosing a new mattress for your bad back. There’s no magic formula for comfort but it is a high priority when dealing with back problems.
Choosing the right mattress based on your natural sleep posture is important. It needs to be firm enough to provide support and soft enough to contour your body. Simple, right?
1. Firm mattress for your bad back?
A mattress that’s too firm can cause the parts of your body in direct contact with your mattress to feel an increased and uncomfortable amount of pressure and discomfort – such as your shoulders, back and hips. On the flip side, the other parts of your body not in direct contact with your mattress can lack the proper support and produce pushing against your spine. Ouch!
2. Plush mattress for your bad back?
If a mattress is too soft, your body won’t be supported adequately throughout the night. You may feel like you’re sinking into the mattress, making it harder to roll over in the middle in the night. Who wants to wake up to roll over? This stuck feeling can lead to sensations of numbness, tingling and aching.
3. Too hard? Too soft? Well, Goldilocks, what’s just right for you?
When it comes to buying a new mattress for your bad back, a medium firm will help relieve pressure points, while supporting your muscles and bone structures. You might think suggesting a medium firm mattress doesn’t exactly give you a clear direction in choosing a mattress for your bad back. Let’s take it a step further.
A bed that offers both support and comfort, with today’s newest combination of mattress technology; is a hybrid mattress. With latex and memory foam to comfort and cradle the contours of your body and innersprings to support and provide pressure point relief, a hybrid mattress can be the best choice for you and your bad back.
Will an adjustable base help my bad back?
Many people with chronic medical conditions and debilitating back problems choose to utilize an adjustable base with their mattress. The ability to adjust move the head and foot of the bed allows you to choose a variety of sleep positions throughout the night, reducing pressure and pain on muscles, joints and bones.
If you have back problems our best advice is get yourself to a mattress store and try before you buy. While support can become scientific (not to mention confusing) at times, comfort will always be subjective. Spending time on different mattresses in the store is the best way to find what fits you.
