If not causing, it could definitely be contributing. 

While you may have a sentimental attachment to your current mattress, it is worth asking the question: does it support your back? Sleeping on the wrong mattress can indeed cause, or at least worsen, back pain symptoms by failing to support your spine in its extended, resting position.

Sleep should be a time of rest and recuperation for the spine and surrounding musculature; by failing to provide adequate support, a compromised mattress could cause a double-whammy effect on your spine and well-being. So what is the difference between the wrong and right mattress? There is no single answer- the right mattress for you is determined by several factors. Read on to find out more.

The magic formula: comfort + support

Sleep is hard to come by without comfort. Therefore, comfort should be a priority when deciding on your mattress. However, comfort does not mean you need to sacrifice support. Comfort and support must hold equal sway in any decision regarding your sleeping surface. So lets define these terms as they relate to a mattress:

• Comfort: while “firm,” generally means more support than soft, not everyone is able to get comfortable on a firm mattress. A good-quality, medium-firm mattress will allow you to sink in a bit without losing support for your spine’s curvature. This balance between comfort and support is the essential formula for choosing a mattress.
• Support: there is no statistic for how many Americans sleep on unsupportive mattresses. We are willing to bet that it is very high. Support in a mattress means that your natural curvature and spinal alignment is maintained while you rest. A mattress that sinks in the middle, or one that is too soft, may deceive you by feeling comfortable while compromising your curvature and alignment. The ensuing muscle stiffness and back pain that you feel in the morning could be a good indicator of a lack-of-support in your mattress.

Your mattress is a tool for spinal health 

At Hayes Family Chiropractic, we see the mattress as a tool, a portal even, for better spinal health. Whether you are in the market for a new mattress or not, we are sure there are ways you can change your sleep setup to support your spine more adequately. Sleeptime represents an opportunity within each and every 24 hours to provide your spine with a dose of rejuvenation- make sure you are not sabotaging this opportunity with an inadequate mattress.