How important is proper spinal support when sleeping?

Almost everyone’s suffered from some kind of back pain at some time in their life, whether a mild twinge that passed in a few seconds, to chronic debilitating pain caused by a damaged disc or vertebra. In fact, 40% of North America’s population is affected annually by back pain that’s not sufficiently severe enough to warrant medical investigation, yet could be reduced or eliminated entirely, by simply sleeping on a mattress that provides proper spinal support.

Aside from rare abnormalities or damage from accident injury, back pain is the result of overstress to weak spots in the spine. Medically speaking, back pain is usually associated with injury to or a structural fault of the spine, and it is subdivided as far as possible according to its physical or neurological cause; disk prolapse, spondylitis, osteoarthritis, arthritis and scoliosis. Back problems can in turn cause sciatica or neuralgia, in which pressure on a nerve is experienced as pain in the leg or arm.

Standing on hard concrete floors, driving, sitting for hours in front of a computer screen, and sedentary lifestyles all contribute to back pain. Poor posture when sitting, and not getting up once an hour to stretch and walk, can bring on back pain. Lifting excess weight without bending at the knees and keeping the back straight, puts strain on the spine.

In order to properly support the spine, a mattress must displace weight rather than absorb it, so that muscles don’t need to work overtime to maintain spinal alignment, and don’t become contracted as we sleep. When the soft, shock absorbing discs between the vertebrae are compressed and the muscles weaken, the result is back pain. Spinal discs become compacted with age, making proper spinal alignment and support more important.

When we’re young we can generally sleep anywhere. As bones become less flexible and more brittle with age, and joints become less lubricated and often painful, additional comfort in the form of softer cushioning materials become desirable. Muscle tone also decreases with age, which predisposes us to lower back pain. Additional support to the lower back becomes critical.

A comfortable supportive mattress is as important to sleep, as comfortable supportive shoes are to walking. A popular myth is that a hard sleeping surface is best for your back. How unfounded! Are hard shoes without good arch support better for your feet? Of course not. If you had to walk for 8 hours a day, you would most likely buy good comfortable walking shoes, that both cushioned the heels and toes, yet supported the arch in your feet. The same holds true for mattresses. It’s all about support.

In fact, even the type of pillow you use to support your neck while sleeping can prevent aches, pains and kinks that may require chiropractic relief.

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