Top 5 Best Mattress For Lower Back Pain Reviews
What is the best choice in a lower back pain mattress?
A debate that has raged for years is whether someone with back problems should have a firm or a soft mattress. Research has been conducted but there does not seem to be a consensus of opinion, even among orthopedic professionals. One that many of these studies point to is that the mattress should feel comfortable for the sleeper, whether the mattress is firm, soft or somewhere in the middle.
There have long been diverging opinions about what firmness is right in a mattress. One school of opinion says that people with back problems will do better with a firm mattress. Another school of thought is that the true test is how the mattress feels to you and has less to do with labels and brand names. Remember that an industry standard for firmness does not exist. Find a firm mattress that works for you.
There are many things to consider when purchasing a new mattress doing some research can make the process a little easier. On average, Americans spend over three thousand hours per year in bed. That is more time than we spend in our cars or at work. The benefits of sleep can never be overstated and the purchase of a new mattress can have long-lasting effects on your overall health and well being. With consumers having more choices than ever before, it pays to know what type of mattress or sleep system is best suited to your lifestyle, health, and budget.
Possible Causes of Back Pain
Are there really any sure-fire ways to deal with back pain? Back pain is one of the leading reasons that we seek medical care. Millions of Americas suffer the effects of injury and disease that are the causes of chronic back pain. The lower back is the most common area of complaint. In strictly monetary terms, Americans spend an estimated $50 billion a year treating low back pain. There are other financial and societal impacts associated with back problems.
Every year, back pain causes millions of people to miss work, in fact, back pain is the most common cause of people missing work for medical reasons. Chronic lower back pain is one of the most common neurological conditions second only to headaches. In short, whether you suffer from back pain or not, it costs everyone money.
The financial costs aside, back problems can be a real pain. According to the medical community, most back pain involves injury or trauma to the muscles in the back or to the spine. Think of these muscular-skeletal injuries in the same way you look at a flat tire on your car. It usually occurs rather suddenly and can be fixed. This is not to say that all back pain can be resolved, but injury or trauma is different from other mechanical causes of back pain.
Thinking again of the car example, there are other components that wear out slowly and are not immediately noticeable. Tires on a car wear down every time we drive and even while the car is parked. Over time, this normal wear and tear start to affect the car's handling. We have spinal structures that wear out over time, causing back pain that can be chronic and difficult to cope with.
As our bodies age, physical changes to the spine can cause pain in the lumbar region of our back. The spine is made of bones called vertebrae and between each vertebra is a thick tissue disc which has several important functions. The disc is made up of two layers of tissue which surround a gelatin-like material. The outer layer of tissue is tough and fibrous while the inner layer is made of a very dense pulp-like tissue. So between the two bony vertebrae is the disc which acts as both a spacer and a shock absorber.
As part of the natural aging process, the discs are prone to shrink and compress has the effect of reducing the amount of space between the vertebrae. In fact, many of us actually get shorter as we get older due to this natural degenerative process. In the lumbar spine are two vertebrae referred to as L4 and L5, the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae? A critical nerve root emerges from the spinal near the area of L4 and L5. The sciatic nerve runs through the pelvis and down to the legs, providing both motor and sensory nerve function.
Pressure on the disc, whether caused by natural aging or by excess strain on the back, can cause the disc to bulge and even rupture. When a bulge or rupture occurs between L4 and L5 it can put pressure on the sciatic nerve root. This pressure can result in lumbar back discomfort and pain, as well as the pain the legs and even permanent and irreparable damage to the nerve. The pain can become so severe that many people require a surgical repair or even removal of the disc. Degenerative diseases like arthritis could be the cause of back pain.
It should be noted that there are other causes of lumbar back pain that are not related to muscular or skeletal problems. Some of these causes can be serious and even life-threatening and require immediate medical intervention. Everything from kidney stones to cancer can cause severe lumbar back pain. In order to rule out a more serious medical condition, you should seek immediate professional medical help. Never assume that back pain is the result of a strain or just old age.
Down through the years, we have been inundated with back pain treatments and products claiming to provide miracle cures for lumbar back pain. Magnetic belts, creams, and herbal remedies often fall just of medical quackery. More reasonable efforts have been made to reduce back injury and relieve back pain including the once-popular back belts to ergonomic training that help people learn the correct techniques for lifting.
When it comes to coping with back pain, remaining pain-free while sitting or sleeping can be a journey of self-discovery. There is no substitute for receiving quality medical care that includes an accurate diagnosis. Only a qualified medical doctor is able to correctly diagnose and treat back pain.
