Have you ever woken up with a stiff back? Is there difficulty while getting up from bed in the morning? Do you have back pain with makes your morning difficult?
What can be a cause of discomfort in the back while you wake up in the morning or while you are sleeping at night? Have you ever given a thought that your mattress could be blamed for your poor spine health?
The first thing in treating problems related to your spine is identifying the cause. There can be various cause or exacerbating factors such as inactive lifestyle, a new activity or excessive exercise and not to overlook ‘the mattress’ you sleep on.
But surely if your back pain is coming up when you wake up, or you frequently toss and turn trying to get sleep, it could be a major sign that your mattress is doing more harm than good (1).
Back pain, if caused by a mattress, is muscular in nature. The pain gets better as the day passes or by doing yoga or simple exercises. The symptoms are present in the middle of the back. Switching mattress could be a potential fix to the condition.
How to Choose A Good Mattress?
A mattress should be replaced every 8 years, whether you have back symptoms or not. Sleep preferences vary in each individual. When looking out for mattresses look for the one which is neither too firm nor too soft.
If the mattress is very hard it will push on the pressure points and cause misalignment of the spine. If too soft, it would make the body to sink into bed causing a bad posture, leading to backache. A perfect mattress makes you feel as if the body is floating on air. A study confirmed that mattress of medium firmness improves pain and disability among patient with chronic back pain (2)
Look out for the following factors when choosing the best mattress for better spine health:
Age Factor. When choosing a mattress for your bed forget the saying older is better because in case of mattress it’s not.
A study conducted on few subjects with beds more than five years old were given new mattresses. They reported better sleep quality, less stress, and less back pain (3).
Sagging Spots. Look for sagging spots, while buying a mattress, as it can cause back pain by throwing the spine out of alignment. Any mattress which makes the spine curve down or up is not healthy for blood circulation or for the muscles.
A good mattress should provide good support for the natural curves and alignment of the spine. Good back support helps prevent the soreness of the muscles in the morning.
Physical Components of the Mattress. Enquire about the physical components of the mattress. The coils or the inner springs in the mattress provide support. The arrangement of coils varies in different mattress. The padding on the top of the mattress also comes in different thicknesses.
Check the Mattress you Purchase. When shopping a mattress bring your pillow and spend 10 -15 minutes on it. It helps you in getting sure that what you are purchasing is right.
Assessing your sleep surface is really a part of a healthy sleep lifestyle. Never make a choice based on the price. Always look for the quality of the mattress, and purchase them from the stores and companies that are trustworthy.
Back pain or spine problems can occur if your mattress is not a perfect one. For good night dreams, and fresh and active morning, it is very important to consider changing your mattress as that pain in the back can become a hurdle in your morning activities and if not checked early can worsen and lead to other complicated conditions.
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