Hello! I want to start out by saying this forum has been incredibly valuable as I’ve figured out what helps me sleep better over the years. I used the information here to build a DIY mattress which I find comfortable, but am still waking up with minor lower back pain. I can generally eliminate it with a little stretching, but a good night’s sleep is always worth pursuing.
For reference, I am a 31 year old male, 6 feet tall and 165 pounds. No muscular or skeletal issues aside from the lower back pain and some neck cramps from working at a computer.
My bed has the following layers (queen size):
-Platform bed frame with slats spaced 3 inches apart
-1 inch of poly foam egg crate to spread pressure between slats
-L & P combi-zone spring from Arizona Premium Mattress Factory
-2 inch firm SleeponLatex dunlop latex topper (ILD 40)
-Polyester pillow top mattress topper
I have found that a firmer mattress tends to help me sleep better - I tend to sleep well on a cheap air mattress on the floor - but I also really enjoy the feel of latex. I think my back pain may come from the mattress not being firm enough, but I can’t even find a firmer (ILD over 40) latex topper. Could the problem be the Combi-zone spring? I’m hoping this forum could give me a better guess at what to fix instead of just buying a bunch of non-refundable products.
HI P3chorin.
Welcome to the Mattress Forum. 
It’s great to hear that you’ve found the resources on TMU useful in constructing your DIY, but I am sorry to hear you are still experiencing a little pain on your mattress. It’s not possible to diagnose back pain causes online, as this can be very complex and there are too many unknowns and individual variable involved. However, you can learn 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.
Would you be willing to share your sleeping position (side/back/stomach/combo) and how many inches are in the polyester pillow top mattress topper you are using?
Out of curiosity, have you tried removing the topper and sleeping on the latex directly to see if this changes/improves/worsens your back pain?
Looking forward to your response and helping investigate what may be the cause of your back pain.
NikkiTMU
Thanks for your reply, Nikki! Your suggestion to remove the topper led me down a process of testing which parts of my bed are not working for me. For reference, I am a side and back sleeper (fall asleep on my side, often wake up on my back). The polyester topper is about 2 inches thick but very compressible.
I removed the polyester topper as you suggested, and because my pain is in my lower back and likely due to a lack of support, I also put my mattress in the floor. I woke up feeling much better in the morning, so I realized this is likely a bed frame issue rather than a mattress issue. I picked up some plywood and placed it under my mattress to give more support on the frame, and that helped too. After putting my pillow topper back on I’ve found my mattress is a bit further than I’d like sure to the extra support, but I am still sleeping much better. I’m going to keep adding comfort layers, but I think I’ve fixed the problem that was causing me pain.
Thanks for your suggestion! I hope this helps someone else.
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Hi P3Chorin!
I’m glad to hear that I was able to say something useful 
and that you’ve been able to remedy the pain-causing problem!
You’re quite right. It sounds like, based on your experimenting, that you may be dealing with a bed frame issue. The upside to that is it’s generally easier to remedy a frame issue as opposed to a foam issue.
We’re here whenever you need us.
NikkiTMU