Do you find picking the perfect mattress complicated? Do you feel like there are so many
options and they all seem like they could be for you?
People who suffer with low back pain have been reported to have poor nights sleep. A mattress that causes low back pain can have a significant impact on your life.
Low back pain can be debilitating enough and keep people from enjoying the daily physical activity, which help them keep fit, healthy and strong. Keeping your back healthy and strong is crucial for a healthy lifestyle.
We spend a very large portion of our lives on our mattresses so it’s important that we choose the right one if we want to manage low back pain. You see, if you’re not providing your back with that support overnight then your muscles will be working overtime to provide that support for you. That extra load on those muscles can lead to fatigue and strain which then could put more pressure on your lower back leading to pain.
The correct mattress will affect how you sleep, which will directly affect how you feel and function for the next day.
I think the problem these days is there is so much variety and its extremely hard to choose because they all sound so great, and we don’t really want to commit to one as they are so expensive!
So, what I want to do is help you understand what’s important for our back so it’s easier to make a more informed decision when picking your mattress.
I guess the biggest question is if you go for a soft or firm mattress?
Whether you lie on your side or back, the mattress needs to help keep your spine as neutral as possible. If you think of what we generally look like when we are standing up straight, we shouldn’t look too much different when lying horizontal.
So, when you want to know if you chose a firm mattress or a soft one the first thing you need to consider is that you can be sinking into the mattress. In other words, it shouldn’t make you bow or bend.
On the other hand, there should be enough give in the mattress that all your spinal curves get the support they need. Our spines aren’t straight like a piece of timber so we can’t sleep on something that’s as hard as concrete.
So, for example, if you are on the heavy side it’s probably more important that you get a much firmer mattress as a soft one will most likely sink and not provide your back with the support it needs. Possibly causing your core to work harder overnight.
You could imagine that if you are lighter you wouldn’t go for something as firm, due to the fact that, it is less likely to sink, it may not have enough give in it to support your curvature.
If you’re not sleeping on the correct mattress for you, just like an ill-fitting pair of shoes or a desk chair that isn’t for you, it will lead to poor structural support and can cause pain.
If you truly want to understand if this is a cause of your lower back pain or if it could possibly be something else, then here are a couple of my quick check you can do for your mattress.
It’s pretty simple really. Take all your sheets and covers off your mattress. Just with your naked eye, have a look at how level or flat it is. If you see bumps and lumps through it, then its most likely contributing to your back pain. If your still not sure, then with a long straight piece of wood or ruler, place it on the mattress horizontally and diagonally. If it doesn’t sit flush on the mattress then again, its most likely not supporting your back properly.
If your finding that there is an issue with your mattress and you need further help with your mattress or with your lower back then call us immediately to organise a time to be assessed and help work out if your mattress or something else is the cause of your lower back pain.
