Have you ever wondered "What type of mattress if best for my back?" Between the many types of mattresses available on the market- foam, coiled, water,as well as combinations of all these, not to forget further options between soft, medium, or firm- where do we begin? All of these variables make finding the right one truly difficult!
An orthopedic surgeon survey found that 95% of the surgeons polled believed that the mattress played a role in back pain management, and 76% recommended a firm mattress. But is this supported by research?
In an Oklahoma State University study, researchers provided 59 healthy people whose beds were at least five years old with new beds featuring a medium-firm, foam-encased spring mattress. ALL the study subjects said they had less back pain, less shoulder stiffness, improved sleep quality, and greater comfort after 28 nights on the new beds. However, when these researchers reviewed prior studies tat compared foam vs. coil vs. water beds, the reviews were mixed raising the question, "Would any new bed be better than an old one?"
Several studies have measured the difference between mattresses- including a chriopractic-led study that looked at two factors: spinal distortion and maximum pressure. The researchers concluded that the two goals of a mattress were to exhibit LOW maximum pressures and LITTLE spinal distortion.
So after adding up all these findings, it appears that doctors should recommend a mattress that does not distort the spine, distributes weight evenly, and is medium-firm in density.