Top-Rated Beds for Back Pain – How to Choose According to Osteopaths and Rest Researchers
Back issues are an increasing problem across the UK, with official statistics indicating that close to one million individuals are off work due to spinal and cervical ailments. Charitable organizations state that several million experience severe spinal discomfort each year. The causes of spinal issues are multifaceted, and various therapies frequently do not succeed to alleviate symptoms, particularly when discomfort is long-term and debilitating.
While changing your bed is unlikely to resolve long-term back pain, and healthcare providers are the first to approach if pain affects quality of living, studies suggests that choosing the right mattress for your physique and sleeping position may assist. Personal experience verifies that sleeping on an unsuitable mattress may result in temporary backache, while opting for a better-fitting option frequently provides comfort and better rest.
This article will help you choose the ideal mattress for your back, whether you currently have discomfort or wish to prevent it. Professional opinions from bone and muscle specialists and rest researchers are included, along with a detailed examination at the often-misused “orthopaedic” label.
Are Firm Orthopaedic Mattresses Best for a Bad Back?
Not always. Firmer isn’t synonymous with superior, and the term “orthopaedic mattress” is mostly advertising language. While orthopaedic surgeons have addressed musculoskeletal conditions for centuries, in the realm of mattress sales, the term “orthopedic” holds no medical authority.
“This label was invented by bed producers,” says a prominent sleep scientist. “It was intended to appear clinical, since at the period, physicians were recommending individuals that a hard bed was best for a bad back. Newer research has shown this to be wrong, though.”
The idea that your back needs a bed only slightly softer than a kitchen floor has been debunked since at least 2003, when a prominent health publication stated that medium-firm mattresses had better outcomes for individuals suffering from back pain. “Beds with medium firmness consistently come out on top in research into spinal issues,” explains an bone and muscle expert. “Ease is as important as support, and medium-firm beds strike a better balance than hard or plush options. This helps to enhance rest as well as reduce pain.”
Keep Your Spine in Line
The key to maintaining spinal health and pain-free is “spinal neutrality”, as per health experts. Also called proper spinal positioning, this refers to the way your spine relaxes in a straight-ish line when you’re resting on a bed that’s neither too firm nor too soft. It’s not just about your backbone, either: your head, neck and joints should all fall into line, without sinking or rising. Without this alignment, you could suffer from back, neck and shoulder pain.
Your spinal muscles are unable to completely rest on a bed that’s too firm or too soft, and you’ll quickly feel the effects, says a sleep expert. “When your spine is misaligned when you rest, you’re activating muscle groups at a period when they should be relaxing and recuperating from daily activities. The aches you feel from the occasional night of inadequate firmness are your muscles keeping you in that posture when they need to be relaxed.”
Over time, back pain can also result from your spine failing to rehydrate at night. “Throughout the day your spine compresses,” says the specialist. “This is completely normal, and it’s caused by force compressing each disc between the vertebrae.” At night, these pads take in moisture and expand, the expert clarifies – but only if you’re resting properly. “If the spine is twisted due to lack of support, chances are spinal discs are continuing to be squeezed.”
You may not feel the effects of compressed discs for years, states the expert. “After a couple of nights of your spine being bent into improper alignment, you may feel a few aches and pains, but over a prolonged period, this can turn into significant spinal discomfort that impacts you during the day.”
Selecting the Ideal Bed for Spinal Discomfort
The most reliable method to proper spinal alignment while you rest is to choose a bed that’s not excessively hard or soft for you. Mattress hardness isn’t a one-size-fits-all matter, so don’t just go for a mattress that’s marked “orthopedic”. Instead, find one with the perfect mix of softness and firmness for your body size and sleeping position.
As a rule of thumb, the larger your frame, the harder your bed will should be to provide adequate firmness for your spine. Side sleepers require a little more softness to support their hips, leg joints and shoulders, while people who primarily rest on their back or stomach need a little more firmness.
“If you’re a petite person, with small hips and narrow shoulders, an very hard orthopedic bed is probably the last thing you need,” notes a sleep scientist. “Your body wouldn’t be heavy enough to let the mattress contour to your shape, and that’ll alter your back positioning. Find the firmness that fits your body rather than because it sounds medically right.”
The sole method to know for sure is to sleep on a mattress for a few months, which is why many mattress manufacturers now provide lengthy trial periods. But you can also gain a clear understanding of what you require in a store, or even on your current mattress, by resting (ideally on your side) on a mattress and having a person take a photo of you from the rear. You should be able to visualize a largely straight alignment down your spine, starting at your head through the neck bones of your cervical area, all the way to your leg joints and ankles. If this imaginary line dips at your pelvis and shoulders, the bed is too soft for you. If the alignment curves up at those areas, it’s overly hard. Either are likely to cause spinal discomfort.
Individual testing indicates that medium-firm is effective for petite individuals who sleep on their side. A particular bed provided just enough cushioning to let the spine rest. Another option marketed as moderately firm featured varying firmness zones: firmer areas that provide enhanced firmness for your back, and more cushioned parts to support sensitive areas such as your pelvis and upper body. This was less suitable for a smaller physique, which suffered spinal discomfort after a few nights on the bed’s hard top. The zoning system may, however, be ideal for those with a average build. Its firm surface may also provide the extra support needed if you rest on your back.
Ideal for Those Who Sleep on Their Side
A Suggested Bed, double
Best for Those Who Sleep on Their Back
A Different Bed, standard double
It’s also worth mentioning that softer memory-foam mattresses do work well for certain individuals with discomfort. The marshmallowy sensation of an entirely foam bed made a reviewer desiring additional firmness, but some people love it for pain management. Its powerful pressure relief – essentially, the manner it supports you as though you’re resting on air – can be gamechanging if you’ve had difficulty finding ease in bed after an injury.
Best for Pressure Relief
A Specific Model, standard double
Don’t forget about the base your bed is on. A sprung-slatted base has much more give than a divan base, and will make a mattress feel softer as a result. If you have a flexible base and your mattress feels too soft for your spine, {try it on the floor|test it on a hard
