When back pain comes suddenly, it is often inconvenient and confusing. If you haven’t changed your daily schedule, but you started to experience mild to severe back pain, your mattress may be the one causing it.
How to Determine if Your Mattress is Giving You Back Pain
Since there are a lot of causes of back pain, it can be very hard to determine where you aches are coming from. If you think your mattress is the culprit, look for the following clues. The first clue is when your backache occurs. If you wake up in pain, but you can stretch to get rid of it within 15-30 minutes, that is a sign that your bed is doing more harm than good. Also, if you find yourself frequently waking up during the night, tossing and turning trying to get comfortable and fall asleep, this is a sign you should change your mattress. Ideally, a bed should be replaced every seven to nine years. This is a rule you should stick to even if you are not prone to back pain.
Causes of Back Pain
A healthy spine protects the spinal cord, provides structural support that is required for keeping a proper posture and facilitates tactile movement. Unhealthy spines are unable to perform some of the above-mentioned functions, and as a common result, back pain occurs. Back pain can be caused due to many different reasons other acute or chronic disease of the musculoskeletal system or skeletal irregularities that can pressure to the spine and cause pain. Most common skeletal irregularities that can cause back pain are lordosis, scoliosis, and kyphosis.
In addition to the mentioned medical conditions, medical experts have identified other risks for acute or chronic back pain, such as age, lack of exercise, obesity, excessive or incorrect lifting and so on. Back pain can affect people of all ages, but the condition is worse in individuals who are more than 30 years old. Lack of exercise can lead to increased risk of back pain because weak and unconditioned muscles cannot properly support the spine. Carrying extra weight, especially around your belly may strain the back muscles and cause back pain. This is also the reason why most pregnant women experience back pain. Lastly, incorrect lifting can lead to an injury that manifests through the severe back pain.
Sleeping on a bad mattress that doesn’t provide sufficient support can also cause back pain or make it worse.
How to Pick a Good Mattress for Your Back
Finding a perfect mattress can be very hard because every individual has different needs. However, if you are prone to back pain and if you are looking for ways to alleviate it, you should focus on models that not too soft or too firm. If the mattress is too firm, it will add more pressure to your joints and cause spine misalignment. Similarly, a bed that is too soft will allow your body to sink into the mattress and cause spinal misalignment. Even if you don’t suffer from back pain, sleeping in a bad posture can cause a backache. The right bed should make you feel comfortable, while also providing excellent support. The feeling is similar as floating on air.
Although getting a new mattress can be quite expensive, you should consider it an investment in your health. Your bed is a very important piece of furniture because you spend in it seven to nine hours each night. Instead of trying to save money and buy a mattress that is not right for your body, you shouldn’t hesitate in investing in something that will ensure you sleep better and wake up refreshed in the morning. Of course, investing in a new bed doesn’t mean you should spend all your money on it. Make sure you set a proper budget. Unbiased mattress guides can help you speed up and facilitate the often painful decision of selecting the right mattress for your bedroom.
What Else Can I Do For Back Pain?
Changing your mattress will do wonders for your back pain. However, you should also stretch every day before going to bed and after you wake up to keep your spine flexible. Also, you should avoid sleeping positions that may cause or aggravate back pain. For example, it is not recommended to sleep on your back or stomach. Experts say that sleeping on your side with a pillow between your legs (and behind the back) will give you extra support and alleviate discomfort. Pillows will particularly support your hips and lower back which can help avoid hip and lower back pain.
For sweeter dreams and less discomfort in the morning, it is imperative to sleep on a quality mattress. When shopping for a new bed, remember that you need to take your time to find the right model. Otherwise, you might get stuck with a mattress that makes your back pain worse than before. To ensure you are making the right choice, check online reviews and always bring your own pillow and spend a good 15 to 20 minutes trying out each model. Also, try changing sleep positions. You should feel comfortable in each one. Although it seems silly, testing it is the only way to ensure you are making the right decision.