The Best Mattresses for Back Pain

For those with chronic back pain, choosing best right mattress for back pain can make the difference between being able to move comfortably in the morning. If you've ever slept on a mattress that was too soft, too firm or too saggy, you know the agony of waking up with an aching back.

There are endless commercials touting memory foam or adjustable mattresses as the answer to back pain, but what works for one person may not work for you. The best way to choose the right mattress is to go to a store with a number of options and lie down on them. If you've slept at a friend's house or in a hotel on a bed you particularly liked, you can look at the mattress to see what kind it is.

Standard Mattress

A good mattress is one that supports the natural curvature of your spine. While there is no definitive data promoting one kind of mattress over another as a cure for back pain, study data from one trial indicated that a mattress with medium firmness might actually provide more back support than its firm counterpart. A soft mattress can allow your spine to curve unnaturally, causing you to wake up with aches and pains. When you lie on a mattress, you should feel that your body is supported evenly, with no pressure points and no awareness of the springs.

Memory Foam

Memory foam mattresses, while very soft, purport to allow your body to sink in just the right amount.  Unlike traditional mattresses that contain springs surrounded by padding, memory foam mattresses are made of synthetic polyurethane treated with chemicals that add weight and density to the foam. It is this treatment process that allows a mattress to be described as "visco-elastic." Although memory foam mattresses can be costly, it is important to remember when buying one that you do not need to purchase a separate box spring to support it. Memory foam should feel equally comfortable on a plywood bed base and a concrete floor. You should feel both give and resistance from the foam itself, regardless of the surface on which it sits. This is, after all, the substance frequently advertised by placing a glass of wine at one end and jumping up and down on the other end without disturbing the wine.

The Waterbed Comeback

Interestingly, waterbeds, which were ubiquitous in homes of the 1960s and '70s, are making a comeback as a remedy for back pain. For those who prefer to drift off to sleep with visions of ocean waves dancing in their heads, these water-filled vinyl bags may be the answer to morning discomfort. The most common style of waterbed remains the vinyl bag inside a wooden base with high sides. However, in an updated version, the sides of the bed are made of vinyl reinforced with foam that reduces the amount of sloshing and rocking. Waterbeds can soothe your back with heat, since most of them come with an electric temperature control to warm the water. If you're looking for back pain relief and a swank bachelor pad, a waterbed may be just what you need.