I am hoping it is ok to post here since my situation is similar.
I am in the same boat as the OP and having very bad lower back pain after purchasing a new mattress. I have been to my Chiropractor a couple times just to make sure I am in good alignment before I send the mattress back. Unfortunately, I am still having lower back pain and am hardly getting any sleep because I toss and turn all night. I think at this point it must be the mattress.
A little background:
Me: 5’6", 128 lbs, broad shoulders with smaller waist and hips, side sleeper only
My mattress: Nolah Full size mattress. 1st layer: 2″ Nolah Air Foam
2nd layer: 1″ Aveena Foam
3rd layer: 7″ Foundational Support Core Foam
Time I have been sleeping on mattress: 6 weeks
I spent a lot of time researching mattresses (and reading the articles on this board), and thought this mattress would be a good fit. I had a Costco Novaform memory foam mattress with a gel topper prior, and wanted to get something that still had a memory foam feel, but slept cooler, and didn’t have as much of a quick sand feel. The Nolah mattress fit the bill, and is also supposed to offer great pressure relief from side sleeping (I always have problems with shoulder pain because of my wide shoulders if a mattress is too firm). After speaking with the company, I went ahead and pulled the trigger because of the good return policy.
I never really slept that well on this mattress from the get go, and was constantly waking up, tossing and turning. I didn’t feel any pressure points at first, but now I am starting to notice a little shoulder pain. I am wondering if it could be the top foam layer softening that is changing the feel?
The new problem I am having is a dull, lower back pain that doesn’t go away by changing positions. As soon as I get out of bed the pain starts going away, so I am thinking this mattress just isn’t right for me and must be causing some kind of alignment issue. I tried sleeping with several different height pillows, as well as a full length body pillow, and am finding that nothing helps.
I am kind of unsure about which mattress to try next. From what I have read, lower back pain can be related to a mattress that is too soft? The fact that I am starting to feel some pressure on my shoulder makes me think that this may not be the case though…so confusing!
In a perfect world, I would be able to purchase a mattress that would have adjustable layers so that I could customize it for perfect feel and support. I don’t have a very large budget and could only spend up to $750 for a Full size mattress.
I am looking at the Layla mattress (I think I would like to stick with memory foam) and like the fact that it has a soft side and a firm side. So if one doesn’t work, you can flip it over and try the other side. It is also budget friendly. I am also looking at the DreamFoam Ultimate Dreams Supreme 12" Gel Memory Foam Mattress. Nectar mattress have a great price point and return policy, but I am worried that the materials may not hold up as well as some of the more expensive mattresses.
I know you can’t recommend a perfect mattress from just talking with someone online, but any direction regarding firmness you could give based on my symptoms and size would be appreciated. It is very overwhelming with all the mattress choices available. Also, if you know of any memory foam mattresses within my budget that have interchangeable layers, please do tell. Thanks for taking the time to answer my long post.