Nearly eight out of 10 Americans experience back pain due to stress, pregnancy, or some type of accident and 37% of people suffering from back pain report problems sleeping because of pain. While many cases tend to resolve themselves within few months, about 70% of sufferers have re-occurrences within two years, and of those, 7% develop chronic pain. In America, the amount spent on back pain treatment is a shocking $50 billion with indirect costs which are double that. With statistics like these, it’s no wonder why people are so desperately searching for relief. Before you start reaching for the pain killers or other types of remedies, consider your first line of defense: your mattress.
A university randomly assigned 62 people to sleep on a variety of new mattresses and almost everyone who had the better quality mattresses reported less back pain. Finding the right mattress can change a person’s pain management, so it’s important to consider all your options and your needs!
Choosing the right mattress
As the university study discovered, a new mattress can have a huge impact on sleeping for those who suffer from back pain. The average age of the participants’ mattresses was nine and half years, which means they should have been replaced or nearing the replacement age. Mattress types can vary in the number of coils (if there are any), the thickness of padding, and mattress depth which can range from seven to 18 inches. When you’re searching for a new mattress to help ease your back pain, try to balance between back support and comfort with a mattress which is neither too firm nor too soft because it should cradle shoulders and hips to align the back.
Of course, personal preference is an important factor in choosing a mattress; however, whatever mattress you choose, it must align the spine so that the muscles and ligaments can relax and recover. If you’re unsure about which mattress to get to relieve back pain, a medium-firm mattress is a good place to start. One study showed more back pain suffers found relief with medium-firmness over more firm mattresses. You may also consider memory foam which conforms to the body and also helps with pain.
Meet with a sleep specialist
Sleep specialists can help you find the right mattress to help alleviate back pain, and it is important to shop with quality and value in mind over the price, especially for back pain sufferers. It’s important to consider the amount of savings on pain management when a good mattress will reduce these costs! Set up an appointment with a sleep specialist at the Albuquerque American Mattress Center today and get $50 off purchases of $499 or more! Our experts are looking forward to helping you start getting a better, more restful night’s sleep!