Back pain is an alarming health issue that is rising worldwide. According to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, lower back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide.
One of the main reasons why we have back pain is sleeping in an unsuitable mattress.
Choosing the wrong mattress to sleep on can lead to many problems, especially for people having back pain. It can strain the muscles and have negative effects on the spine.
Waking up from back pain in the middle of the night can be a painful experience. So, it is essential to buy the right mattress or mattress topper that will keep your spine leveled and give you relief from back pain.
With such a variety of mattresses available in the market, it can be a daunting task to choose the right product.
The following is a list of factors one should keep in mind while buying a mattress. The list has been made specifically keeping lower back pain sufferers in mind.
Prioritize Personal Preference While Buying a Mattress
Lower back pain sufferers can have the pain due to multiple reasons. It can be due to a muscle strain or a problem in the spine. It can also occur in different areas of the body, so no two individuals are the same.
There is not a single mattress that can address the issue of lower back pain for all people. Everyone’s individual needs can be vastly different. It is wise to prioritize comfort while buying a mattress. Just make sure you don’t sacrifice the required support for your back.
Choose the Mattress with the Right Physical Components
The coils and springs inside the mattress vary from one mattress to another in numbers and sizes. These are what primarily provide support to the back. Padding thickness and mattress depths are two other components of a mattress that should also be determined according to individual needs.
On the other hand, a mattress can be firm, medium-firm, soft, etc. To provide proper back support and to prevent muscle soreness, the mattress with the right amount of firmness should be chosen.
Don’t Forget About Comfort
Comfort should also be a priority while buying a mattress. People having lower back pain can try the varying firmness of different mattresses to find out which one provides the right amount of comfort for the back.
Remember, a mattress that is too firm can cause unwanted discomfort. This can lead to pain in certain areas of the body.
Prefer Quality Over Price
It is not always true that the mattress with a higher price tag will give the desired comfort to a lower back pain patient. It might have extra features that hike up the price, but it also needs to address the individual needs of the buyer.
Comfort and support are two qualities that should always be given priority over price.
There are many brands that promote “back pain relief” from their mattresses. However, you should always choose trusted brands with real customer feedback. Always, quality should be given top priority no matter where the mattress is being bought from.
Try Out the Mattresses Before Making the Purchase
A mattress can be given a test-run at hotels or other people’s homes to see if it is a good fit. At the store, one should try out the mattress by lying on it for several minutes to find out the level of comfort and support it gives. Online purchases also offer a return policy to see if the buyer is comfortable. Take the advantage. One essential thing to remember is comfort is always more important than the looks of the mattress.
Types of Mattress
There are a huge variety of mattresses when it comes to types. Though choosing a particular mattress mostly depends on the comfort and support it provides, it is wise to keep knowledge of the different mattress variants.
The following is a list of the various types of mattress popular in the market:
Innerspring Mattress
These mattresses are covered by paddings and contain steel spring coils inside. The more the number of the coils, the more support the mattress can give.
Pillow-Top Mattress
An extra upholstery layer made of foam and fiber is sewed on top of this type of mattress. The aim is to provide more comfort to the user.
Hybrid Mattress
One or more than one type of foam is used in this type of mattress. The foam can contain gel or can be produced from latex.
Airbed
Airbed uses a chamber filled with air that is adjustable to mimic the support provided by a mattress. The firmness of each side of airbed can be adjusted separately. Airbed is usually covered with padding or the upholstery material of a regular pillow-top mattress.
Waterbed
Waterbed contains a compartment filled with water. It is mainly of two variants. Both the variants, hard-sided and soft-sided waterbeds, use the water and some surrounding material to support the body weight.
Final Words
There is no doubt that a good mattress is essential for back pain relief. If a mattress is not giving you the support your body needs, or it is not as comfortable as it used to be, then a replacement is very much necessary.
Some key signs that a mattress needs to be discarded are sagging in the middle and lack of support. Mattresses older than five years shouldn’t be used either.
Along with a good mattress, a good mattress topper can also address lower back pain. If you’ve already bought a mattress recently and it doesn’t provide you with the proper support, try out a mattress topper – they are more useful than you think!
About the Author:
Shawn Jackson has contributed this article. He is an editor at FeedFond. He loves writing about health and fitness articles. More of his writings can be found at FeedFond website.
