RCT on What Mattress to Choose!
Reference:Kovacs FM, et al Effect of firmness of mattress on chronic non-specific low-back pain: randomised, double-blind, controlled, multicentre trial. Lancet. 2003 Nov 15;362(9396):1599-604.
I?m never fully confident when patients ask me,
- Do you think my pain is from my mattress?
- Should I buy a new mattress?
- Should I get a firm, medium-firm or soft mattress?Sure, I have opinions like everyone else, but what is the best evidence based answer?
Well here is one RCT that assessed the effect of different firmnesses of mattresses ?this paper may help you and I give a more educated answer these mattress questions.
This double blind study randomly assigned different mattresses to over 300 patients with chronic low back pain who also complained of backache while lying in bed and on rising in the morning.
After 90 days, the patients sleeping on medium-firm mattresses had better outcomes for pain in bed, pain on rising, and disability than did patients with firm mattresses.
Throughout the study period, patients with medium-firm mattresses also had significantly less pain on rising than did patients sleeping on firm mattresses.
Clinical Relevance: Your best evidence-based answer to a mattress question is “…it appears that for those with chronic low back pain, medium-firm mattress provides the best chance of relieving morning backache and stiffness!“
Posted on: October 06, 2011Categories: Lumbar Spine
