Sleep, Mattresses & Back Pain

The hardest mattress is not automatically the best

Comfort and support matter more than a label such as “extra firm” or “orthopedic.” Sleeping on the floor or choosing the hardest available mattress is not a universal treatment for back pain. A personal experience with one sleeping surface cannot establish what will help someone else.

In a randomized study of 313 adults with chronic nonspecific low-back pain, medium-firm mattresses produced better results on several pain and disability measures than firm mattresses over 90 days. The trial did not establish one mattress for every person, diagnose the cause of pain or test every modern mattress design. Read the mattress firmness trial.

Make a practical choice for your sleep

Before making a purchase, think about what you need to improve: comfort when settling down, waking with pain, turning in bed or getting up in the morning. Those are useful goals to discuss with your clinician and to track during a mattress trial.

• Try a surface in your usual sleeping position and check the return or trial policy.
• Choose a setup that is comfortable and easy for you to get in and out of.
• Change one part of your sleep setup at a time so you can judge whether it helps.
• Avoid treating a premium price or a therapeutic marketing claim as proof of benefit.

You do not need to buy a mattress before requesting an assessment. Bring questions about your current setup, any recent changes and the activities that also affect your symptoms.

Look beyond the mattress

A mattress is only one part of a back-pain discussion. Persistent or worsening pain deserves an assessment rather than repeated bedding purchases. Tell your clinician if pain disturbs sleep, follows an injury, spreads into a leg or occurs with other new symptoms.

For new bladder or bowel control problems, numbness around the groin, or severe or worsening leg weakness, seek urgent medical care. A new mattress is not an appropriate response to these warning signs.

Learn more about lower back pain, sciatica and comfortable movement and working positions.

Bring your questions to a visit

Our Vancouver and Gresham clinics can discuss your symptoms, previous care and goals. Recommendations should fit the examination findings, your preferences and any relevant health conditions.