Sunday, December 07, 2014

Can your mattress type influence your sleep quality? Can your mattress reduce your back pain? Maybe.


A patient asked me if there is any evidence that a certain mattress type can help their pain. In doing a little research, I found some evidence (admittedly weak on when judged from an academic standpoint) that...

Yes...a NEW, medium firm mattress that conforms to your sleeping position MAY help.

Other articles show evidence for lumbar support while sleeping.

JR

J Chiropr Med.
 2009 Mar;8(1):1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2008.09.002.

Changes in back pain, sleep quality, and perceived stress after introduction of new bedding systems.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

This study compared sleep quality and stress-related symptoms between older beds (>/=5 years) and new bedding systems.

METHODS:

A convenience sample of healthy subjects (women = 30; men = 29) with minor musculoskeletal sleep-related pain and compromised sleep, but with no clinical history of disturbed sleep, participated in the study. Subjects recorded back discomfort and sleep quality upon waking for 28 consecutive days in their own beds (baseline) and for 28 consecutive days (post) on a new bedding system using visual analog scales. Following baseline measures, participant's beds were replaced by new, medium-firm beds, and they again rated their sleep quality and back discomfort. Stress was assessed by a modified stress questionnaire.

RESULTS:

Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to treat sleep quality and efficiency and factored responses of the stress items. Results indicated that the subjects' personal bedding systems average 9.5 years old and were moderately priced. Significant (P < .01) improvements were found between pre- and posttest mean values in sleep quality and efficiency. Continued improvement was noted for each of the 4-week data gathering period. Stress measures yielded similar positive changes between pre- and posttest mean values.

CONCLUSION:

Based on these data, it was concluded that, in this population, new bedding systems increased sleep quality and reduced back discomfort, factors that may be related to abatement of stress-related symptoms.

Subjective rating of perceived back pain, stiffness and sleep quality following introduction of medium-firm bedding systems.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To compare personal and new bedding systems between subjects with reported high and low base line sleep quality.

METHODS:

A convenience sample of healthy subjects (women = 30; men = 29) with no clinical history of disturbed sleep participated in the study. Subjects recorded perceived back discomfort and stiffness, sleep quality and comfort, and sleep efficiency upon waking for 28 consecutive days in their own beds (baseline) and for 28 consecutive days (post) on a new bedding system. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to treat sleep data.

RESULTS:

Analysis revealed significant differences between pre- and post means in all areas for both high and low sleep quality groups. Analysis of sleep efficiency also yielded significant differences between, but not among pre- and post means. Improvement of sleep comfort and quality became more prominent with time (from wk 1 to 4 post observation).

CONCLUSIONS:

Similar significant benefits of new, medium- firm bedding systems can occur for those reporting both good and poor current sleep quality and variables such as age, weight, height, and body mass index are independent of such improvements.
Appl Ergon. 2010 Dec;42(1):91-7. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2010.05.004. Epub 2010 Jun 26.

Effect of prescribed sleep surfaces on back pain and sleep quality in patients diagnosed with low back and shoulder pain.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess sleep quality and comfort of participants diagnosed with low back pain and stiffness following sleep on individually prescribed mattresses based on dominant sleeping positions. Subjects consisted of 27 patients (females, n=14; males, n=13; age 44.8 yrs ± SD 14.6, weight 174 lb. ± SD 39.6, height 68.3 in. ± SD 3.7) referred by chiropractic physicians for the study. For the baseline (pretest) data subjects recorded back and shoulder discomfort, sleep quality and comfort by visual analog scales (VAS) for 21 days while sleeping in their own beds. Subsequently, participants' beds were replaced by medium-firm mattresses specifically layered with foam and latex based on the participants' reported prominent sleeping position and they again rated their sleep comfort and quality daily for the following 12 weeks. Analysis yielded significant differences between pre- and post means for all variables and for back pain, we found significant (p<0 .01="" 4="" 8-12="" additionally="" and="" are="" back="" based="" between="" both="" by="" chronic="" concluded="" days="" decreased="" differences="" discomfort="" experiencing="" first="" improvement="" in="" increase="" indeed="" indicating="" is="" it="" mattresses.="" mattresses="" mean="" nbsp="" new="" number="" of="" on="" p="" pain="" per="" physical="" poor="" position.="" possible="" posttest="" progressive="" quality="" reduce="" related="" replacing="" significantly.="" sleep="" sleeping="" stiffness="" surfaces="" that="" the="" those="" thus="" to="" was="" week="" weeks="" while="" with="">
Copyright © 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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