CHOOSING THE BEST MATTRESS FOR THE LOWER BACK

Tips for Selecting the Best Mattress for Lower Back Pain

By Dr Raymond Hall, DC

Many discussions we all have encountered about the best mattress for lower back pain generally include a disclaimer something like— there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to finding the right mattress for people with back pain.

As a sleep and spine specialist, I believe that the best mattress is the one that allows you to sleep painlessly, comfortably and soundly throughout the night.  When selecting, keep in mind that the best mattress for you might be a complelely different type, consistency and firmness than the best mattress for your friend or spouse!  In other words, we all have different needs depending on our bodies, conditions and preferences.. With that said, here are still some tips that will make it much easier for you to make the right choice when mattress shopping.

First: Is your mattress giving you back pain?

Back pain has so many causes, so in most cases, it can be difficult to pin down a specific reason. But if you suspect that your mattress is the reason for your painful back, here are some clues that can confirm it.

• • When does your back pain occur?If you regularly feel pain in your lower back when you wake up but it disappears after a while with some stretches, then it’s a sign that your mattress is the culprit.
• • Do you find it hard to get a good night’s sleep?If you’re always tossing, turning, and waking up through the night, then your old mattress may not be working for you anymore.

Finally, you might want to consider consulting with a chiropractor or a sleep specialist to establish a connection between back pain and your mattress further. I offer a free, 10-minute personal consultation when you buy a JUST SLEEP mattress. Let me help you find the right mattress to address your lower back pain.

In the meantime, here are some factors you need to consider when looking to invest in a new mattress.

Criteria for Selecting the Right Mattress

• • Not Too Firm, Not Too SoftTraditional wisdom dictates that the firmest mattress is the The latest research, however, has proven that wrong. A mattress that’s too firm won’t allow your back muscles and ligaments to recover and relax while you sleep. In contrast, if your mattress is too squishy, your neck, spine, and lower back won’t get the necessary support.When in doubt, a medium or medium-firm mattress offers a great balance of firmness and softness. Our JUST SLEEP mattresses provide a wide range of comfort levels, so be sure to check carefully.
• • Take a Long Trial RunSure, you spent quite some time testing the mattress in the showroom. However, even 5, 10 or 15 minutes of lounging  is not enough time to determine how the mattress will feel after a full night’s sleep.   To properly test a mattress, you need at least two to three months to sleep on a mattress before you really know how your body responds to the mattress.To avoid regrets and to make sure your body has enough time to acclimate to the mattress and visa-versa,  I offer a no-risk trial period that can be as long as 100 days. This way, you have plenty of time to test the mattress without worrying about getting a refund if it doesn’t work out for you.
• • Check the MaterialI firmly believe that the quality of a mattress depends significantly on the material it’s made with.   I always prefer plant-based foams which are Oeko-Tex Certified (such as my PREMIUM line) but alternatively, for a lower price, you can still get great quality and pressure relieve with a memory-foam variant.  This is often better than an innerspring type since the foam adjusts to your body. Just make sure your memory-foam is made of non-toxic chemicals and is gel infused with open cell technology to avoid heat and toxic chemicals near your body.  Most of the older and cheap new mattresses have poor quality, very light density, and toxic chemicals that have not been tested properly and often-time off-gas.  beware of the cheap conventional or memory foam products that are either unhealthy for you and don’t have health certifications or are similar to throw away contacts, in that they will only last a very short while, requiring you to buy another in a year or two, throwing good money into a bad mattress.

Poor, thin (10 inches or less) and one type fits all mattresses made from cheap materials are usually harmful to the back, neck and shoulders and can often times lead to chronic low back pain and poorquality sleep. Investing in doctor-designed options like JUST SLEEP mattresses is one of the best things you can do for your health.

To help you find the best mattress for lower back pain and side sleeper, JUST SLEEP mattresses come with a free, personal 10-minute consultation with me.  Order your JUST SLEEP mattress today! It’s definitely worth your investment.

Wishing you many nights of sound, comfortable sleep!

Dr. Raymond Hall, DC
Inventor, Sleep Expert and Chiropractic Physician