Why I Recommend TempurPedic Mattresses
Image via Wikipedia
As a chiropractor, I often ask patients with back pain what kind of mattress they sleep on. Many times, the patient says it’s an old mattress that has sunk in the middle. This is not a good thing, as a mattress with poor support can cause your spine to bend in an unnatural position while you sleep, which can cause pain and stiffness.
TempurPedic makes mattresses and pillows out of a viscoelastic material that is highly resistant to deformation. Viscoelastic translates to “behaves like a fluid and deforms and returns to its original shape.”
When you sleep on your back, there are several pressure points placed on the mattress: under your head, under your upper back, your lower back and pelvis, and your lower legs. The heaviest is the lower back/pelvis area, which is the reason for that familiar “sag” in the middle of a typical spring coil mattress. This is also the reason why these kinds of mattresses need to be turned over and rotated every couple of weeks– it slows down the formation of this pit. When you sleep on your side, that shallow pit in your mattress causes your spine to bend sideways, squeezing your lumbar discs on one side. When you sleep on your stomach, the pit allows your stomach to drop downwards causing your lower back to arc too much, putting pressure on your lumbar facet joints. When you sleep on your back, your lower back falls into the pit and tugs apart the lumbar spine, causing it to ache in the morning.
The TempurPedic mattress is different in that it tends to “mold” around your pressure points. It pushes up in areas where there is a lot of pressure/weight, and pushes up less in lighter areas. This results in a more even distribution of your weight on the mattress, which your body will love. It feels like you are floating on the mattress. Best of all, it allows your blood to circulate more freely resulting in less tossing and turning.
So, before you buy a new mattress, check out TempurPedic (they make pillows, too). It costs more than spring coil mattresses, but don’t forget, they hold their shape much longer. Consider it an investment in your health. Sleeping on a TempurPedic can also mean less visits to the chiropractor. My office is a Professional Distributor of TempurPedic, and we can beat most mattress retailers in price. Just call for more info.
Dan Perez, DC
San Ramon Chiropractor
San Francisco Chiropractor
