I have a lot of patients meeting me everyday at my clinic, complaining of back pain and therefore the most frequently asked question is, " What kind of mattress we should use?". If you too are suffering from back pain and are unable to sleep comfortably at night and wake up with a back pain in the morning, then it is time to switch to a suitable mattress.
- Sleep is when we have most of our cell growth and sleep is when your body repairs the mechanical stress. If you are suffering from back pain, then finding the best mattress for back pain can help, of course. But not every mattress is a tonic for every sore back.
- Many back pain sufferers assume that they’re best off sleeping on an uncomfortably hard surface, but the best mattress for back problems might not be the firmest or the hardest mattress you can find. Everybody is different in their size, shape, height and therefore you need to choose the mattress that best supports your particular sleep style and body type.
For back sleepers: According to the latest research, back sleepers tend to do best with a medium-firm mattress, all else being equal. As reported in Harvard Health Publishing, a survey of 268 people with low back pain found that those who slept on very hard mattresses had the poorest sleep quality, while there was no difference in sleep quality between those who used medium-firm and firm mattresses.
For side sleepers: Side sleeping tends to be the position most conducive to a healthy spine. In that case, you might want a somewhat softer mattress that will let you “sink in” a bit and preserve your spine’s natural alignment. Side sleepers who spend the night on a mattress that’s too firm might experience pressure or numbness in their hip and shoulder.
For stomach sleepers: Stomach sleeping can place a lot of stress on your lower back and neck, which is why the National Sleep Foundation recommends trying to switch things up. If you are a committed stomach-sleeper, though, a firm mattress will give you a bit more support to minimize back pain.
For random sleepers and couples: If you rotate through various sleep positions throughout the night or have multiple sleepers in bed, the best type of mattress for your back pain may be a medium-firm mattress. This gives side sleepers some softness while still remaining firm enough for back and belly sleepers.
Get educated about mattress types Don’t assume that high cost equals a quality mattress
One big factor that determines the level of support a mattress will offer for back pain is what material (or, increasingly, materials) comprises it. The“traditional” mattress—and the kind most Indians still have, according to a Consumer Reports read survey — is a classic innerspring coil mattress. While there’s nothing wrong with sticking with the tried-and-true, back-care experts recommend learning about the wider variety of mattress types and materials out there today, including memory foam and latex, since they have different attributes that may appeal to your sleep needs.
Regardless of material, the best mattress for a bad back is one that includes firmer support zones for optimal alignment of your body size and shape. “Your mattress should have reinforced areas for the hips and shoulders. Pay attention to the edges as well. Firmer edges are a good indication of a higher-quality product,with durable materials that will provide adequate support night after night. “The edges should not break down when you sit on them to put on your legs down otherwise that could lead to deposition of deoxygenated blood in your leg that make leg blood flow compromised. If you tend to run hot when you sleep (why some people do),(as I have seen many patient they used to ask me ) you may want to consider materials that will keep you cooler, since overheated sleepers tend to toss and turn, exacerbating their back pain in the process. Natural latex mattresses in corporate channels to improve airflow and avoid trapping heat, for example, while many memory foam mattresses feature special gels or heat-winking materials to keep you cool.