What kind of mattress is best for someone who has had back surgery?!
Question: I have had surgery to repair 3 separate herniated lumbar disks and since my last surgery, I am finding my 2-year-old king bed to be brutal on my back. It's not a very hard mattress and yet I've read on the web that firm mattresses are actually bad for people with back problems. My husband and I are about to go looking for a new mattress (he says he's finding this one not firm enough), but I was wondering if there are other people out there, possibly who have had lumbar disk surgery (or who have problems with their lumbar spine), who could give me some insight. I feel funny going into a store and laying on their mattresses for 30 minutes at a time....
Answers: I have had surgery to repair 3 separate herniated lumbar disks and since my last surgery, I am finding my 2-year-old king bed to be brutal on my back. It's not a very hard mattress and yet I've read on the web that firm mattresses are actually bad for people with back problems. My husband and I are about to go looking for a new mattress (he says he's finding this one not firm enough), but I was wondering if there are other people out there, possibly who have had lumbar disk surgery (or who have problems with their lumbar spine), who could give me some insight. I feel funny going into a store and laying on their mattresses for 30 minutes at a time....
Absolutely DO NOT get a tempurpedic!
Your back needs a lot of support. Spring mattresses are still the best mattresses to provide the best support. You don't have to get a firm mattress. Get one that has sufficient support yet great comfort.
Tempurpedic, or any other memory foam (visco), and even all latex mattresses should NOT be used by individuals who suffer from back pain. I speak as a back-pain sufferer and a mattress retail owner, Sweet Dreams Mattress Gallery in Las Vegas, NV.
Remember that when you lay on a memory foam mattress, the mattress will conform to your body and begin to "sink-in". If you were to toss or turn, the pocket created by your body in the memory foam mattress will begin to slowly regain its original shape, in the meantime, your body is left with no support until the mattress fully retains its original shape when finally your back can rest again only to experience the "sinking" effect.
That is strain to your back that you do not need. Many people have been caught up in the marketing "magic" of Tempurpedic but again I have come accross numerous consumers who totally hate this product and state the extra strain placed on their backs, the product getting hot, and even the fumes that a memory foam mattress gives off during the first few weeks as the reasons why they hate Tempurpedic or any other memory foam mattress.
Don't make a costly mistake by buying an expensive mattress such as Tempurpedic that will only add to your pain and medical bills as some consumers report having to return to the doctor to aliviate their back pain as a result of sleeping on a tempurpedic or other memory foam mattress. These mattresses are way too expensive and frankly you do not need to pay this much money when you are not getting the needed support your back needs.
I always recommend my customers who suffer from back pain to choose from our Spring Air's Back Supporter line which are thousands of dollars cheaper than Tempurpedic yet provide these consumers with the needed peace they so desire on a mattress. Of course if you go to some mattress stores, the salespeople may recommend these memory foam mattresses because their interest is in maximizing their commission by selling you the most expensive mattress. They will prey especially on individiuals who are elderly, sick, or have sleeping issues to convince them into spending hundres of dollars or in Tempurpedic's case thousands of dollars to aliviate their suffering.
At Sweet Dreams Mattress Gallery, we strongly believe in helping consumers find the right mattress to meet their sleeping needs. I would rather see a happy customer who will refer us to his/her family and friends than a customer who makes a large one-time purchase, is unhappy and gives us a bad reference to his/her family and friends. I've been lucky that my current staff shares the same philosophy that I do, which is to properly educate and guide consumers to finding the right mattress to meet THEIR needs.
Do not feel weird about laying on mattresses at a mattress store. As store owner, I and I know a lot of the salespeople in a mattress store do want customers to lay down and test the mattresses. In fact, we feel bad when you don't lay down on the mattresses. We really do want you to lay down and take on the whole mattress shopping experience. It is very important for you and your husband to try the mattresses out together so you can determine comfort for both as well as motion transfer. Take your time, we really do want you to try our products.
You are correct in saying that a firm mattress is not recommended for people with back pain. Again speaking from experience, I sometimes lay down on the floor for a few minutes to aliviate my back pain, but after some relief the firm floor starts to be somewhat uncomfortable. It's the same with a firm mattress. It will feel good at first but after your back has received some relief it will start to complaint about the firmness. Therefore, I suggest you find a store that carries the Spring Air's Back Supporter line. They have firm mattresses but also make some with pillow tops thus giving you the support you need without sacrificing comfort.
Also, remember that most mattress stores offer a Comfort-Trial, we at Sweet Dreams Mattress Gallery offer a 90-Night comfort trial, which allows you to try your mattress at home for that specific period of time and if for some reason you dont like how the mattress feels (too soft or too firm), you can return to the store and exchange it for another mattress of your choice.
If you have trouble finding a store or the product mentioned, I would be happy to connect you with a dealer in your area.
Good luck in your mattress search and if you have any additional questions, do feel free to contact me.
Sweet Dreams Mattress Gallery,
We're Helping You Sleep Better!
info@sweetdreamsmattress.com
tempur pedic are supposed to be great for back problems
Tempurpedic :]
My wife had back surgery (microlumbar) and she found that sleeping in a memory foam helped alot. We were about to get one for about $150 from Sams Club. We still have it almost a year after her surgery and love it.
I feel your pain! I broke my L-1 several years again and had a fusion that has left me with unfortunate pain. Trying to find a good bed has been a huge pain, but I have found that I have benefited from a memory foam mattress more than anything. It provides the right amount of support (not too firm, not too soft). I'm not aware of the quality of memory foam mattresses other than the Tempur-pedic, so I can't tell you if there is a good, cheap alternative. I suggest you go to www.epinions.com to get that information. It is a website catered to consumer reviews and ratings.
Another alternative to a memory foam mattress would be to buy a firm mattress and then put a really thick memory foam pad on top. That way, you have enough support as well as the added cushioning.
Good luck to you!
everyone is different,some prefare memory foam when they have a bad back,i dont think you need a very firm one as they can make your back feel worse i used to wake up every morning with my back aching i spent