Hi HeatherinMI,
I would keep in mind that there is no such thing as a mattress that is “good for back pain” in general … there is only a mattress that is good for “your back pain” regardless of whether the same mattress would be good for someone else with similar back issues.
While it’s not possible to “diagnose” mattress comfort issues on a forum with any certainty because there are too many unique unknowns, variables, and complexities involved that can affect how each person sleeps on a mattress in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or any “symptoms” they experience … there is more about the most common symptoms that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress and the most likely (although not the only) reasons for them in post #2 here.
The most common reason for lower back pain is a mattress that is too soft (either comfort layers that are too thick and/or soft or a support core that is too soft) for your specific needs and preferences.
If you are a back sleeper then a pillow under your knees may also help to decompress the spine and can sometimes help with lower back pain. An adjustable bed that can provide some slight lift for your legs can also be helpful if you are a back sleeper. A pillow between the knees may also be helpful if you are a side sleeper and a thin pillow under your pelvis and lower abdomen may also be helpful if you are a stomach sleeper as well.
Mattresses with more resilient materials in the comfort layers (such as polyfoam, latex, or microcoils) or with thinner layers of memory foam or with some of the newer versions of memory foam that have a faster response will generally be less motion restrictive than mattresses that use thicker layers of memory foam.
[quote]Earlier this week i slept on a tempurpedic bed in a hotel. It was a standard tempurpedic - about 10 inches tall (the version wasn’t listed). It felt firm initially, then accommodated. Overall, it was maybe a bit too firm, but my back felt great and it was easy to roll if i needed to - no sinking. Is there any type of bed out there that is better for the type of back pain that is exacerbated by twisting/rolling? Is a medium/firm a better bed, despite what I’ve read about softer beds for side sleepers?
I am a female -5’5 130lbs. side and back sleeper. My husband is 5’9, 150#s side and back sleeper.[/quote]
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Phoenix