A good mattress does your health a favor

Your back hurts. Your neck feels stiff. Your shoulder is tight.

You and your doctor will have to determine the underlying cause, but an old, lumpy mattress could be contributing to the problem.

Choosing a new mattress, however, may be harder than it sounds. We spend a third of our lives in bed — surely scientists have figured out what works and what doesn't in regard to mattresses?

Actually, they have not. Little research exists on the topic.

But conventional wisdom dictates that a firm mattress is best for everyone, right?

As it turns out, conventional wisdom may be wrong.

"The latest research reports that a medium-firm mattress is best for people with back, neck and shoulder problems," says Laura O'Connor, a physical therapist at Heritage Physical Therapy in Des Peres. "A study showed that people sleeping on a medium-firm mattress get up more easily, have less overall stiffness and do better throughout the day."

O'Connor's best advice — besides tossing out lumpy mattresses that can cause, as well as contribute, to pain — is to avoid soft mattresses.

"You don't want a mattress that you sink into, like a couch," she says. "Anyone who has ever spent the night on a couch knows just how bad that feels. You also don't want a mattress as hard as your kitchen table."

Jeff Wright, a physical therapist at St. John's Mercy Sports and Therapy in west St. Louis County, says sleep position is also important.

"The best position is on your side, with an extra pillow between the knees," Wright says. "That keeps the spine in a neutral position and avoids twisting of the lower spine."

So should you buy a conventional mattress? A foam mattress? An air mattress? A waterbed?

"The answer is different for everyone," Wright says. "What you need most of all is a supportive mattress. Saggy springs are not good for anybody."

If you suffer from arthritis or joint pain, you may want to buy a mattress with extra padding, such as a pillow-top or feather-top, Wright says. The Arthritis Foundation's website (www.arthritis.org) recommends only that you get a "good" mattress.

What does a "good" mattress cost? O'Connor and Wright both insist that a good mattress, a mattress that will support your body and provide restful sleep, does not have to cost more than all of the furniture in the bedroom. Shop around, they say, and be sure to spend time testing any mattress you're thinking of buying.

Both physical therapists note that bad pillows can cause as much discomfort as bad mattresses. Wright recommends just one pillow per head — don't pile them up. For optimum support, O'Connor recommends a pillow 4 to 6 inches thick.

"And some people," she says, "do great with no pillow at all."

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 8/20/07