There are many other types of back pain that you may have to contend with. These include traumas such as pulled or strained muscles/bruises/tears, as well as slipped discs, misalignment, muscular imbalances, and more.
Switching to the best mattress for back pain can potential help with all of these issues. How? By offering the right amount of support and the right amount of give in order to support the spine in the correct position during sleep. This can help to realign discs and put the spine back into that health ‘S’ curve that it should be in. The neck lies flat, the lower back is supported, and we generally wake feeling better.
At the same time, mattresses can help with sleep which is when the body heals itself. By sleeping more deeply, you will allow your muscles to relax, and simultaneously give yourself more time to recover and heal.

An anterior pelvic tilt is caused when the hip flexors (illiacus, psoas major and quads) are too short and tight in comparison with the extensors (the glutes and hamstrings). The flexors are involved in pulling the legs forward – so when you kick a ball for instance – while the extensors are involved in pulling it backwards.
Because we spend so long sitting at our desks in the vast majority of jobs, it’s all too easy for the flexors to become short and tight over time – after all, our legs are ‘forward’ all day. Meanwhile, the extensors are kept in a constantly stretched position and are further weakened by the fact that we’re sitting on them. The human body is actually not designed for sitting – in the wild we would have always squatted instead!
What this then means is that you now have more force on the front of your pelvis than you do on the rear – and as the name suggests this then creates a ‘tilt’ where it leans forward. That can not only cause pain and discomfort, but it can also cause you to adopt an unusual gait which can even result in standing a few inches shorter!

A common cause of upper back pain is kyphosis.  Kyphosis means that you are arching your upper back, giving you a hunched position. Very often this is a result of office work and it can end up causing other places. When working, you will usually be looking down at the keys and the keyboard, while at the same time keeping your arms stretched out in front of you, thereby shortening the pectoral muscles and causing them to become tighter.
This is also exacerbated by the tendency of many to work on their ‘mirror muscles’ in the gym: in other words to train the pecs and shoulders because they are visible in the mirror, while ignoring the traps, lats, and other muscles that normally keep us upright.
Other causes of upper back pain include poor lifting technique (rounding the spine), and carrying excess tension in the shoulders due to stress. This might also make itself known in the form of headache and tightness.

If you experience lower back pain, then there is a high chance that this is caused by sciatica. Sciatica is caused by irritation to the sciatic nerve that runs all the way down the body and helps us to control our legs. Sciatica is usually the result of irritation to the lumbar spinal cord, which can include slipped disks, muscle or bone protrusions, impacts and injuries, or postural problems. In rare cases, they might even be caused by growths or tumors.
These issues then place undue pressure on the sciatic nerve (it may become impinged). This in turn causes discomfort as the pain signal is sent down the spine. This can also cause numbness and tingling in the legs and buttocks as the signals travelling back become distorted.

When choosing your mattress, there are a number of considerations that will help to make it more effective at alleviating your back pain.

The firmness of your mattress is of utmost important. Ideally, the perfect mattress will be one that is able to support the lower spine and keep it aligned, while at the same time being able to contour to your body to allow your spine to assume its natural shape. The mattress should also be comfortable and this will likely come down to your personal preference.
Memory foam is a great option for those that sleep on their backs, as is a mattress with more springs that will help to offer more even support and distribute your weight more evenly. Hybrids are mattresses that combine both springs and memory foam in order to create a more custom and unique level of firmness – these can be a great choice for many people.

The other thing to recognize is that the ideal mattress will vary slightly from person to person. Someone who sleeps on their front (which is often due to lower back pain) will need a slightly firmer mattress for instance.
So, while gravitating toward a foam or hybrid mattress might be a good start, you should also consider the role of individual differences and therefore be willing to try out different mattresses. One of the very best things to look for is a mattress that offers a free trial period. This way, you can take the mattress home with you, see if it provides you with a high quality sleep that lets you wake up feeling rejuvenated, and try something else if the answer is no.

Other than firmness, there are a few other matters to consider. For example, a good buzz word to look out for is ‘edge support’. A mattress with edge support has a more rigid structure that will therefore allow you to roll toward the edge without it having any ‘give’ which could cause you to roll off onto the ground or hurt yourself. This is a great thing to look for, especially if you are prone to rolling around a lot in your sleep.

This also brings up another point: your bedfellow. When sleeping alone, you can of course use a smaller bed than when sleeping with a partner. But beyond that, you also need to think about how your sleeping partner will affect your sleep in other ways. A mattress will have a certain amount of absorption when it comes to shock and travel. In other words, when they are rolling around, how much is that going to affect you? Does it cause you to also bounce around on the spot?
Keeping all this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best mattress choices for bad backs that are available right now…

Now that we know which features we need to look out for, lets look at our top picks. We have researched and grouped together the best mattress for bad back. Have a look and hopefully you will find a mattress for your bad back

There are many other types of back pain that you may have to contend with. These include traumas such as pulled or strained muscles/bruises/tears, as well as slipped discs, misalignment, muscular imbalances, and more.
These premium ‘bed in a box’ mattress solutions are a little more expensive that the mattresses you might pick up in a store, but you will find that you get your money’s worth. Not only do they last much longer than your typical mattresses, but they also provide a huge range of health benefits. How we sleep is ultimately what is going to determine how we perform during the day. A supportive mattress that can help to alleviate back pain is something that you just can’t put a price on – as it will help you to feel happier, more focussed, and more productive. Not only that, but it can help you to enjoy your day pain free.At the same time, mattresses can help with sleep which is when the body heals itself. By sleeping more deeply, you will allow your muscles to relax, and simultaneously give yourself more time to recover and heal.

• Looking for a mattress with an extra layer? Read our Best Pillow Top Mattress guide
• Do you wake up all hot and flustered? Read our Best Cooling Mattresses
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• Looking for a Spring Mattress? Check out our Best Spring Mattress Review
• Can’t make up your mind which type mattress you want? Read our Mattress Guides
• Want a Bamboo Mattress? Check out our Best Bamboo Mattress
• Need a new Pillow? Read our Best Pillow Reviews
• Can’t decide between spring or memory foam? Don’t worry, we have our Best Hybrid Mattress
• A cervical pillow is great for the spine. Read our Cervical Pillow guide
• Want a Latex Mattress? But not sure where to start. Read our Latex Mattress Guide
• Or do you want an organic mattress? Read our Organic Mattress Review
• Need a good spring mattress brand? Check out our Sleepovation Mattress review
• Want to find the best mattress topper? Read our Best Mattress Topper Review