Lower back pain and mattress choice

Unfortunately, back pain is a common disease in this century that many of our compatriots are struggling with. The causes of its development can be attributed to many factors. A sedentary lifestyle, unilateral load on the spinal column, pains of muscle origin, inflammation, but also working in an uncomfortable position for hours during our work. In fact, our waist may even hurt because of our mental state and the way we feel.

Replacing our mattress can also be a solution to alleviate this problem, since sooner or later the raw materials of all lying surfaces wear out and get tired over time. As a result, during night's sleep, it no longer adequately supports our spinal column. It is recommended to change our mattress every 8-10 years to prevent pain caused by this reason.

Of course, there are many other factors that can affect/cause our lower back pain, and it also requires a lifestyle change to completely eliminate it, but we can greatly improve our daytime well-being if our spine rests during the night. That is, if we use the right mattress for ourselves.

We often hear that the harder a mattress is, the better. Not really. A too hard mattress can lead to excessive tension of the muscles. Our lumbar vertebrae can also tighten in this case, since the mattress does not allow enough to accommodate the pelvic bone sufficiently. Experts recommend putting a pillow under your knees for lumbar spine protection, which can also relieve the burden on your lumbar vertebrae.

Several studies have shown that this tale is completely unfounded and does not correspond to the truth, because if we choose a mattress that is firmer than our physical abilities, we suppress our blood circulation in our shoulders and hips during sleep.  And when lying on our backs, our spine remains tight, so we do not give him a chance to rest after the whole day of "work". According to another treatise published in The Lancet, we read that a medium-hard mattress is more effective at relieving lower back pain than a hard one. Of course, there are exceptions to this as well.

But why the medium-hard?

Since our spinal column has three bends, a very tight, very straight mattress cannot track this. However, medium-hard mattresses are already able to track and adapt to the shape of our body/spine. As a result, it is possible for our spine to elongate, to expand our discs and thus to regenerate.

Our choice of mattress can also be affected by our weight. The heavier we are, it is advisable to choose a harder bed for proper support. Still, try to get the right thickness of the padding layer and take into account your sleeping position. Research has shown that among people with an "average" build, medium-hard mattresses were able to support the spine without creating pressure points and with adequate weight distribution. Of course, this can also mean a slightly tougher type of mattress for a person lying on the back, since we have to count on fewer pressure points. A person sleeping on the side or sleeping on the abdomen prefers medium-hard or softer mattresses, since the number of pressure points is also much higher for them.

Sleep experts consider sleeping on the back and side to be the healthiest for the spine. After all, in this sleeping position, the natural bends of the spine receive proper support. Sleeping on the abdomen should be avoided, because our spine absorbs a strenuous arc, so unfortunately it tightens. If you are unable to stop sleeping on your stomach, be sure to put a pillow under your hips to relieve at least a little of the lower spine.

The material from which our mattresses are made of does not play a role in this matter, since a spring-loaded, memory foamy, latex or cold foam, and so on...  is equally suitable for relieving the load on the spinal column.

Many people don't even think about it, but the size of the bed is also very important. In case of a small mattress, it often happens that we just rotate at night and can't find a comfortable position. And yes, there's a connection. The more room we have to sleep, the deeper we sleep and the better we can stretch our limbs. A smaller space limits us to this and makes it more difficult for us to change the situation. In case of an adult person, we recommend a bed mattress of at least 90 cm and the mattress should be at least 20 cm longer than our height.

If you sleep better during a trip or visit to relatives than at home, be sure to note the type or hardness of the mattress so that you have a benchmark! Based on this, you will be able to easily choose the right mattress for you! If your hips and shoulders hurt on the current mattress, do not choose a very hard mattress next!

And what else can we do to help?

After chosing a suitable bed, do some gymnastics frequently. It is very important to strengthen the muscles around the spine and increase the load capacity of our back! It is also a misconception that when we are in pain, we spare our backs. It is better to return to everyday life, since most of the back pains develop because our muscles are weak. Unfortunately, this will not change with lying down. Swimming is especially useful and performing soil exercises developed for this purpose. Choose a chair if you are doing a sedentary job that keeps your hips and knees on the same level. And last but not least, take care of your weight, because if you are overweight, the extra weight puts a strain on your spine. We can only help you with how to rest correctly!