How To Choose The Best Mattress For Lower Back Pain

Updated 3 days ago
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Choosing the right mattress for lower back pain depends on a few factors, including your weight and sleeping position. Generally, those who sleep on their back and stomach need firmer mattresses, while those who sleep on their sides need softer mattresses. Additionally, if you have back pain, you should pick a mattress with proper lumbar support as this helps to reduce your daytime aches and pains and helps you sleep more deeply.

Consider these when choosing a mattress for lower back pain

Have you ever considered your sleeping position or weight concerning the type of mattress you should buy? If not, that's okay! Many people don't understand that several factors go into what kind of mattress is right for you. If you have lower back pain, here are a few things you should keep in mind.

Sleeping Position

  • If you sleep on your side, you should be sleeping on a softer mattress. This is because those who sleep on their sides need a little more sinkage to accommodate their shoulders and hips. If you're a side-sleeper, get a softer mattress that can contour to your body, and also provides a little curvature and prevents pressure points from forming in your shoulders and pelvis. Some options include innerspring, hybrids, and memory foam (though the memory foam shouldn't be overly soft.)
  • If you sleep on your stomach or back, you should look for a firmer mattress. Softer surfaces, like memory foam, causes back and stomach sleepers to sleep at an angle, misaligning your spine and forcing your body to overcompensate. This causes acute back pain (in addition to the chronic pain many already suffer) and decreased sleep quality. Firmer options include latex, hybrids, and innerspring.
  • Combination sleepers need a versatile mattress that can provide a balance between soft and firm. These are typically called "medium-firm" mattresses and are the most popular on the market. A medium-firm mattress adjusts to your various positions at night, assuring that your sleep quality doesn't change based on your current position. The best options? Hybrids and innerspring.

Body Weight

When you're thinking about your mattress, it's essential to consider your body weight. The more you weigh, the greater the sinkage in a mattress that's too soft, such as memory foam. In general, hybrids tend to be a good option for those who weigh more and couples because of their reinforced steel coil support systems that provide adequate pushback and increasing surface resistance, reducing sleep disturbances.

Mattress Type

Mattress type is the ultimate deciding factor on how well you'll sleep at night. A mattress is a significant investment for your future sleep quality and health, so it's important to make the best decision for your body!

  • Good: Latex is a good option for side sleepers who need a little more surface resistance. Additionally, these mattresses' cell-paneled design helps regulate your body temperature, assisting in keeping you comfortable and cool throughout the night.
  • Better: Memory Foam is a better option as it allows for some sinkage. It uses your body heat to contour the mattress toward your body shape, size, and sleeping position. However, if a memory foam mattress is too soft, it can misalign your spine and begin causing back pain.
  • Best: Innerspring mattresses use a coiling system within the mattress to provide the support of steel combined with padding comfort. The result is a mattress that pushes back against your body, allowing for enough sinkage conducive to proper lumbar support!

Your mattress needs to have lumbar support!

Lumbar support means your mattress provides additional support to your back, keeping your spine aligned to its maximum curvature. This is super important specifically for people who experience back pain as spine misalignment during the night is one of the primary causes of acute daily back pain. If your back pain starts overnight, peaks in the morning, and begins to feel better throughout the day, the chances are that your mattress doesn't provide the lumbar support you need.

What mattress do chiropractors recommend?

The Congress of Chiropractic State Associations has awarded Saatva Classic mattress their seal of approval for this year. Saatva is a luxury brand geared toward relieving your pain through its state of the art design. Their products contain Spinal Zone Technology, an active a wire down the mattress center for optimal spinal alignment, something you'll only find in a Saatva mattress! Want a little more information? Here are a few other aspects to the Saatva innerspring mattress that makes it a great choice to help your back pain:

  • Plush pillow-top made with cotton that assists the coils in providing support while also contouring to your specific body type
  • 884 Individually-wrapped coil design, proving premium motion transfer
  • 416 tempered steel support coils used within the frame, providing ultimate support, and making sure your mattress lasts a long time

The #1 Best Mattress For Lower Back Pain

Saatva is our top pick for the #1 best mattress for Lower Back Pain in 2023! They're a luxury hypoallergenic mattress shipped directly to your door (with full-service white-glove delivery). They have over 50,000 reviews and continue to be one of the most reputable, established brands in the industry (founded in 2009). Check their price, here.

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