A good mattress helps us to sleep better and aids in preventing backache.
SOME people can doze off anywhere. But generally, most of us are used to having a good or fairly comfortable bed (or mattress) for a good night’s sleep.
Then again, a good mattress not only allows us to sleep better, it also does our back a favour, so to speak. If we sleep on a good mattress, we are less likely to end up with a backache or low back pain.
Studies show that a proper mattress can help relieve back pain and improve sleep quality in people with low back pain, says orthopaedic surgeon Dr Siow Yew Siong.
Back care: Lack of support from a mattress reinforces poor sleeping posture, strains muscles, and does not help keep the spine in alignment, says Dr Siow Yew Siong.He explains: “A good mattress provides support for the natural curves and alignment of the spine.”
Sleeping on the wrong mattress can cause or worsen low back pain.
“Lack of support from a mattress reinforces poor sleeping posture, strains muscles, and does not help keep the spine in alignment, all of which can cause low back pain,” says Dr Siow, in his recent talk on Back Pain And Care.
He was speaking at the global launch of the new Dunlopillo Florelle Collection of Talasilver Latex mattresses.
Better backs
A study found that medium-firm mattresses provide patients with better back support and comfort and more back pain relief than firm mattresses.
In a trial involving 313 adults with chronic lower back pain and backache (The Lancet, 2003), patients who slept on medium-firm mattresses reported reduced back pain than those who slept on firm mattresses.
Sleeping on a mattress that is too hard, the study found, exerts additional pressure on the back, resulting in more back pain for some patients.
Another randomised study (in 2008) compared back-conforming mattresses (waterbed and foam) with a firm mattress.
Dr Siow says: “Those who slept on conforming mattresses had less back pain and improved sleep and there were higher dropout rates for those assigned to the firm mattress.
“The curves of our bodies and the arch of our bone structures are unique to us. If we continue to sleep on too hard or too soft mattresses, in the long run, it will re-configure the formation of our bone, which will cause us great discomfort in the form of body aches, back pain, and spinal disorders.”
Back pain is the second most common neurological ailment, reveals Dr Siow. About 80% of people, at some point, have back pain that interferes with work, routine daily activities, or recreation. Acute low back pain lasts a few days to a few weeks while chronic low back pain can last more than three months.
Most acute back pain, Dr Siow says, is the result of trauma to the lower back or a disorder such as arthritis.
Pain from trauma may be caused by a sports injury, housework or gardening, or a sudden jolt, such as a car accident. Symptoms may range from muscle ache to shooting or stabbing pain, limited flexibility, or an inability to stand straight.
Causes of lower back pain
As people age, bone strength and muscle elasticity and tone tend to decrease. The discs begin to lose fluid and flexibility, which reduces their ability to cushion the vertebrae.
“Pain can occur when someone lifts something too heavy or overstretches, causing a sprain, strain, or spasm in one of the muscles or ligaments in the back,” says Dr Siow.
If the spine becomes overly strained or compressed, a disc may rupture or bulge outward. This rupture may put pressure on nerve roots from the spinal cord.
“When these nerve roots become compressed or irritated, back pain results. In spinal stenosis, pain related to disc disease is felt by some people due to the narrowing of the bony canal.
“Low back pain may also be caused by degenerative conditions such as arthritis or disc disease, osteoporosis or other bone diseases.”
Contributing factors to back pain include obesity, smoking, stress, poor physical condition, inappropriate posture, and poor sleeping position or support (mattress).
Occasionally, low back pain, says Dr Siow, might indicate a more serious medical problem, especially when it’s accompanied by symptoms such as fever, or loss of bowel or bladder control, pain when coughing, and progressive weakness in the legs.
Most often, back pain occurs in people between ages 30 and 50 due to ageing and sedentary lifestyles. The risk of experiencing low back pain from disc disease or spinal degeneration increases with age.
“A person with spinal degeneration may experience stiffness in the back upon awakening or may feel pain after walking or standing for a long time,” says Dr Siow.
Treatment of back pain
Most cases of low back pain can be treated without surgery. Dr Siow says treatment involved using analgesics, reducing inflammation, restoring proper function and strength to the back, and preventing recurrence of the injury.
Ice and heat compresses may help reduce pain and inflammation. Warm baths may also help relax muscles. Bed rest is recommended, but bed rest alone may make back pain worse and can lead to secondary complications such as depression, decreased muscle tone, and blood clots in the legs.
Exercise may be the most effective way to speed recovery of low back pain and help strengthen back and abdominal muscles. Back-healthy activities such as stretching exercises, swimming, walking, and movement therapy may be helpful.
Sometimes, medications are used to treat acute and chronic low back pain while interventional therapy (such as injections of local anaesthetics, steroids, or narcotics into affected soft tissues, joints, or nerve roots) can ease chronic pain by blocking nerve conduction.
Recurring back pain resulting from improper body mechanics or other non-traumatic causes is often preventable. Dr Siow says a combination of exercises that don’t jolt or strain the back, maintaining correct posture during work and sleep and lifting objects properly can help prevent injuries.
Applying ergonomic principles at home and in the workplace can reduce the risk of back injury and help maintain a healthy back.
People with back pain are advised to maintain proper nutrition to reduce and prevent excessive weight gain, especially around the waistline, that taxes the lower back muscles. Smokers too should think of quitting. This is because smoking reduces blood flow to the lower spine and causes the spinal discs to degenerate.
