Side/back sleeper with lower back pain

Mattress Talk General Mattresses Questions
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I am looking for a new mattress and could use some help. Im 6’2’’ 195lb. Coming from a soft mattress that started killing my lower back and made it difficult to sleep on my side without shoulder pain. I have so far tried out Engineered Sleeps firmest mattress that was great for about 2 months then the back pain returned. Very comfortable side sleeping. I have moved down to the next firmest mattress and I still have some back pain and it feels like my hips collapse in a bit when sleeping on my side. Not to sure where to go from here. Engineered Sleep has been great to work with, just not sure they have what I need.

The most comfortable mattress I have used recently is our 10+ year old cheapo guest mattress thats got a small pillow top and basic coils. My wife and I are sleeping on twin xls on a king frame because our needs are very different, other wise I might have just used this one.

@BackScience

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Hey bigredball90!

Welcome to our Mattress Forum :smiley:

It certainly sounds like you’ve been through the wringer trying to balance comfort for your shoulders with enough support for your back (common issue for sure though). The fact that your older pillow-top innerspring has felt best lately is actually a really helpful clue. Sometimes the simplest builds just hit that sweet spot of support with a touch of cushion on top.

I tagged Back Science in your original post so they can also chime in, since your situation is the kind of thing they’re good at weighing in on. Between them (and others here), you should be able to narrow in on options that won’t break down as fast and will give you that “old-school” balance your guest bed is giving you now.

Are you considering/open to a split configuration?

NikkiTMU

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Thanks for the response! Yea its a bit odd I ended up sleeping on it for a few weeks while we found new mattresses and my back pain went away pretty quick.

We are already in a split configuration, she has what she wants and I am still searching. The current mattress Im on isnt terrible but I still have a tight back when I wake up, some days it hurts some days its just tight. Ive tried both sides of my current mattress the firmer side is nice for my shoulders but hurts my back and the softer side is better on my back but I feel like it collapses in a bit much when Im on my side. The firmer sides almost feels like my lower back/butt are being pushed up a bit.

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Hi @bigredball90,

From what you’ve described, it sounds like your mattress isn’t giving enough lumbar support, which is why your hips feel like they’re sinking. Since you liked your old pillow-top coil bed, a medium-firm hybrid with zoned support (firmer under the hips, softer at the shoulders) could be a good match. This way, you get the support you need for your back without extra shoulder pressure.

You might also try a latex or memory foam topper on a firmer base mattress to relieve side-sleeping pressure while keeping your spine aligned. And don’t forget to check your pillow height—it can make a big difference for both back and side sleeping.

Brands like WinkBed (Luxury Firm), Saatva Classic (Luxury Firm), or Helix (Twilight/Dusk) are worth testing. They balance comfort with support really well for your body type.

Hope this helps and eases your back pain

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Hi @bigredball90,

Sounds like your current mattress isn’t giving your hips enough support. Since you liked the old pillow-top coil bed, you might do well with a medium-firm hyb firmer under the hips, softer at the shoulders. A latex or foam topper on a supportive base could also help with side-sleeping comfort.

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I am sorry I missed seeing this earlier and appreciate Nikki’s recommendation! It sounds like you’re in a tough spot, and finding a balance between comfort and support is a common challenge for many. The fact that you found your old pillow-top innerspring mattress comfortable is a very valuable clue.

As a chiropractor and mattress designer, I’ve spent over 30 years working to solve exactly these kinds of sleep problems. I can offer some insight into why you’re experiencing these issues and why the Back Science Series 3 Hybrid might be the perfect solution for you.

You mentioned that you’re coming from a soft mattress that caused lower back pain, but a firm one that caused shoulder pain. As @NikkiTMU mentioned, this is a classic contradiction: you need a mattress that’s soft enough to relieve pressure on your shoulders when you’re on your side, but firm enough to support your lower back when you’re on your back or side.

The problem with the flappable firmer and softer mattresses are that if you sleep on firm side, it isn’t just that it won’t have enough contouring for your shoulders, but also that it still inevitably has a softer side in the bottom layers that will cause a more general loss of support underneath you, much like a weak box spring would. Going to the softer side is obviously too soft and it still has a softer bottom surface than the middle core underneath you anyway.

The Back Science Series 3 Hybrid is designed to address this exact problem. It offers a “luxury firm” feel, which is a perfect balance of comfort and support. Here’s how it works:

· Zoned Lumbar Support: The Series 3 features our patent pending Lumbar-Flex Zoned Support, which is designed to prevent your hips from sinking too much and keep your spine in proper alignment. This will help with your lower back pain, especially when you’re on your side.

· Pressure-Relieving Buoyancy: The mattress has a layer of buoyant hypergel foams that provide pressure relief for your shoulders and hips, allowing them to sink in just enough to relieve pressure without causing your entire body to sink too far.

· Hybrid Construction: The combination of over 1000 individually wrapped steel coils and our foam layers provides the support you need without the “rock hard” feel of other firm mattresses.

· Customization: We offer a GripLock modular cover system that allows you to easily customize the firmness and support of the mattress. So if you find it’s not quite right for you, we can send you additional layers to change out.

· Long-Lasting Comfort: We’re confident in the durability of our mattresses, and our 30-year warranty offers double the sag protection of most warranties, covering dips of only 3/4 of an inch compared to the industry standard of 1.5 inches.

I also understand your concern about your wife’s different needs. Since you’re already in a split configuration, you can order just one side or if she needs a new one, have each Back Science mattress that’s tailored to your individual needs. We can even pre-customize the firmness of each mattress to ensure you both get the perfect night’s sleep.

I encourage you to explore the Back Science Series 3 Hybrid mattress further on our website at www.BackScience.com. If you have any questions, feel free to repsond here or email/call and speak to us directly anytime and and if you decide to purchase, don’t forget to use the code TMU10 for a special discount as a Mattress Underground member.

Dr. Rick Swartzburg, D.C.
Founder and Head of Product Design

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Hi - I had a similar question and it seems like this bed could be a good fit for me. I did try to call the number on the back science website and the woman seemed annoyed to answer any questions (like if they ship outside of CA) and said she was busy. So maybe you can answer: do you also have a series 4 and if so what are the specs of that bed?

@BackScience

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@Newbhikku I’m so sorry to hear about that experience and that is definitely out of character for our staff, so it’s definitely something that’ll be investigated and it’s greatly appreciated that you brought that to my attention. In the meanwhile, I definitely want to make sure that I give you the complete information. The series 4 is something that we designed for those looking for a plush Feel and we’ve tested it over the last year with quite a bit of success. Therefore, we will be adding it to our normal Back Science line and on the website.In the meanwhile, you can order the series 4 direct from us and we absolutely ship outside of California for no cost via LTL freight, trucking service, since we don’t compress the series one through four mattresses into smaller boxes that can go UPS. From here, I’d like to make myself available to speak with you personally to ensure that you are getting all the information you need handed in timely manner. If possible, I’d ask if you could give me a call directat 805-279-3456 at your earliest convenience.

Thanks!

Rick

Dr. Rick Swartzburg, D. C.

Founder and head of product development

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Thanks I’ll give you a call today. I appreciate the quick follow up.