How To Tell If Your Old Mattress Is Causing Back Pain
If you have recently developed back pain then you should most definitely go and see your doctor to confirm the root cause and develop an appropriate treatment plan.
And whilst Im certainly not qualified to diagnose your back pain, my research indicates that theres a fair chance that your mattress/bed is the cause of your back pain if one or more of the following conditions are true:
Dead Skin Body Oil And Dust Mites Oh My
Since you spend about a third of your life in bed, you better believe that over time, your mattress starts to collect loads of dead skin and body oils. Who loves to snack on that stuff? Dust mites.
In fact, the typical used mattress can house as many as 10 million of the microscopic bugs, according to Ohio State University experts. And since even dust mites poop, that stuff is in your bed, too.
Pretty disgusting, right? Mercifully, the little buggers are invisibleand most of us seem to get along with them just fine. But if you suffer from allergies, sleeping on a too-old mattress can pose a problem. Dust mite allergies can cause sneezing, runny noses, itchiness, watery eyes, coughing, and sinus pressure.
It gets worse if you have asthma, which can be exacerbated by dust mites. Then, you could be at risk for difficulty breathing, chest tightness, or even trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath.
Of course, even a mattress thats a few months old can have dust mites, just not as many as what would be in an older mattress or worse, a secondhand mattress. And since you cant buy a new mattress every year , it makes sense to take other steps to keep your sleeping space as dust mite-free as possible.
How To Get Relief On A Budget
When youre struggling with back pain, you may feel like youre willing to give anything to get relief, but the realities of your budget can mean that you have to think about the impact of any mattress purchase on your bottom line. The good news is that there are multiple wallet-friendly ways to improve your bed, enhance your sleep, and give your back a rest.
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Q: Which Sleeping Position Is Best To Alleviate Back Pain
A: Side sleeping or back sleeping are the best positions to ease your back pain. Even better, you can place a pillow between your knees while side sleeping to take strain off your spine. Likewise, you can slip a pillow under your knees while back sleeping to maintain your spine in its normal “S” curve.
Dont Sleep On A Mattress Thats Too Soft Or Too Hard
Goldilocks was onto something when she picked Baby Bears just right bed.
A mattress thats too soft will cause your back or hips to sag and your spine to fall out of alignment, which can lead to significant pain. A mattress thats too firm will put too much pressure on your joints, especially if you sleep on your side or your back.
Thats why if you want to reduce your back pain in bed, you need a mattress that offers support but that also contours to your body to provide pressure relief and relieve pain.
That being said, theres no one-size-fits-all-best mattress for back pain. Plus, there are plenty of different materials to choose from. So be sure youre investing in a mattress made from suitable materials for your unique needs.
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What Are The Common Body Aches Associated With Bad Mattresses
What are the effects of a bad mattress?
Typically, what one sleeper will suffer as a result of wrong mattresses is going to be different from another. Mostly, the pain emerges from the mattress being too firm, thereby preventing the body from proper alignment. Furthermore, if the mattress is very soft, the body tends to sink thus causing extreme pressure on the spine and neck region. Sleeping on a bad mattress may cause your various pain and aches. A bad mattress may has the following effects below.
Can A Mattress Cause Back Pain
A mattress can definitely be a cause of back pain because it plays such an important role in how the body is positioned through the night. Most people know that posture is important but only think about their posture in the context of standing and sitting. This can cause them to overlook the importance of having a mattress that is the proper fit for them based on their body shape, weight, and sleeping position.
If the spine and joints arent aligned and well-cushioned during sleep, they wont be able to relax. Instead of recovering, the body will be strained, exacerbating pre-existing back issues and sowing the seeds for new ones. The easiest way to know whether a mattress is a contributing factor to back pain is if the pain tends to be the most pronounced in the morning when you wake up. If the pain is the worst when you get out of bed and subsides during the day, theres a good chance that your mattress is playing a part in your aches and pains.
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Can Mattress Toppers Cause Lower Back Pain
Waking up with lower back pain can really be a pain. The worst thing is that sometimes it can be hard to pinpoint the reason for this pain that you are suffering from.
When it comes to whether mattress toppers are a good solution to back pain, the reviews are fairly mixed. While some people say that mattress toppers help solve their back pain, others blame their mattress toppers for causing lower back pain.
Toppers can be great because they can make a firm bed a little more comfortable and a soft bed a little firmer. The idea is that we want to avoid extremes, because a bed that is too firm wont support your spines natural curves, which over time can lead to pain and discomfort. On the flip side, a bed that is too soft will cause you to sink in and wont protect those curves either.
The most common cause of back pain is in your lower back.
The secret is to strike a happy medium between the two. The best material to sleep on is the type that molds to your shape, like memory foam. This allows you to keep your spine and head well aligned while you sleep, therefore reducing the chances of pain and injury.
Reasons Why Your Mattress Is Causing Back Pain
Sleeping in your bed at any time should be an activity that helps to recharge your body, relax and get ready to start a new day. However, the moment these advantages are no longer attached to your mattress and your mattress causes back pain then its time to take a new look at your mattress.
Mattresses, of course, are fantastic and one of the best places to get a good nights rest, get work done and even watch television from on a lazy afternoon. Mattresses are created to be durable, so they are known to last up to five years and even ten years in good condition, depending on how you use them. During their years of use, they are still expected to serve many good purposes and be utilizable.
Have you been experiencing back pain when you lie on your mattress? Or is your mattress becoming so uncomfortable that the thoughts of sleeping on it turn you off? Do you have aches but arent sure if your mattress is the cause?
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Get Help From A Professional:
Massage – Getting pain treatment through massage is another great way to get rid of pain. While this may be a luxury approach, a monthly massage can be affordable and effective. There are many types of massage options, so be sure to ask about targeting your areas of pain. With the rising accessibility of massage guns, you can also get a frequent and affordable targeted massage. You can get a very high-quality massage gun for a few hundred dollars.
Go to a Chiropractor – Finding a good chiropractor can be the key to relieving your pain. Chiropractors are trained in musculoskeletal manipulation and can identify the cause of your pain and specifically treat areas of pain with specialized procedures. They can also advise you on managing your pain in your day-to-day life and suggest other activities that may help.
Physical Therapy – Often treating patients that have suffered trauma or recovering from surgery, physical therapists and their staff are also more than qualified to help treat back pain. Overlapping with treatment from a chiropractor, seeking help from a physical therapist can be another highly effective option for treating back and neck pain caused by sitting.
What Mattress Is Best For Sciatica
In the past, doctors recommended a firm mattress to address back pain of any kind. A firmer mattress applies better force to pressure points, solving back issues. The downside was that firm mattresses werent very comfortable sometimes further exacerbating back problems. Todays sleepers are lucky to have an alternative that can still address back pain: gel mattresses.
Gel mattresses with our patented Gel Matrix® design at Intellibed offer breakthrough sleep technology in the form of medical-grade cushions that support the curves of the spine while still being comfortable. Its soft enough to feel great on your hip, spine, and shoulders as you sleep, yet firm enough to support pressure points and relieve sciatic nerve pain. Intellibed respond to all parts of the body using a trademarked adaptive cushioning grid that works like a flexible ice cube tray.
Intellibed uses medical-grade cushioning that got its inspiration from the beds hospitals use in burn units beds that provide relief on pressure points without being so hard as to cause unnecessary pain for burn survivors. As a sufferer of lower back pain, hip pain, or sciatica, a Gel Matrix® Intellibed mattress thats both firm and soft can be the ideal solution. Its no wonder why our customers tell us that Intellibed is the best mattress for back pain relief.
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Picking The Right Mattress For Your Back
Naturally, everyone has their own unique preferences, which can make it difficult to find the perfect mattress. When searching for a mattress, look for one thats not too firm or too soft.
If the mattress is too firm, it will push on your pressure points and cause misalignment. If the bed is too soft, it will allow your body to sink into the bed, causing bad posture while you sleep, which can also result in neck or back pain.
While mattresses can be a financial burden, you should always consider investing in a good one, especially when taking into account that youll be spending seven to nine hours on your mattress every night. This makes it an important piece of furniture.
Need More Help With Back Pain
These free resources will help you get on the right track to ridding yourself of back pain!
- Find a mattress to relieve you of back pain with Mattress Match
- Learn about all the options with our Mattress Buying Guide
- Experience the REM sleep deserve with our Better Sleep Guide
- Go from Zs to As in college with this sleep guide for students
- Want to conquer sleep deprivation? Check out our sleeping disorders guide
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Discovering The Truth About Your Mattress
You may be in love with your bed, but that doesnt mean it is in love with you back. Research has discovered numerous signs which indicate that a persons bed is to blame for their back soreness, especially in the morning. Pay close attention to how you or your partner behaves throughout the night. If you have any of the following sleep-disturbing signs, it may be time to replace your mattress.
- You wake up frequently during the night for no apparent reason.
- You toss and turn a lot or cant get comfortable.
- You feel increased pressure on parts of your body when laying in certain positions.
- You feel swallowed up by your bed.
- Your bed feels flat and unforgiving on the curves of your body.
- Your waking back pain goes away after about 20-30 minutes.
Back pain can be caused by several things, but if your bed is to blame then it should be very easy to tell. Your back pain may not be caused by something serious. In fact, studies show that about 56% of people who sleep on a medium-to-firm mattress have less back pain in the morning than their softer-mattress-having counterparts.
In general, sleep experts advise people to get a new bed ever 8 to 10 years. It may be that your mattress has served you well for a very long time.
However, it may also be time to replace it for something better if its causing you pain.
Why Does My Back Hurt When I Get In Bed
If youre experiencing pain when youre getting into bed, dont ignore it.
Back pain is a symptom of an underlying problem. And when you feel those dull aches and sharp pains, its your bodys way of telling you, Something needs to change!
For many, back pain is just something they live with daily. They think that theyre stuck with it.
But in fact, back pain across the US has actually gotten worse over the years, according to The Lancet.
Graph of back pain across the United States
According to the study, the disability-adjusted life-years from back pain have risen substantially across all age groups.
This may be due to longer work hours, an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, and more office work.
Simply put, if youre experiencing back pain in bed, its because theres an underlying problem that you need to deal with.
It could be poor posture, stress, or even a medical condition.
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Why You Should Get An Adjustment Before Going Mattress Shopping
It is a very good idea to get a wellness adjustment from your local chiropractor before going mattress shopping. This can help alleviate pain and help you have improved posture and body support.
We hope after reading this, you can find relief from your back and neck pain if it was caused by your pillow or mattress.
If you have any chiropractic needs or concerns, help yourself by reaching out to us.
Ways Your Mattress Could Be Negatively Affecting Your Health
Sometimes theres no better feeling than getting into bed after a long, exhausting day. The goal: Burrow into your cozy haven, clock a solid seven to nine hours of sleep, and wake up refreshed and ready to have an excellent day. But sometimes your mattress can make achieving this goal impossible in various ways, all of which can ultimately affect your health. Read on for ways your mattress could be harming your health, plus what to do about them.
Ever heard of dust mites? These microscopic creatures, distantly related to ticks and spiders, live in humid climates and feed off the dead human skin found in household dust, according to the Mayo Clinic. Unfortunately, they can make their home in your home even if you keep your place as spotless as possible, Rita Aouad M.D., an assistant professor of sleep medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF. Dust mites do especially well in warm, humid spots like your bedding, mattress, and upholstered furniture.
If youre allergic to dust mites, your body has a sensitivity to their feces and decaying bodies. Coming into contact with this debris can cause symptoms of an allergic reaction like coughing, sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy eyes. If you have asthma, it could also trigger symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness, coughing, and wheezing . Whether youre dealing with allergies or asthma, having dust mites in your bed can translate into restless nights full of symptoms.
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Tips For Finding The Best Mattress For Your Back
Here are some key things to look out for when finding the best orthopaedic mattress for your back:
- Firmness rating: while it has been suggested that people with a bad back should get an ‘extra-firm’ mattress, this is not always the case. For example, petite people may need a softer mattress to suit their needs.
- Try it out: it can take a little time to settle-in with a new mattress. At Silentnight we offer a 60 day comfort trialto give you more than enough time to get well-acquainted with your new mattress.
- Zoned support: zoned and targeted support in the areas you need it most, such as the shoulders and hips, are vital to healthy spinal alignment and reducing lower back pain.
Best Mattress For Lower Back Pain And Sciatica
Puffy Mattress
- Type: foam
- Height: 10 inches
Like back pain, sciatic pain may benefit from a medium-firm mattress that supports the spine and joints. The Puffy Mattress offers firm core support with thick layers of cushioning foam that cradle the body and keep your spine aligned, even as you move throughout the night.
The mattress is backed with a lifetime warranty, and you can test it out at home with a 101-night trial.
shows that even mild lower back pain is associated with sleep disturbance. People dealing with lower back pain often have problems falling asleep and experience shorter sleep durations and poor sleep quality in general.
Thats likely because of a couple factors:
- Difficulty getting comfortable. Accommodating lower back pain may mean trying out new sleeping positions, which can delay sleep.
- Greater awareness of the pain. With fewer distractions at night, lower back pain may be more noticeable than usual, making it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep.
Some medications that may be prescribed for back pain, such as opioids, can also
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