Choosing the right mattress is crucial. The worst thing you can do to your spine (apart from the eight-hour sitting at work) – is sleeping on a couch. Literally, any mattress is a better option than a couch!
When it comes to mattresses, “one size fits all” is not an option. It all depends on, not so much your personal preferences, as much as the type of a back issue you suffer from.
It’s a well known fact that those with lower back pain should opt for a medium–firm mattress.
What to Look For in a Mattress?
When deciding which mattress to purchase, make sure that it is firm enough to support your back, and at the same time soft enough to provide comfort. The best sleeping position for people who suffer from lower back pain is on their back with slightly bent knees.
If you like to sleep on your side make sure that the mattress is soft enough to relieve the pressure on your shoulders and hips. In this case, a memory foam mattress might prove a good option for you.
Take your time to decide which design suits you the most. Some manufacturers even allow customers to take a mattress home and use it for a couple of weeks before making a final decision!
Not too soft and not too firm mattress will reduce stress on your lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine. However, not every memory foam mattress will do the job, because they come in different levels of firmness.
If you decide to purchase a mattress with coil strings, it will also work, especially if it has an extra layer of memory foam on the top.
Free Your Spine has a nice article cover some other basics as well.
Buying a proper mattress is not only important to those who have some back issues. It plays a crucial role in preventing back problems in the future.
So, even if you don’t have any issues at the moment, make sure to opt for a mattress that will provide support for all three segments of your spine, which will hopefully prevent any future back problems.
Can Mattress Cause Back Pain?
Unfortunately, yes. If you’ve ever woken up with back pain; if you’ve had trouble falling sleep because you can’t find the right position; or you keep waking up in the middle of the night – your mattress might be the cause of the problem.
If that’s the case, the back pain should fade away half an hour after waking up. However, if you continue to sleep on a bad mattress, your body will require more time to recover.
Sometimes, back pain is the alarm your body is sending you that you need to get rid of that old mattress.
The Bottom Line
We have all experienced back pain, at some point in our life. And whether localized in our neck, thoracic, or lumbar area, that pain prevents us from performing our everyday tasks. Besides therapy, we can help our body heal and even prevent further issues by purchasing the right mattress.
Bear in mind that “the right mattress” is different for every individual! One thing is common for all people who suffer from back pain—they all need a medium firm mattress.
This is important because of several reasons: mattress has to be firm enough to provide support and at the same time soft enough to provide comfort. And whichever mattress type you decide on —memory foam or coil strings – this is what you should aim for.
