One question that comes up often in my physiotherapy practice is which is the best mattress for back pain?
I think many of us can appreciate a great mattress at bed time for a great sleep. How about for people with back pain? Can a mattress make a big difference for back pain? It is important to remember that back pain can be complex and usually is caused by many factors. So before reading too deep into this article I would like to reiterate if you are suffering from back pain your best course of action is finding a good “hands on” physiotherapist. A great progressive “hands on” physiotherapy program is by far the most important first step you should take to resolving your back pain. However, there is some evidence certain mattress features can be beneficial for people who have chronic low back pain.
So if you are experiencing low back pain here are some things you should consider if you are looking into which is the best mattress for low back pain
Age of the Mattress
The first thing you should consider is the age of your mattress. If your mattress is more than 10 years old then it could definitely be contributing to some back pain. Most manufacturers report a mattress to be good for 5 to 10 years. After that time frame they tend to break down and not provide the original support and comfort. So if you are waking up with back pain in the morning and have an old mattress it may be time to get out and start shopping.
The Mattress Firmness
Studies show that medium – firm mattresses offer the most advantages to low back pain patients. Improvements in morning pain, day time pain, function, disability and quality of sleep are all noted in patients with chronic back pain that switch to a medium firm mattress. So if you have decided to give your mattress a switch I would recommend sticking with a mattress that that is rated medium –firm.
What type of back pain do you have?
Most of the studies in the literature find switching to a medium –firm mattress to be beneficial mainly for non-specific chronic low back pain. Meaning you have had back pain for longer than 6 months. So if you just strained your back from snow shoveling changing your Mattress will probably not benefit you as much.
We spend a lot of time on our mattress. If you have chronic low back pain and have an old mattress you may want to consider changing to a medium-firm mattress. However, do not expect that this will solve your back pain and this should definitely not be the first place you start to fixing your back pain.
Before considering which mattress is the best for back pain take your first step to solving your back pain by finding an expert hands on physiotherapist to help you get back to all of the activities you love doing. If you are in Toronto you can contact Shawn Williams Physiotherapy for a free phone consultation or call and text us at 416-660-4187 before you spend money on an expensive mattress so that you can get back to the active life you deserve.
