Are you feeling sharp pain or stiffness in your back when you wake up in the morning? What about right now? Feel like nothing has changed in your routine to cause back pain?
It can be incredibly frustrating to pinpoint the cause behind what’s causing you back pain. But it shouldn’t be something you just live with or even worse, think will magically go away. While back pain can be brought on by a number of different factors (i.e. aging, chronic pain, old injuries, etc.), your mattress is a likely culprit.
Truth be told, your mattress is a good place to start when you’re evaluating the source of your back pain. And below we’ll give you easy, recognizable ways to tell if this applies to your current situation.
The 6 tell-tale signs your mattress is causing you back pain
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Can the right mattress ease your back pain?
We emphasize the important role of mattresses because it’s a deal breaker in your quality of sleep. Why is that? If your head, shoulders, hips and spine aren’t fully accommodated by a sleep surface, you will experience back pain. The wrong mattress can make you restless, cause body pain, hygiene issues, allergies, lose sleep…need we say more? Furthermore, all of these negative effects don’t do you any good when you’re trying to live a happy, healthy life.
But when you invest in the right mattress and especially after you go from sleeping on a low-grade mattress to the proper one—you’ll notice a transformation in your body and your sleep. In fact, this study had subjects with beds for more than five years replace them with a new mattress; the results were that these individuals reported less back pain and better sleep.
There’s no single mattress that will be a one-size-fits-all for everyone with back pain, but there are some helpful elements to keep in mind if you need a new mattress.
How to pick the right mattress for your back
Below are the main things to consider when looking for a mattress. Keeping in mind that there’s no ‘perfect’ mattress, only ‘perfect’ for you and your situation.
Is your mattress causing you back pain?
It’s definitely likely. If you notice any of the above signs, then your mattress could be underperforming in support or putting too much pressure on your body. Either way, it encourages poor sleeping positions and restlessness, both of which lead to back pain issues and irritations. A good mattress needs to support your spine.
If you’ve been experiencing back pain, take a closer look at your mattress and talk to your doctor.