Effect of Prescribed Sleep Surfaces on Back Pain and Sleep Quality in Patients Diagnosed with Low Back and Shoulder Pain
Study by B. H. Jacobson, A. Boolani, G. Dunklee, A. Shepardson and H. Acharya
Before-and-After Study · Applied Ergonomics (Vol. 42, Issue 1, pp. 91-97) · DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2010.05.004
Key Takeaway
Back Pain Eased on Mattresses Matched to Sleep Position
What was tested: 27 adults with low back pain and stiffness, referred by chiropractors, rated their pain and sleep every day for 21 days on their own beds. Then they rated them for 12 weeks on medium-firm foam and latex mattresses layered for their main sleeping position (Jacobson et al., 2010).
What the numbers showed: Back pain, stiffness and sleep quality all improved compared with the first 21 days. Back pain kept improving from the first weeks on the new bed to weeks 4 and 8 to 12, and people reported fewer days a week of poor sleep. The abstract does not give the size of the changes.
What this means for you: A mattress chosen for how you sleep may help back pain. But this was a small study with no control group, so some of the change could come from simply getting a new bed.
Key Numbers
How the Study Was Done
This was a before-and-after study with no control group. 27 patients (14 women and 13 men, average age about 45) were referred by chiropractors for low back pain and stiffness. For 21 days they rated back and shoulder discomfort, sleep quality and comfort each day while sleeping in their own beds (Jacobson et al., 2010).
Their beds were then replaced with medium-firm mattresses layered with foam and latex, set up for each person's main sleeping position. They kept rating their sleep every day for 12 more weeks.
What the Study Compared
New Medium-Firm Mattress (12 Weeks)
Foam and latex layers chosen for each person's usual sleeping position.
Own Bed (21 Days)
The starting point for each person's pain and sleep ratings.
What the Study Found
Average ratings for every measure were significantly better on the new mattresses than on the old beds. Back pain improved step by step: ratings at week 4 and at weeks 8 to 12 were better than in the first week on the new bed (p < 0.01). The number of days each week with poor sleep and physical discomfort also fell (Jacobson et al., 2010).
The authors conclude that replacing a mattress based on sleeping position can reduce pain and improve sleep in people with chronic back pain. We could read only the abstract, because the full paper is behind a paywall. So we could not check who funded the study or how large the changes were.
Why This Page Changed
An earlier version of this page summarized a federal worker safety guide on sleep surfaces and reported a 35% drop in work-related back strain. We could not find that guide in the list of numbered publications from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and we found no federal ergonomics guidance on mattresses. Its figures and product picks have been removed.
We also did not find a published study of mattresses for people with physically demanding jobs. This page now summarizes the closest real study we could open: a mattress study published in an ergonomics journal.
How to Apply This Study When Choosing a Mattress
What it tells you: Your usual sleeping position is worth thinking about when you pick a mattress, and back pain may take a few weeks to settle on a new bed.
Note the position you sleep in most, give a new mattress several weeks, and keep track of your pain. The study did not compare mattress brands.
Study Scope and Limitations
27 adults referred by chiropractors, no control group, and everyone knew they had a new bed. Pain and sleep were self-rated. We read the abstract only, so funding and the size of the changes are not shown here.
Primary Citation
Jacobson, B. H., Boolani, A., Dunklee, G., Shepardson, A., & Acharya, H. (2010). Effect of prescribed sleep surfaces on back pain and sleep quality in patients diagnosed with low back and shoulder pain. Applied Ergonomics, 42(1), 91-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2010.05.004