Best Mattress After Back Surgery & Spinal Fusion

Spinal Surgery, Sleeping positions and recommendations

Before you even consider purchasing a mattress for a patient undergoing spinal fusion surgery you must understand what doctors and chiropractors recommend. You must understand that a patient undergoing spinal fusion surgery cannot sleep on their stomach. Side sleeping is less painful and back sleepers require that they maintain a posture. Side sleepers should be careful that they don’t roll onto their back in their sleep and most important posture is key. 

Common Conditions Which Require a Specialized Mattress

• Cervical Fracture & Cervical Spine Disorder
• Spinal Shock
• Spinal Cord Compression
• Spinal Stenosis
• Disc Herniation
• Myelopathy
• Myelomalacia
• Thoracic Spinal Fusion
• Spinal Fracture

Recommended Mattress Types For any of the listed conditions vary from the severity of the condition itself and the treatment the patient is currently undergoing. If the patient has undergone recent surgery, Consider a medium-firm Mattress with an adjustable base.

The Saatva is one of the best mattresses, specialized in treating Spinal Problems, and is the most recommended. Other mattresses we recommend include Spine Align mattresses and Latex for less.

Read more about the right mattress for back pain on
https://www.saatva.com/best-mattress-for-back-pain/

According to Studies its recommended that patients who have undergone Spinal fusion surgery either sleep on their sides or Back. For those who prefer to sleep on their sides, it’s recommended to place a pillow between their legs and place one knee ahead of the other and not on top of another. Also use a pillow to rest your head and never place your hands, for it creates extra tension. For those who prefer to sleep on their back, roll a pillow and keep it under the knee for better support. Ensure that your hips and knees are bent. Also, try to keep your upper body slightly elevated. Use a pillow for neck and head support and never your hands even though it feels very comfortable. An adjustable mattress with the right frame should be a great option for back sleepers.

A firm or medium-firm mattress is your best option. A soft mattress will sink you in and is not recommended at all. A medium mattress is recommended for side sleepers and a firm one for those who prefer to sleep on their backs.

Napping during days will create a problem with your sleeping cycle. Good rest is important to healing and when you are not on medication for pain, avoid sleeping during days. This will ensure that you get a night of better sleep and rest during the night. It also promotes better healing and overall health.

No matter how good your mattress is, certain small changes can go a great way in the healing. For instance, getting in and out of bed should never be made in a haste. Take your time, roll over and get help to move out or into bed. Avoid any fast or hasty movements after your surgery.

Types of mattress to consider for those who have undergone a spinal fusion surgery.

There are three major kinds of mattresses these days. The memory foam, the spring/coil mattress, and last of all the Latex mattress. The memory foam mattress is usually not the best product when it comes to back surgery. Memory foam mattresses are great to sleep on but have a few drawbacks. To begin with, it’s a bit too hot. For a person who would need to spend nearly the entire day in bed, Sleeping hot is not a good thing to happen. Coil mattress on the other hand has a memory foam layer to make it comfortable and is more breathable. Coil mattress helps maintain a good temperature in bed. Also, Coil mattresses are known to give patients better support. A latex mattress is one of the best options when it comes to heat retention.

Apart from the type of mattress, it’s equally important to know what goes into the mattress itself. Organic foam, sheets, and the quality of the coils are all important. It should be important to clean the covers so a removable cover is very important. Also, make sure that your mattress is designed to be allergy-free. Dust, Sweat, and moisture can create long-term problems for those who spend their entire day in bed. Organic Latex, Cotton, etc does go a great way and is not often a gimmick.

While some of the mattresses come with a “Chiropractor Approved” or a “Doctors Recommended” Advertisement tag, beware of these options. Some of these mattresses are simply marketed this way for better sales. It is important to check out the quality of the mattress before you go ahead and buy them. A trial period of at least 5-10 days would be a great addition.

Overall, A Spring Coil mattress that is medium-firm or Firm (based on your sleep position preference) is your safest option when it comes to back surgery recovery. Add it to an adjustable base and you may go a great way to recover and fast.

If you have Herniated disc problems, consider reading the article on saatva at https://www.saatva.com/best-mattress-for-herniated-discs/

Firm Mattress Vs Soft Vs Medium Mattress For spinal Fusion

Soft mattresses are clearly off the list when it comes to post-surgery. This also includes a pillow top mattress which gives you a plush soft feel. A mattress after a spinal surgery needs to be either firm or medium firm. A firm mattress for those who prefer to sleep on their back and a medium-firm for side sleepers are recommended. You mustn’t sink into the mattress at any point in time, yet feel comfortable to spend almost the entire day in bed for weeks. Soft mattresses often retain heat, sink you, in, and create problems in posture. This is not recommended post-surgery.

A firm mattress is the best option for back sleepers but for those who sleep on their sides, it often creates problems. People complain of stiff legs or hands on a firm mattress when they sleep on their sides. A Medium-firm mattress could be the most comfortable option for side sleepers. And sleeping on your sides is recommended post-surgery. It’s the #1 option and recommended by chiropractors.

For those who sleep on their back, a firm mattress or even a medium-firm mattress is good. Never a soft mattress. Its also recommended that you use an adjustable base with your mattress for back sleepers to keep your upper body elevated.

It is also important to know the person’s size/weight when purchasing a mattress. While a lighter person may feel a medium-firm mattress to be firm enough, a heavier person may sink into the mattress and may feel it to be soft. The heavier the person, the firmer the bed needs to be. It is one of the reasons why most chiropractors recommend a firm mattress. It is safe for everyone if you let go of the small inconvenience in comfort levels. But if you can take your time to test your mattress, you will find the perfect fit.

As per a detailed study conducted by Medical Professionals it stated to use a Medium-firm mattress for better pain relief. There was no difference in the recovery of the patient in both mattresses. To know more of the study download the pdf at

http://acpjc.acponline.org/Content/pdf/ACPJC-2004-141-1-012.pdf

Can a chiropractic mattress make the pain worse after surgery?

Chances are that they will not make your pain worse. Chiropractic mattresses are not comfortable if you buy them off the shelf. Most of these mattresses are usually firm or medium firm. For those who are not used to firm mattresses, it does make sleep a bit more inconvenient. But when it comes to posting spinal surgery, firm and medium-firm mattresses are recommended for a lot of reasons. To being with, it’s easier to turn around in a firm mattress as compared to a soft mattress. Firm mattresses are more breathable, avoiding you sleeping hot. You sweat less and there are lesser chances of allergies, rashes, etc. With a soft mattress, though it may be very comfortable for you to sleep on, it’s harder to turn around after surgery. You sink in, and it creates stiffness, which is surely a bad thing after surgery. The chances of you sweating, sleeping hot are very high with a soft mattress.

There is a small inconvenience with a chiropractic mattress. It’s firm, often termed hard. IT sometimes causes problems with circulation to your limbs. But overall, a chiropractic mattress helps keep your spine straight with the right support (pillows between your legs and for neck and head). As compared to a soft mattress, a chiropractic mattress will usually go a long long way for post-surgery.

8 Things to know before you  Buy  a mattress for back pain & post  spinal fusion surgery?

1. Firmness : Its important that the mattress be firm or medium firm. These are the only 2 options you are going to get. The firmer the better. If the person using the bed is heavy, opt for a firmer option. For someone light, the medium firm may be a good choice. Never ever go for the soft version. It creates more sink age which is not good for the spinal alignment.
2.  Material used : Go for organic sheets, naturally obtained Latex and Foam. Natural Cotton and wool are known to be more breathable. It keeps you at moderate temperature while removing the sweat easily. They are also known to be allergy free, safe and has a better life. There are some fibers which are man made which are equally safe.
3.  Adjustable compatible : Its important that you have an adjustable bed, specially if you are a back sleeper. You could use pillows to get to the right position in a normal mattress, but this would be a lot of inconvenience and its not possible without a person’s support. With an adjustable base, the patient is usually able to control the elevation of the mattress easily without another persons support, making him feel confident and in control even post surgery.
4.  Customizable firmness : This option is rare but could go a long way. Some mattress do come with custom firm option. You could control form firm to medium firm in a press of a button. Most air mattresses come with this option and yes, its great to relieve pain for those who have gone through a surgery. The drawback for this mattress usually involves breath-ability.
5.  Easier Cleaning , Maintenance : Check for options where you can remove the covers completely for cleaning. If the covers are washable and if there are options to purchase extra covers just in case. Its easier when you can remove the cover and wash it up from time to time for better hygiene.
6.  Sleeping hot: when you are going to spend more than 80% of your day in bed, you would want to ensure that you are not sleeping hot. Your mattress needs to be breathable and maintain a good temperature while you are in bed.
7.  Allergy Relief : This is more or less related to the design of the mattress. If the mattress will accumulate dust over a period of time or if there is no sufficient way out for the moisture, you tend to accumulate fungus or dust which creates allergies over time. Check out the design of the mattress, air flow etc.
8.  Warranty / Guarantee , Trial Period : Its obvious that we are in a hurry to purchase a mattress when someone we love has a surgery. Chances of us making a mistake sometimes are high. An investment of $1000+ could be a mistake if you pick the wrong mattress. A Trial would be perfect in such cases and a warranty could go a long way if you actually like the mattress. Check out for both these options and read the warranty terms fully.

And what you need not worry about is the “Chiropractor Certified” or the “Doctors recommended” Advertisement gimmick. A Great mattress may or may not come with a recommendation from a doctor, but surely comes with the above requirements.

Do you really need to buy a new mattress?

If your mattress is good, then you should not worry about purchasing a new one at all. Is your mattress firm, adjustable and keeps you cool for hours together? Chances are you can use the same mattress and you don’t need to buy a new one. But if your mattress is soft, then it’s surely not recommended for a patient who has just undergone surgery. It is better to purchase a new mattress than to suffer more. The discomfort of a mattress will be seen after hours or even minutes after the person sets themselves on the mattress. While some may be ok with the pain, they won’t last for more than a day and if they do, the effects of the recovery will be slow and sometimes not good.

Be safe and get a new mattress if you think, even remotely that the mattress is not a good fit.

The best mattress we recommend for Back and Spinal Problems including spinal fusion surgery.

If you are suffering from lower back pain or have undergone surgery due to

1. Sciatica – https://www.saatva.com/blog/sleeping-with-sciatica/
2. Scoliosis – https://www.saatva.com/blog/best-mattress-for-scoliosis/
3. Spinal Stenosis
4. Degenerative disc disease – https://www.saatva.com/blog/best-mattress-for-herniated-discs/
5. Spondylolisthesis

We recommend some of the best mattresses today that you can buy online.

Ah, the never-ending saga of mattress and back pain!!!! It is difficult to sleep with back pain as it is and after the spinal surgery, it is almost unthinkable to have a comfortable sleep at night. The spinal fusion patients need as much rest as possible. But they get the rest they are due for. The answer is NO if the mattress is wrong and YES if the bed is of the right comfort. Read on to know all about Ideal Mattress For Spinal Fusion Patients or the best mattress for patients post-surgery.

I suffer from a bad back, and I was looking for a new mattress that comforts my back. There I came across this spinal fusion surgery. I had no idea what that was all about? So I dug deeper and found the shocking fact that back pain that prolongs for more than a few months could lead to this situation. I sure didn’t want that to happen.

My little findings – Choosing the Best or Ideal Mattress For Spinal Fusion Patients

A bad back is, well, a bad back. The variations occur according to the severity. In the case of spinal fusion patients, or those recovering from back surgery, a supportive mattress that provides ample rest and sleep is highly essential. Any bed that is good for back pain should do the trick to them as well. These types of mattresses will provide the right spinal alignment. They also offer the perfect cradling needed for the body for recovery. Better sleep is inevitable in those cases that naturally lead to rest that heals all the injuries. That’s the theory.

Does all those back pain to relieve mattress supply what they promise to? The answer is, almost all of them. There also are certain types of mattresses like the Tempurpedic mattress that are widely rejected by spinal fusion patients. Those mattresses are said to be uncomfortable and make the pain worse.

Which mattress is best? Choosing an Ideal Mattress For Spinal Fusion Patients or those recovering post surgery

Now comes the ideal mattress for Spinal Fusion Patients or for those who recover from back surgery. They are the adjustable beds with mattresses, good old memory foam mattresses, sleep numbers, and other hybrid mattresses that have medium-firm comfort. Even the futon mattress could work if you are comfortable with the firmness. The ideal choice of the best mattress is entirely dependent on the user as the comfort level of each differs. Adjustable beds: The whole idea of resting after spinal fusion surgery is to get the pressure off the spine. The adjustable beds can elevate the upper body slightly or as much as needed. Having a pillow under the knees then would keep the spine straight and at ease. This position would be comforting to many, especially those who prefer sleeping on their back. This type would come in handy for those patients who prefer to sit on a reclining chair than lie down on the bed. Hence, it is termed No.1 when it comes to the ideal mattress for Spinal Fusion Patients.

Sleep numbers: The Sleep number mattress can adjust the comfort level of it for the sleeper. Spinal surgery is a real pain, and the comfort level might even change from time to time or day by day. Sleep numbers will be the answer if that is the case with you. If you find yourself uncomfortable in the middle of the night adjust the comfort level. The different sleeping positions would also need different comfort levels and this sleep number would be beneficial. One piece of advice is to buy the sleep number from a store that has a trial period offer attached to it. In case the patient finds it rather uncomfortable, there is no loss of money.

The memory foam mattress is the most sought-after type for all kinds of lower back problems. My research (googling!) revealed that the majority of people prefer a memory foam mattress over the other types. It went even to a hard plywood bed and a thin memory foam mattress that was found comfortable. Memory foam can cradle the body ideally in the way it needs. The only point to consider here is that the bed should not be too soft or too firm. Though there are people, who prefer the hard firm mattress that might need to change after the spinal fusion surgery.[Futon mattress with its firmness also gets a few votes from the users. As said earlier it is entirely the patient’s comfort that matters. Update: The Sleep Ovation mattress is a 700 Tiny mattress in one. It places right pressure on the right places, giving you a good sleep and also a great response to pain in your back, especially the spinal area. The company guarantees results for people who are suffering back problems memory foam pads can also work for some. Lay a memory foam padding over the existing mattress. If that is comfortable, there is no need for a new mattress. The pad should be of even surfaces with no fancy designs.

Do I need a new mattress for recovery?

Spinal fusion is major surgery, and the recovery is a slow process. It takes weeks or even months to get back to the better definition of normalcy. Even after the recovery, one must also be careful not to injure the back once again. What is the solution? A comfortable mattress!

It may take a few weeks to know the character of the new mattress that is why it is recommended to go for the one with a trial period to know it well. If there is no discomfort during the initial few weeks, there shouldn’t be any problems later.

Spinal fusion patients should also note that

Simply using a comfortable mattress, getting enough sleep, and exercising is not all. There is also the right way to get up from the bed. Turning on the side, slowly get up using your hand firmly on the mattress. Gently push yourself up. Never be in a hurry to get up from the bed.

There is also no ideal sleeping position for spinal fusion patients. They can sleep in any position they want like. A bigger bed or mattress than needed would be better to allow room. Check out the latest study on Firm and medium-firm mattress, how it affects your recovery and a lot more at
https://www.mscs.dal.ca/~field/stat5990/lancet.pdf

More on the best mattresses for a bad back, back pain and post back surgery at

https://www.saatva.com/best-mattress-for-back-pain/
https://www.nectarsleep.com/best-mattress-for-back-pain/
https://www.amerisleep.com/best-mattresses-for-back-pain/
https://www.bearmattress.com/getting-a-good-nights-sleep-with-a-bad-back

Take a Quiz now to determine the right mattress for you at
https://www.saatva.com/mattress-quiz

Check out some of the Most Recommended mattresses By Saatva