lower back pain = linked to bed?

[Lorrie]

what type of mattress do you sleep on? i have lower back pain and i think the problem may be the POS mattress my landlord provided me. mattress topper vs. mattress? i'm leaning towards memory foam but have also heard good things about latex. where can i buy a mattress or mattress topper online? i'd prefer to not have to deal with the hassle of crowds

 

[rockitman]

I had lower back pain every morning for two years until I realized it was the mattress. It's a viable cause, although there can obviously be other medical issues causing the pain.

 

[MylesBAstor]

I had lower back pain every morning for two years until I realized it was the mattress. It's a viable cause, although there can obviously be other medical issues causing the pain.

Exactly right. And remember that things are correlations not cause effects. What may be attributed to the bed may be unrelated to the mattress. For instance, you sleep on your side in a fetal position for 8 hours; combine that with sitting for 10+ hours a day. The end result? You've asymetrically shortening the upper fibers of the psoas muscle, all of which attach to the lumbar spine. That shortening, besides being linked to lower cross syndrome, also results in the loss of the normal "lordotic" curvature of the lumbar spine. In another words, all the resistance torque caused by the flattening of the spine is placed at L4/L5 or the place where all the weight of the trunk is situated (like C7 is for the head).

 

[puroagave]

ive stayed at friends homes in japan and slept on tatami mats with futons - my back hurt for a week - i dont know how they cope with it. we sleep on an Aireloom pillow top matress, the best we've ever owned.

 

[Steve Williams]

I also have an Aireloom mattress for the past 6-7 years. Cost me a Kings ransom but is the best mattress I've ever owned.

 

[Andre Marc]

Exactly right. And remember that things are correlations not cause effects. What may be attributed to the bed may be unrelated to the mattress. For instance, you sleep on your side in a fetal position for 8 hours; combine that with sitting for 10+ hours a day. The end result? You've asymetrically shortening the upper fibers of the psoas muscle, all of which attach to the lumbar spine. That shortening, besides being linked to lower cross syndrome, also results in the loss of the normal "lordotic" curvature of the lumbar spine. In another words, all the resistance torque caused by the flattening of the spine is placed at L4/L5 or the place where all the weight of the trunk is situated (like C7 is for the head).

Hi Myles:

Would you also agree that overall fitness is a big factor for lower back pain? Core strength is also a major factor.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Hi Myles:

Would you also agree that overall fitness is a big factor for lower back pain? Core strength is also a major factor.

It's pretty complicated and there are lot's of paradoxes Fitness though certainly is important--but would you believe me when I say that loss of shoulder and hip mobility are more directly related to back issues? In other words when we need to accomplish a task, our brain won't say Andre you can't do this. What it does is figure out a movement pattern, not necessarily the best (eg shutting down key muscles) to move the body. And the piece of the puzzle sacrificed is core stability.

Thing is that as we age, beginning at age 15, we accumulate back issues, whether they be disc, spine, arthritis, stenosis, etc. The paradoxical thing is that we can take two people with the same issues on an MRI and one person is asymptomatic and the other person is symptomatic. (one cause for that could easily be how the MRI was performed eg. standing or lying down.) So the question is one person in pain and the other isn't. Most theories (such as strengthening the back) have fallen by the wayside and essentially the only two factors that seem related to back health are posture and leg strength.

 

[Andre Marc]

It's pretty complicated and there are lot's of paradoxes Fitness though certainly is important--but would you believe me when I say that loss of shoulder and hip mobility are more directly related to back issues? In other words when we need to accomplish a task, our brain won't say Andre you can't do this. What it does is figure out a movement pattern, not necessarily the best (eg shutting down key muscles) to move the body. And the piece of the puzzle sacrificed is core stability.

Thing is that as we age, beginning at age 15, we accumulate back issues, whether they be disc, spine, arthritis, stenosis, etc. The paradoxical thing is that we can take two people with the same issues on an MRI and one person is asymptomatic and the other person is symptomatic. (one cause for that could easily be how the MRI was performed eg. standing or lying down.) So the question is one person in pain and the other isn't. Most theories (such as strengthening the back) have fallen by the wayside and essentially the only two factors that seem related to back health are posture and leg strength.

Totally understood.

I agree with you about hip/shoulder mobility.

I do functional leg workouts 2 to 3 times a week, and I generally have zero back issues at age 44.

My lower back did bother me last night after we went to see James Bond and the theater seats SUCKED.

My wife said she was uncomfortable too, so I knew it was just not me.

 

[Tom1356]

I had lower back pain most of my adult life until I bought a memory foam mattress.
It was so bad that If I were to lay down anywhere even for a few mins my back would lock up. Now it's not an issue.
I have the extra firm version.

 

[Gregadd]

Think Chiropractor.

 

[vinylphilemag]

I had lower back pain most of my adult life until I bought a memory foam mattress.
It was so bad that If I were to lay down anywhere even for a few mins my back would lock up. Now it's not an issue.
I have the extra firm version.

I've been thinking along the same lines myself, so thanks for mentioning this. They ain't cheap, but amortised over a 10-15 year lifetime, at ~8 hours per day, they're not that bad. Especially if one gets a really good night's sleep with no back pain!

 

[audioguy]

Think Chiropractor.

Agreed PLUS a Tempurpedic Mattress. The mattress and motorized adjustable platform cost 3 times what I paid for my first new car and worth every penny of it.

I am a big believer in Chiropractors as is my bride. But there are good ones and bad ones.

And depending on where you live, if you can find a MAT (Muscle Activation Therapy) specialist, you can become a new you. My daughter is a MAT specialist in Dallas and has a number of the Cowboys (it apparently doesn't make them win games!!), Roger Staubach and 100's of other clients that swear by it.

Check out: http://www.muscleactivation.com/

 

[Tom1356]

I've been thinking along the same lines myself, so thanks for mentioning this. They ain't cheap, but amortized over a 10-15 year lifetime, at ~8 hours per day, they're not that bad. Especially if one gets a really good night's sleep with no back pain!

If money is an issue there is a poor mans version.
I did this for a friend. The guys wife calls it magic bed.

Build a platform bed out of 2x3's and 1/2" plywood what ever size/ height you want. Get a 4" thick piece of 8# blue upholstery foam.
Buy a 3' thick 8# memory foam mattress topper. Use 3M 77 spray glue to fuse the two pieces together. Put the whole thing in a mattress bag and you are 90% there for 20% of the cash.
This also works great for kids beds and vacation houses.
Good luck.

 

[A.wayne]

Exactly right. And remember that things are correlations not cause effects. What may be attributed to the bed may be unrelated to the mattress. For instance, you sleep on your side in a fetal position for 8 hours; combine that with sitting for 10+ hours a day. The end result? You've asymetrically shortening the upper fibers of the psoas muscle, all of which attach to the lumbar spine. That shortening, besides being linked to lower cross syndrome, also results in the loss of the normal "lordotic" curvature of the lumbar spine. In another words, all the resistance torque caused by the flattening of the spine is placed at L4/L5 or the place where all the weight of the trunk is situated (like C7 is for the head).

Myles ,

If only you dissect cables as eloquently ....

 

[A.wayne]

I also have an Aireloom mattress for the past 6-7 years. Cost me a Kings ransom but is the best mattress I've ever owned.

Yep , cost as much as a new back .....

 

[A.wayne]

Totally understood.

I agree with you about hip/shoulder mobility.

I do functional leg workouts 2 to 3 times a week, and I generally have zero back issues at age 44.

My lower back did bother me last night after we went to see James Bond and the theater seats SUCKED.

My wife said she was uncomfortable too, so I knew it was just not me.

44 !!!!!!

I could leap tall buildings on a single bounce at 44 , get back with me in 10 ....

 

[Mosin]

For approximately thirty years, I have slept on a two hundred year-old bed that is a nonstandard size, so I had a local company custom make the mattress. I specified, "Make me the hardest mattress you have ever made." They did, and I believe it is impossible to wear this mattress out. Also, I sleep like a baby with zero back pain. I'm convinced hard is best. By the way, I sleep flat on my back with my arms crossed like a vampire.

I remember reading an account of a man who spent years in a Siberian work camp. Mostly, he wrote of all the expected horrors, but he did mention the upside of becoming accustomed to sleeping on a flat board. He maintained that it fixed his bad previous posture and back problems.

Oh, I worked as a traveling rep for years, and I did sleep fairly well at better hotels, but not as well as at home on my old "board" mattress.

 

[Lorrie]

Hi guys, thanks alot for the feedback. Having seen the prices of some memory foam mattresses, I had to have a rethink If Im looking to buy memory foam topper online, what should I be looking out for? Will the memory foam topper be sufficient? Whats the best memory foam topper? Is there a cheap mattress topper? So many questions!!! I need a lie down....

 

[Lorrie]

For approximately thirty years, I have slept on a two hundred year-old bed that is a nonstandard size, so I had a local company custom make the mattress. I specified, "Make me the hardest mattress you have ever made." They did, and I believe it is impossible to wear this mattress out. Also, I sleep like a baby with zero back pain. I'm convinced hard is best. By the way, I sleep flat on my back with my arms crossed like a vampire.

I remember reading an account of a man who spent years in a Siberian work camp. Mostly, he wrote of all the expected horrors, but he did mention the upside of becoming accustomed to sleeping on a flat board. He maintained that it fixed his bad previous posture and back problems.

Oh, I worked as a traveling rep for years, and I did sleep fairly well at better hotels, but not as well as at home on my old "board" mattress.

HAHA slept like a vampire. Im assuming you had some pillows in that coffin

 

[carolkoh]

Lorrie, I have a memory foam topper. My cushioned mattress just wasn't doing it and since I slept on my side, I had often woke up with compression hip pain as well. I bought a 3" memory foam topper on the suggestion of my Osteopath (think MD with chiropractic training) about 5 years ago and it was one of the best $150 I'd ever spent.