To be brutally honest, what type of mattress you should sleep on if you are unlucky enough to suffer back pain will be a matter that you should discuss with your doctor or chiropractor and not with the marketing people of a particular web site.

In the US acute lower back pain (lumbago) is the fifth most common reason to visit the doctor and 90% of adults will experience back pain at some point in their life. So it is a huge problem and it’s not surprising that mattress manufacturers have targeted this large group of people in their advertising campaigns and their marketing claims, but we need to be aware of who’s doing the recommending of the “best bed for back pain” and on what authority.

I think what we can safely say is that a mattress that doesn’t provide adequate support for your back may harm it and can significantly worsen aches and pains or cause spinal misalignment in some cases. In addition to this a mattress not giving enough support will probably be quite uncomfortable and will affect your sleep, which can upset your overall health and well-being in other ways. All of this seems to be undisputed amongst doctors and chiropractors. The question is what type of mattress provided the best support and there we have some divergences of opinion.

For many years it was recommended that a firm (but not hard) mattress was the best type of mattress for back pain, even being reported as such at the 1996 Orthopedic Convention. However, a 2003 study by Spanish doctors for the Kovacs Foundation has challenged this thinking, concluding that a medium firm mattress was best for mitigating back pain. Tests showed it was more effective than a firm mattress at improving pain in the lower back.

This type of study may point to a conclusion that makes sense, but you will only really know the best mattress for you by testing some models out in store. As for everyone, choosing a mattress is a personal decision, or one you make with your partner; you will get the best results by putting in the necessary time to research and test as many as you can personally. This will give you the best experience possible of the types of support levels and comfort levels provided by inner-spring mattresses, memory foam or latex models, as well as multiple manufacturers and qualities of workmanship. Many factors go into choosing a mattress – when you suffer from back pain it becomes even more important to consider them all.

When you test the mattresses out it is recommended that you do so with your partner, if you are going to be sharing your mattress, as the weight on the other side of the bed will affect both partner’s sleeping experience. Also, don’t forget to try many sleeping positions – don’t just lie there on your back and think ‘this feels nice”; lie on your side, lie on the other side, lie on your front.

Clete A. Kushida, MD, PhD, who is a spokesperson for the American Association of Sleep Medicine recommends that, when you lie on your side, “If your shoulders and hips are sinking, if you feel your spine is not aligned, it’s probably too soft. If you feel pain and discomfort, it’s probably too firm.”

Nowadays some manufacturers and retailers offer a 30-night trial or similar, so it is possible to take a mattress home, try it out for a month and then exchange or get a refund on it, if it doesn’t work out. This is a great way to minimize your risk and it will give you a chance to test the mattress much more thoroughly than in the store.

Finally, it is important to keep your mattress in tip-top condition anyway, but even more so if you suffer from back pain. It is a good idea to turn your mattress 180 degrees every 6 months to ensure even wear and tear; if your mattress is not non-flip, then turning it over every now and again is a good idea too.

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