Which mattress do chiropractors recommend

I just found myself in the same position. A few years ago I bought an expensive name-brand mattress that felt great in the store… and slowly started to kill me.

A few weeks ago my suspicions were confirmed when I stayed in a hotel for a few nights, and my back pain got a lot better… until I got home. So it was time for a new mattress! Soft, firm or something in between? Innerspring, memory foam, latex, air or some combination? Pillowtop or customer topper or feather bed? And just how much does a good mattress cost? There are basically three sleeping positions to help determine what level of mattress firmness you should aim for: the stomach , the side , and the back.

Everything else is down to budget and preference. Stop it right now! Sleeping on your stomach puts additional strain on your spine, especially at the lower back and neck. But, if you insist on sleeping on your stomach, choose a soft pillow but a firm mattress to support your body. If you have low back problems it may be helpful to elevate your legs from time to time by placing a pillow or a folded towel beneath your knees, but check with your healthcare provider.

If you snore or have a cold it may be helpful to elevate your head and shoulders with firmer or additional pillows. Habitual back sleepers are likely going to be better off with a mattress in the range of medium to firm — again, to relieve strain on the spine. If you have respiratory or cardiac issues that require other sleeping positions, consult your medical specialist.

Also the most popular sleeping position. I sleep on my side for that matter. People with low back or hip pain may find it comfortable to sleep with a pillow between the knees. People with shoulder pain who like this position will prefer a softer mattress. A firm mattress will press into the hips and shoulders to create pressure. The plain old-fashioned mattress. These can range from soft to firm. The classic innerspring is perennially popular, but you can also find hybrids with memory foam or gels.

A polyurethane foam made from oil. Polyurethane foams have been around for a while, but memory foam was developed by NASA in , eventually released to the public domain, and popularized for mattresses by Tempur-Pedic.

Memory foam is exceptionally comfortable because it molds to the body in response to both heat and pressure. Of course, it also traps heat, which some people find uncomfortable, although newer mattresses include gels to dissipate that heat.

Memory foams also come in different levels of density, viscosity, and resilience, which can be combined for different effects, so there are a lot of options available — some Tempur-Pedic mattresses have 9 different types of layered memory foam! Other issues to be aware of before purchasing a memory foam include off-gassing when unwrapped they release chemicals for a few weeks , and their energy absorbency, which means they absorb motion which can make it difficult for infants and small children to adjust position if sleeping on them.

For this reason, it is not recommended that you put infants down to sleep on memory foam mattresses. These mattresses can also vary quite a bit in price. The bounciest mattress around! If your mattress escalates your back pain, contact your supplier to have it changed. Therefore, the longer the sleep trial period, the more time you have to make the right decision. The process of finding the right mattress for better back and neck support is exhausting.

So, to prevent going through the same problems a few years down the line, consider picking a durable mattress. Selecting a mattress with a longer warranty is one way of preventing return trips to the mattress store in search of a new mattress a few years later. The general recommendation by chiropractors for the ideal mattress for back pain is one that contours the shape of a sleeper's body while offering the right spinal alignment and support.

Most mattresses in the market today offer these features, although some work better than others. The metallic coils in innerspring mattresses provide sleepers with a buoyant feel, coupled with adequate support. Their zoned structure also provides different body parts with the kind of comfort and support required for proper spinal alignment.

However, these springs may break or lose their elasticity, causing an imbalance between the support and comfort features of the mattress. Memory foam cradles the sleeper's body to relieve pressure points on the hips, shoulders, back, neck and joints. They also feel soft, and are comfortable for any sleeping position. The downside of these mattresses is their inability to regulate the temperature, causing further discomfort to sleepers who are already struggling with back pains.

Latex mattresses are highly recommended for sleepers with back pains for various reasons, including:. Additionally, most latex mattresses range between medium and medium-firm levels of firmness recommended by experts.

Hybrid mattresses combine latex foam, memory foam, and innerspring to achieve the best qualities of these mattresses. They are equally good for pressure relief and comfortable for all types of sleepers. However, they have a shorter lifespan compared to latex mattresses. An airbed is an inflatable mattress with zoned air pockets. Sleepers can customize the airbed by increasing or reducing the air in different air pockets to adjust the firmness level of the mattress. However, airbeds may not provide a sleeper with the ideal support they require to reduce pressure on the spine and other parts of the body.

Thus, although they feel cozy, they may cause back pains to a sleeper in the long run. The sleep trial period mainly allows a sleeper to have sufficient time to try out a new mattress, helping them decide if it's worth it.

It also provides the sleeper with a chance to contact the manufacturer with any questions about the mattress. And, if they decide that they don't like the mattress, they can request a return or refund as per the manufacturer's policy. Side sleepers also experience back pains when sleeping on the wrong kind of mattress.

They also require a softer mattress that's easy on their joints, hips, and shoulders without compromising support. Such a mattress may be harder to find, especially when working with a smaller budget. If you are a side sleeper, sleep accessories can inexpensively improve how you sleep at night.

Some of these accessories include:. Using an adjustable base allows you to customize your sleep position to one that comfortably enables your mattress to contour your body's curves. This helps ease pressure on the targeted body parts to improve spinal alignment.

You can also use a mattress topper to change the firmness level of a mattress. For example, if your mattress is in good condition, and offers adequate support but feels too firm, a softer mattress topper would be the best solution. Pillows come in different shapes, sizes, and firmness levels, and can practically support any part of the body. For instance, sleepers experiencing backaches can use wedged pillows to support their back, and softer ones for their necks.

That helps ease the pressure on the spine, especially for side sleepers. You're likely to feel uncomfortable on your new mattress during the first few nights of sleep because your body needs time to adjust to the new sleep surface. The mattress, too, takes a few days to conform to your body's curves. That's why you should take advantage of the sleep trial period to try out the mattress before deciding whether it suits you. On average, your mattress will take about 14 days to get used to your body, but that also depends on how often you use the mattress during the sleep trial period.

Sleeping on the wrong mattress can not only cause back pain, but also increase existing back pain due to a proper lack of support that:. Many people incorrectly assume that softer mattresses are better for their backs, particularly when they have chronic back pain. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. You need a mattress that provides proper support for your back instead. Its unrivaled high-quality material pushes back against you, enabling back pain relief by eliminating pressure points, and gently aligning your spine.

Then, the premium organic Dunlop latex core is uniquely resilient and dense, offering unequaled support and proper spinal alignment. A high-quality core can also be the difference between years of long-lasting support or unpleasant sagging indentations after a short period. Here's more of what to expect:. This mattress has gone through rigorous testing, earning the following certifications:.

In other words, choosing the best mattress for your back — and your back pain — just got far less complicated, thanks to these certifications. This is great news for you, considering how much time you spend each year in bed. Think about it; there are days in a year, and 24 hours in each day. So, if you spend the recommended eight hours per day in bed, you'll be spending one-third of your time in bed each day. That's more time than you spend in your car, on your sofa, or even your favorite recliner.

So investing in a high-quality mattress is a good move for your quality of sleep, peace of mind, and overall spine health. Your back will be happy you did!

The mattress should be able to push back on those heavier pressure points, keeping your spine aligned as you turn from side to back. A mattress that is too firm will apply painful pinpoint pressure on the heavier parts of your body, especially your hips, constantly signaling your body to move and reposition, resulting in constant tossing and turning, and light sleep which keeps you in a perpetual state of exhaustion.

The resulting stiffness and pain that occur in your spine will constantly be sending you back to your chiropractors office for adjustments. At the very top of a mattress, there must be a sufficient amount of softer, comfortable cushioning materials that both offer an initial immersive embrace, and provide a breathable sleep surface that will help you maintain an optimal sleep-body temperature.

Natural latex emits no chemical residue as do some man-made fibers, and also helps maintain optimal body temperature. Latex is also livelier and bouncier, and distributes load horizontally rather than down in pinpoint pressure fashion, and is great for ongoing back pain, especially between shoulders, and lower back. Comfort and support are inseparable partners in providing restorative sleep and you can actually find a healthy combination of both in all of the mattresses we recommend.

Generally, a chiropractor is likely to advise that you consider the firmest mattress you can stand, so avoid mattress options that are labeled soft, generally speaking. In terms of healthy spine support, look for the firmest, most supportive mattress you find most comfortable. These factors will determine the service life of your mattress how long you receive maximum provide the comfort and support and should be tied to at least a few years beyond the stated warranty.

The best assurance of continuous support and comfort over the years is to seek out and buy the highest quality mattress you can buy, such as those provided on our curated list on this page.

A pocketed coil hybrid mattress is often a great choice for back problems, neck pain, and shoulder pain. Be aware of coil count and how the coils are made. We recommend pocketed coils, that are independent of one another and support your back very precisely, and respond uniquely to every eight or ten square inches of your body by applying the appropriate amount of pressure against your body. Individually pocketed coils are what make a mattress supportive and at the same time responsive to the weight and pressure points of the body.

They tend to be less firm, but not too soft, offering a midrange sensation wihile still offering a yielding fee, excellent for back pain issues. Coil counts and how coils are configured are indicators of quality. The higher the coil count in relation to the surface area, the greater the strength and durability of the mattress. Most chiropractors are going to advise that you choose a pocketed coil component being used in addition to layers of supportive foams like memory foam, latex , and gel foams, along with a supportive yet yielding outer pillow top, a duvet like piece that is on the very outside top of the mattress.

Most of the selections of coil hybrid options in our curated list includes this type of construction. Manufacturers of high-quality mattresses are eager to offer a long-term warranty and a decent trial period of days, with some our dealers offering year long trial periods. A top-quality mattress should come with a minimum warranty of 10 years. Anything less might be a red flag signaling you to look at another brand or model. That is a function of how a mattress is used and the environment in which it is placed.

A warranty is designed to protect you against product defects or flaws in the workmanship of the mattress. The Nectar Mattres s is a memory foam mattress that has a slightly firmer feel to it you would expect from a typical memory foam mattress, which are often too soft.

Designed to hug your body, as well as support your spine, nine out of ten Nectar owners surveyed said they experienced less back pain, particularly lower back pain, after sleeping on their mattresses. Being slightly firmer and more resilient up top is just what your chiropractor would order, and the reviews are pretty definitive when it comes to results.

With over Verified Reviews listed on their site, the Nectar Mattress has continuously scored 4. The Nectar Mattress was carefully calibrated to offer a sumptuous yet supportive feel that properly supports your spine, distributes weight laterally instead of downwards, and reduces pinpoint pressure.

You will also enjoy free shipping, too! Designed by Dr. When you check out, you can opt for three levels of firmness, too, including soft, medium, and firm.

Visit the Spine-Align site to get details on the level of firmness to expect. Made in the U. The Spine-Align Individual pocketed coils placed beneath carefully calibrated layers of memory foam and gel foam keep your spine straight and level while you sleep. This keeps muscles from cantilevering during the night, causing lactic acid to build up, resulting in morning pain and burning.

By relaxing muscles and keeping your back straight, you will get restorative rest. Order your chiropractor designed Spine-Align On the outside, the fabric covering is made with Celliant fiber, made from a blend of thermo-reactive minerals and 88 trace elements.

Up top cooling-graphite foam removes unwanted body heat even more, and layer 3 a highly responsive transition foam offers pressure relief with balanced support.