Mattress Quality Affects Back Pain

Massage clients who present with chronic back pain and stiffness can practice self-care by ensuring they sleep on a good-quality mattress, according to new research.

The study by Oklahoma State University found that subjects who suffered from persistent back pain found immediate and significant relief by switching to a new mattress, and that the improvements persisted past the initial switch to the new mattress. It also found that subjects who were sleeping on mattresses five years or older were significantly more likely to suffer from back pain and stiffness.

Researchers studied a control group of 59 healthy participants (30 women and 29 men) who slept on their own at-least-five-years-old mattresses for four weeks and then slept on a new bedding system for the same time period. The study analyzed the difference in low-back discomfort, spine stiffness, sleep quality, comfort and efficiency.

Subjects with high back pain reported a 63 percent improvement in back discomfort after switching to a new mattress, regardless of their age or weight.

The study results are published in the current issue of the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. The study was commissioned by the International Sleep Products Association and The Better Sleep Council Canada in order to determine if a scientific link existed between sleep products' age and quality and people's back pain, discomfort and sleep quantity.

The Better Sleep Council Canada recommends consumers perform a bi-annual bed check to evaluate the state of their mattress and foundation. Look for these simple ABC'S:

• (A) Age: has your mattress had more than eight to 10 years of nightly use?

• (B) Beauty: would you be embarrassed to show your uncovered mattress in public? Does it have stains, soils or tears? Does it sag?

• (C) Comfort: over time you become desensitized to the dwindling comfort and support of your mattress—just like you would to an old pair of sneakers. When you lie down and concentrate on the comfort of your mattress, does it feel the same as it did when you first tried it at the store?

• (S) Support check - when you lie flat on your back, and place your hand under the small of your back, how much space is there? You should be able to move your hand around.