Orthopaedic mattresses are now more readily available in a variety of styles and are becoming more popular as the health and comfort benefits of orthopaedic mattresses are being more understood.

By purchasing a good quality orthopaedic mattress you can help to reduce the pressure, pain and other symptoms of lower back pain, while at the same time preventing the onset of the problem in the future by protecting and supporting your back now.

It is estimated that 80% of people will experience back problems at some point in their lives and approximately 50% of adults in the UK currently have back pain. Lower back pain can affect everyday tasks from dressing to cleaning and gardening, and it is believed that it costs the UK economy £5bn each year, with 300,000 people claiming benefits for back problems and 1.1m disabled from lower back pain.

Sleeping in an awkward position or on a low quality mattress are the most common causes of lower back pain because of a lack of support and pressure relief. This creates stress on the back muscles that puts the back under strain.

An orthopaedic mattress helps to ensure a peaceful night’s sleep by making sure the spine is correctly supported in the right places and in the right alignment. The spine has a natural ‘S’ shape bends that an orthopaedic mattress ensures throughout the night, whereas a poor quality mattress won’t provide this support.

There are plenty of orthopaedic mattresses currently on the market in a selection of styles and with different constructions and systems. Orthopaedic mattresses are typically firm and have a design that allows them to contour to body shapes and fill in the gap under the lower back to give support where it’s needed most.

This is the reason why many orthopaedic mattresses are usually made from memory foam or latex foam, as they both contour to heat and pressure changes. However, more increasingly there are mattress and divan bed manufacturers that are combing the comfort of a spring system with the support of memory or latex foam to provide varying degrees of orthopaedic support. Many high quality orthopaedic mattresses now feature a spring systems with a top layer of foam.