New Mattress Can Reduce Back Pain and Stiffness

A study published out of Canada in the winter 2006 issue of the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine shows that sleeping on a new mattress can significantly reduce stiffness and back pain. The study was conducted at Oklahoma State University and is the first of it's kind.

The published report notes that sleep deficiency interferes with daytime activity, social interactions, mood, and even loss of work production resulting in 48 million lost hours of productivity every week due to poor sleep.

In this study researchers looked at a control group of 59 healthy participants (30 women and 29 men) who slept on their own five-plus year-old mattresses for four weeks and then slept on a new bedding system for the same time period. They then analyzed the difference in lower back discomfort, spine stiffness, sleep quality, comfort and efficiency.

The results showed that the volunteers reported immediate and sustained benefits in all areas of measurement after sleeping on a new mattress, regardless of their age or weight. This was especially true of participants who entered the study with high back pain complaints, as they reported a 63 per cent improvement in back discomfort with a new mattress.

Dr. Stacy Irvine, chiropractor and fitness expert, stated on behalf of the Better Sleep Council Canada, "There are many ways to treat back pain, but people may not realize that an answer might be right under their noses, literally, in the age and state of their mattress." Dr. Irvine continued, "This research shows that a new mattress could hold a key to unlocking some of that pain and discomfort."

Gary Baskerville of the Better Sleep Council Canada added, "On average, Canadians spend more than 2,000 hours each year sleeping. The mattress is one of the hardest working pieces of furniture in our home. And now we have further proof of its very real contribution to our personal health and comfort."