Ideal Mattress Eases The Path of Recovery – The Best Mattress Choices for Spinal Fusion Patients

Spinal Surgery, Sleeping positions and recommendations

Before you even consider purchasing a mattress for a patient undergoing spinal fusion surgery its important that you understand what doctors and chiropractors recommend. Its essential that you 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 on to their back in their sleep and most importantly the posture is key. 

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 a recent surgery, Consider a medium firm Mattress with an adjustable base.

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

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 in medication for pain, avoid sleeping during days. This will ensure that you get a better sleep and rest during the nights. It also promotes better healing and overall health.

No matter how good your mattress, 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 in to 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 mattress 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 on bed, Sleeping hot is not a good thing to happen. Coil mattress on the other hand have a memory foam layer to make it comfortable and is more breathable. Coil mattress helps maintain a good temperature in bed. Also Coil mattress are known to give patients a better support. Latex mattress is one of the best options when it comes to heat retention.

Apart from the type of mattress its 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. Its 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 which 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.

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 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. Its important that you don’t sink into the mattress at any point of time, yet feel comfortable to spend almost the entire day in bed for weeks. Soft mattresses often retain heat, sink you in and creates problems in posture. This is not recommended post suregery.

A firm mattress is the best option for back sleepers but for those who sleep on their sides, it often creates problem. 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.

Its also important to know the persons 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 he may feel it to be soft. The heavier the person, the firmer the bed needs to be. Its one of the reasons why most chiropractors recommend a firm mattress. Its 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 its stated to use a Medium firm mattress for better pain relief. There was no difference in 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 really 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 post spinal surgery, firm and medium firm mattresses are recommended for a lot of reasons. To being with, its easier to turn around in a firm mattress as compared to a soft mattress. Firm mattress 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, its harder to turn around after a surgery. You sink in, and it creates stiffness, which is surely a bad thing after a surgery. Chances of you sweating, sleeping hot is very high with a soft mattress.

There is a small inconvenience with a chiropractic mattress. Its 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 really 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 you 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 you mattress is soft, then its surely not recommended for a patient who has just undergone surgery. Its 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 wont last for more than a day and if they do, the effects of the recovery will be slow and sometimes not really 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
2. Scoliosis
3. Spinal Stenosis
4. Degenerative disc disease
5. Spondylolisthesis

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

I suffer from bad back, and I was looking for a new mattress that comforts by back. There I came across this spinal fusion surgery. I had no idea what that was all about? So I dug deeper and found this 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 the 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 a 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 is widely rejected by the spinal fusion patients. Those mattresses are said to be uncomfortable and making 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 mattress, 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 best mattress is entirely dependent on the user as the comfort level of each differs.

Do I need a new mattress for recovery?

The 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 the comfortable mattress, getting enough sleep and exercises are not all. There is also the right way to get up from the bed. Turning on the side, slowly get up using your hand firm 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.