Hi laurieb,
There are many “versions” of medium firm for the term itself to really have much meaning except in the most general sense because what feels “medium firm” to one person may feel very different to the next. These are just relative and overly generic terms. The goal of a mattress purchase is to find a mattress that provides you with good PPP. These types of recommendation are just “standard” suggestions that most doctors would make for almost every one of their patients and it’s unlikely that they would apply specifically to you any more or less than they would apply to almost anyone else.
If you plan to buy an adjustable bed then it would be fine as a support system under your mattress and you wouldn’t need to buy a foundation for your mattress. You would either need a foundation or an adjustable bed … not both.
Unfortunately the nature of a forum is that there is no other way to share ideas or suggestions other than through reading. If you follow the 5 steps in the tutorial post you will be fine and they include all the most important information about how to make your best choices. I would also suggest that it’s much more effective to read the suggestions and steps like you would a good book instead of studying them like you would a textbook. The goal is to know “just enough” to recognize when you are dealing with someone who is knowledgeable and transparent. Too little and too much information can both lead to poor choices.
As one example … the Tempurpedic Rhapsody is an example of what Tempurpedic calls “medium firm” but it may feel very different to you than a mattress that another manufacturer calls “medium firm”. If you test the Rhapsody and it feels suitable for you based on your testing then the tutorial post includes a link to a list of online memory foam dealers that make a memory foam mattress that uses the Rhapsody as a reference point and would be similar to the Rhapsody at a lower cost. Some people who were told to look for a “medium firm” mattress would not do well at all on the Rhapsody and may not like it at all while others may do very well and love how it feels.
In the same way … some people do well with memory foam and some don’t do well at all.
Some of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the general Sacramento area are listed in post #5 here.
Phoenix