Lower back pain in Seattle – Help with new mattress purchase

[andrew]

Hi,
I am looking to purchase a new mattress and came across this great site. I’ve been reading it all day today. Thanks to the education I’ve acquired on this site, I am leaning towards purchase of a medium-firmess laytex mattress with Talalay top. While I feel like I’ve learned a lot, I still have questions that I’m hoping others can help with.

But first, a little about me:
I’m 5’11", 175 lbs. I sleep primarily on my side, and roll from one side to the other every hour. I’ve been suffering from extreme lower back pain for a couple years, getting worse.

Back in 2002 (at age 25), I purchased a Simmons Beautyrest with a Warwick Pillow Top and have slept on that ever since. Being ignorant then, I didn’t appreciate how important a quality mattress was and didn’t know about the key things to look for and ask about in buying a mattress. So I just went into a couple stores, lied down on a few, and picked one that felt comfy and was on the lower end of the price range.

In early 2012, I began to develop low back pain. It has become extremely painful in the past few months, interfering with every aspect of my life. I’ve been to a spine doctor (who diagnosed me with lumbar disk pain), had x-rays taken (which showed normal disk space height), done physical therapy for my core muscles, and am currently seeing a chiropractor for McKenzie mechanical treatment. So far, none of these approaches/people have been able to help me, and my pain continues to worsen. I’m not sure how much of my pain is related to my mattress, as opposed to contributions from other aspects of my life (for example, I sit a lot for work and have a family history of low back pain, etc.). But given that I am trying to eliminate all possible contributions to my low back pain, I am looking to invest in a new, high-quality mattress that will provide good postural support and last a long time.

Based on my research and thanks to this website, I am leaning towards a medium-firmess laytex foam mattress. However, I still have questions about the following:

• In researching on SleepliketheDead.com, it says that air beds tend to produce slightly better performance in terms of back pain prevention/relief. I’m interested in others’ perspective on whether air beds are generally considered better than laytex for back pain issues.

Back to laytex…
For the Core: What would be considered better (in terms of helping with lower back pain): Natural (NR) Dunlap or Blended Talalay?
• For the Comfort Top: What are the differences between using an all-natural Talalay versus a blended Talalay? Would one be preferable for relieving low back pain?
• If I have to choose, what would be better: having all-natural laytex but with a Dunlop core, or having blended laytex with a Talalay top and Talalay core? Reason I ask is because it appears that BB only allows these two options.
• Finally, I’m in the greater Seattle area. Any recommendations for options for smaller, factory-direct mattress stores that specialize in laytex foam mattresses, so I can go try them out?

Thank you very much for your help!

Andrew

[phoenix]

Hi andrew,

The first place to start your research is post #1 here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices … and avoid the worst ones.

I’m 5’11", 175 lbs. I sleep primarily on my side, and roll from one side to the other every hour. I’ve been suffering from extreme lower back pain for a couple years, getting worse.

When you have back issues … it’s even more important than normal to make sure that a mattress provides you with good spinal alignment in all your sleeping positions (even though it’s one of the most important parts of a mattress choice for all people). There is more about how to test for this in the read post I linked. Of course a mattress can’t solve a medical issue … but it can at least help with allowing all your muscles and body to relax and recover to the degree possible and help avoid making the symptoms worse and giving you the best quality sleep possible with your specific back issues.

Based on my research and thanks to this website, I am leaning towards a medium-firmess laytex foam mattress. However, I still have questions about the following:

I would avoid trying to design or choose the specifics of your mattress before you have done any testing. The softness/firmness of a mattress and terms like “medium firm” are subjective and not particularly meaningful. They are always relative to the body type, sleeping positions, sensitivity, and preferences of each person and how each person interacts with a specific mattress design. The goal is a mattress that matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) in real life rather than in theory.

The reviews of other people that are not identical to you can be among the most misleading way to purchase a mattress because most people who post reviews have very little knowledge about mattresses or have any idea of the materials in the mattress they purchased. You can read more about reading mattress reviews vs mattress research in post #13 here.

• In researching on SleepliketheDead.com, it says that air beds tend to produce slightly better performance in terms of back pain prevention/relief. I’m interested in others’ perspective on whether air beds are generally considered better than laytex for back pain issues.

Again reviews are not a particularly meaningful or accurate way to assess or choose a mattress. Airbeds use the same types of comfort layers or materials as any other mattress so the most meaningful way to compare an air bladder as a support layer is by comparing them to other types of support layers (not comparing the entire mattress which is a combination of materials). You can see my thoughts about airbeds and how air bladders compare to other support materials and components in this article.

For the Core: What would be considered better (in terms of helping with lower back pain): Natural (NR) Dunlap or Blended Talalay?

No material relieves pain and any material in an appropriate design can keep you in alignment which is the key to back pain. The choice of materials or between different types of latex is a preference issue … not a better/worse issue. The key to good alignment is in the design of the mattress not the materials that are used.

• For the Comfort Top: What are the differences between using an all-natural Talalay versus a blended Talalay? Would one be preferable for relieving low back pain?

Again … this is a preference issue not a “better/worse” issue and one is not better than another for back pain. It’s all a matter of the specific design of the mattress. There is more about the differences between blended and 100% natural talalay in post #2 here. both are great materials for different reasons and preferences.

• If I have to choose, what would be better: having all-natural laytex but with a Dunlop core, or having blended laytex with a Talalay top and Talalay core? Reason I ask is because it appears that BB only allows these two options.

Again … the choice of types of latex is a matter of preference. You can read more about the different types and the differences between them in this article and in post #6 here and there is more about the different “feel” of Talalay and Dunlop in post #7 here but this is all preference and would be based on which one you prefer in your own experience and which of the different qualities that make each of them different are most important to you. It’s like asking which type of fruit is the best which of course has no real answer.

• Finally, I’m in the greater Seattle area. Any recommendations for options for smaller, factory-direct mattress stores that specialize in laytex foam mattresses, so I can go try them out?

Some of the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Seattle/Tacoma region are listed in post #2 here

Phoenix