Hi Allianna- So sorry to hear about your pain. First, obviously seek the counsel of your healthcare team who know your specific medical history, functional limitations, etc. to see if they have recommendations. Second you’ll need to consider your own size (height, weight) and shape in this equation as well as your personal preferences related to mattress feel, material composition, and cost.
That being said- Phoenix has alot of good information on this site related to what’s needed in a mattress for alignment and pressure relief. In fact when my dad (who had bulging discs) read this, he said the description of “sinking down” reflected exactly what he was feeling on his My Green Mattress which was not supportive enough:
https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/wondering-why-my-lower-back-is-achcy-in-the-morning-only
In sifting through published works, calling mattress makers and talking with healthcare providers, we were looking for guidance given what my parents experienced on their medium ILD Organic Dreams latex mattress. We found the terms “medium firm” and “firm” to be used for everything from a general feeling to coils to latex to polyfoam to cotton. This is like comparing apples to trucks- makes no sense. We needed an operational definition regarding “firmness” that was very concrete and a colleague put it best- what you’re looking for is something firm enough- given YOUR weight- that keeps your spine in alignment. The reality is, for a larger person this may be a mattress with an extremely dense core; for someone petite, the same core may not yield enough to keep them in alignment. It may be too “firm” for that individual. So you need to find what is “firm enough” to keep your spine in alignment that reliably won’t soften or sink to give you problems. Take a partner or friend with you when shopping so they can take a look at your spine on a given mattress and be sure you know what’s in each layer!
I’ve reviewed the response from Phoenix about seeking a solution that’s best for you and being cautious about what works for others. I agree you must test everything yourself- and what you like may not serve your spouse well in which case you can get a split bed made. Nevertheless I must respectfully disagree with the argument that using other people’s experience is risky. Under that theory no mattress-maker or healthcare professional in physiatry or orthopaedics would have any basis for making any recommendations. Science- and rigorous testing- does allow people to amass evidence to support recommendations. Though sometimes we do not have sufficient evidence for absolute proof- we have statistical probability models and intervals with which we can draw conclusions with reasonable confidence (often 90-95%). Certainly this is how science and medicine work. This is how we make treatment decisions for illness, approximate a patient’s response, and amass evidence to innovate in new therapeutic directions. While amassing enough people in a study with your specific injury, body type, age etc. takes time, people in medicine extrapolate such data to use as a proxy all the time to make informed decisions. Along these lines, while individuals may have subjective preferences regarding the cosmetics or feel of a bed, science would show concrete, objective patterns regarding what kind of mattress is most suitable for a given person in terms of alignment, optimal health and functioning. That’s how science works. If everyone who purchased a mattress filled out basic information on age, gender, height, weight, shape, physical injuries and symptoms at the time of purchase- and we followed their symptoms over time in conjunction with mattress specifications we could predict with 90-95% accuracy custom suggestions for everyone. Til then we must use proxies. If you search this forum using the keyword “back” or “disc” you are sure to find people with your injury and weight category who have already made suggestions about works. We used this very information more than a year ago in helping guide a solution for my parents as we built a new bed.
The consensus we came to given bulges and herniation in the lower back- in absence of other conditions- and given my parents’ size- seemed to converge on a “firm enough” core to keep the spine in alignment with a just barely soft enough comfort layer so that you don’t have pressure issues. This is different than guidance for other conditions- certain injuries, fibromyalgia etc. may necessitate a much softer overall feeling, or more “plush/cushy” bed on the whole. I don’t think that an old-fashioned innerspring mattress will suffice for lower back herniation because the weight from one part of your body will pull springs elsewhere. Individual pocket coil systems may very well work- we have them at home in one space with several layers of latex on top that we configured. Our mattress doesn’t “bounce around.” Mom didn’t want the metal so we found firm latex layers worked for her- given her weight-to keep her spine in alignment. However you may need to play with the comfort layers. My parents slept on the firm latex before the comfort layers arrived and at their size it gave them shoulder and hip pain, and worsened my dad’s bulging disc pain. Putting a medium latex layer right beneath the mattress cover acted as a “buffer” to soften things just a tad. Then the slim topper on top of the mattress provided some softness and just enough “give” for the shoulders and hips to sink. I do want to mention that they originally started with a thicker topper- 2". It caused them to sink “too much” and threw off their alignment. This was counter-intuitive but too much softness and they awoke with hip and lower back pain in those instances as well. So just a little bit of cushiness on top worked for their size and they went with an organic cotton case for the topper. Their plush mattress cover provided too much cushioning such that they did not feel as much benefit from the latex. If you’re a larger individual you may find 2 or 3" of topper to be sufficient for you and you may need to play with the topper covers as they did. We consulted more than 30 sources on this configuration and there was a great amount of convergence among those with or treating lower back bulges or herniation. You should do your own research but using what we learned as a proxy in addition to what perceptive bedmakers and healthcare workers found to work has served my parents very well.
One final thing to mention- because of the back pain with the original medium firmness latex mattress, and the ensuing lower back problems, they were sleeping with tons of pillows- between the knees, behind the back, in front of the abdomen, etc. to try to get comfortable. Finally a pregnant colleague recommended the Leachco Snoogle total body pillow. Here’s what it looks like. It’s reasonably cost-effective: Amazon.com
My wife actually had one to lend dad and we were sorry we hadn’t thought of it ourselves. This really helped my dad keep his back stable in bed and remove the unnecessary pillows. He had trouble laying on his back and stomach at length. While the bed kept his spine in alignment he had difficulty staying in a side-sleeping position on his own due to the bulging discs. This did the trick. It also ensured a barrier so that mom didn’t accidentally roll over and knock his back.
Furthermore, he couldn’t sit on couches or soft surfaces for quite awhile. Rolled up behind him, this was of tremendous utility in allowing him to sit as he became strong again. Hope this helps you to feel better.