Kim Bergholdt, DC; Rasmus N. Fabricius, DC; Tom Bendix, MD, DrMedSci - Medscape TodayA study was done to objectively evaluate 3 structurally different mattresses relative influence on patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP).
In several advertisements, it is proclaimed that certain mattresses have a positive effect on low back pain, and especially a hard mattress is commonly believed to have a positive effect.
One hundred sixty chronic low back pain patients were randomized to 1 of 3 groups, having a mattress/bed mounted in their sleeping room for 1 month. The beds were: (1) waterbed (Akva), (2) body-conforming foam mattress (Tempur), and (3) a hard mattress (Innovation Futon). At baseline and after 4 weeks, a blinded observer interviewed the patients on low back pain levels (0-10), daily function (activities of daily living, 0-30), and on the amount of sleeping hours/night.
Results: Both the waterbed and the foam mattress seemed superior to the hard mattress, especially when using the probably most relevant worst case data. There were no relevant difference between the effects of the water bed and the foam bed.
Conclusion: The Waterbed and foam mattress' did influence back symptoms, function and sleep more positively as apposed to the hard mattress, but the differences were small.
When looking for a mattress for your home, consider the following:
1. Better sleep at night leading to a greater sense of well being, which may affect the perception of pain during the day.
2. The back should probably be kept more or less in a neutral position, so that long lasting end-range positions of 1 or more tender spinal joints are avoided. To obtain this demand, the mattress should be appropriately soft, conforming body curvatures by having a reasonable capacity to equalize the pressure. How close the spinal posture should mimic that of the standing posture is unclear.
3. The capability of easy turning from side to side to avoid a painful loaded twist in the back.
4. A specific mattress may influence intervertebral disc nutritional flow positively or negatively as a function of spinal movement, because movement affects the discal metabolism. It is likely that the significance of this factor varies between those being sedentary or physically active during the daytime.
5. A waterbed and a body-contour foam mattress generally influenced back symptoms, function, and sleep more positively than a hard mattress, but the differences were small.
