If you suffer from niggling back pain now, check the age of your mattress. In a 28-day test, an Oklahoma State University study found that people using a new mattress reduced back pain and slept better, compared to their existing mattress. But what kind of new mattress?
A Quick Guide to Choices of a Mattress for Back Pain
Good quality mattresses have different ways of helping you to banish back pain. They vary in construction, suitability for different climates, firmness and support, and to some degree in price.
Firmness. The current recommendation from sleep experts is to choose a medium-firm model, rather than very firm. Innerspring, memory foam and latex mattresses like the Eclipse Supra Magic are all possible. The medium-firm rating allows for the right compromise between too soft (your body sags) and too hard (pressure becomes uncomfortable at specific points of your body).
Support. An innerspring mattress like the Snoozer Ortho Firm means two people sharing a double bed won’t disturb each other by turning to change position. They may also better suit people who are weighty.
Body shaping. Memory foam mattresses like the Tempur mattress range have built a solid reputation for moulding themselves to give optimal, distributed support to sleepers’ bodies. They adapt quickly using the sleeper’s natural warmth.
3Cs support. Remember that you are looking for good ‘3Cs’ support. The 3Cs refer to the three curves in your spine with a C curve at the top and the bottom, and an inverted C curve in the middle. The must all combine to bring you optimal comfort in these three sections of your backbone.
Toppers. By placing a mattress topper like a memory foam topper over a mattress, you can add extra cushioning. However, toppers need to be placed on a mattress that already has the firmness. Best back support mattresses take the shape of your body. Just adding a topper to a mattress that is too old or just wrong for you is not a solution.
Pillows. They provide that final yet critical tuning to make sure your head is well-supported or that you are comfortable sleeping on your side or your front. With a new mattress, think new pillows too for a complete answer to send back pain packing.
Climate. Innerspring mattresses offer good airflow, allowing for appropriate cooling and moisture evaporation. On the other hand, you may find that memory foam mattresses make you warmer in bed than you planned for.
A New Mattress for the New You
Bear in mind that your body changes over time. Besides mattress wear and tear, what seemed like a delicious sleep solution with your old mattress may simply no longer feel comfortable. That’s because you have moved on, physically. But that doesn’t mean that back pain has to be part of the deal, at least not when you sleep on a mattress to suit the new you.
