It's time to find a mattress to help me get thorugh the night. But there are so, so many options -- it gets confusing and so, so expensive.

Perhaps we could put together a comprehensive thread describing our unique situations and how we've proceeded in purchasing a mattress:

- Symptoms
- Surgery done (if any)
- Mattress brand and model purchased
- When and where (store) purchased
- Approx Price paid
- Rate the mattress (does it help you get rest?)

I have a Select Comfort King Size 5000 series. It is a fabulous bed and I have slept comfortably on it for almost 9 years. I have the Tempurpedic pillows and have had for many years. The memory foam breaks down over time and it absorbs body oils and starts looking nasty after a couple of years. I know I'll be shot for heresy but I believe the Sleep Number is a better bed. I Have went through about 4-5 of the pillows and would not sleep on anything else. Pillows are cheaper than a whole bed and replaceable every 4 years or so. I would not want to buy a bed that will break down like the pillows do unless the mattress is different. I suspect not as it is the same material as the pillows. I paid about $1,500 just for the top mattress several years ago and put it in my water-bed frame. It fit perfectly as a California King. I have had 4-level ADR, shoulder repair, hemi-laminectomy. I sleep like a baby and wake up well rested. Spend the extra money. There is no substitute in life for good sleep. IMHO.

Terry Newton

At the real risk of heresy, Laura, after L5S1 ADR and continuing facet and SI joint problems, sleeps on a 3 inch thick piece of foam on a piece of plywood. She uses a pillow under her knees and says that it gives her the best rest of any bed she's had. Every couple of years we throw out the old foam and get a new one as the foam begins to break down.

I'd agree that spending the money for good sleep is worth it, especially as I suffer from chronic insominia, but sometimes the best solution isn't expensive.

- Symptoms

100% low back pain. Before surgery, I was at a 5/6 pain level at all times (even with prescription medication)

- Surgery done (if any)

L4/L5 and L5/S1 Prodisc (14-NOV-2006)

- Mattress brand and model purchased

Tempurpedic Celebrity (Queen)

- When and where (store) purchased

Online, approximately two years ago.

- Approx Price paid

$3,500.00

- Rate the mattress (does it help you get rest?)

LOVE the mattress. Even before I had the surgery, the mattress made a HUGE difference in my ability to fall asleep and sleep comfortably.

Now that I have had surgery (successful!), I still love the mattress, and definitely notice a difference when I sleep on a traditional mattress (harder to fall asleep, toss and turn, and wake up at least once a night).

David

- Lower back and butt pain
- ADR L5 S1 done
- Tempur-Pedic Deluxe Model (10" memory foam)
- November 2007 - Sleepy's (NY-Metro Chain)
- $2600 (Queen Mattress + Box)
- Immediately experienced less pain, longer sleep.

Now we have a "reasonably clinical" study on the best sleeping surface for spine patients!
________________________________________

Better Backs by Better Beds?

Randomized Trial
Spine. 33(7):703-708, April 1, 2008.
Bergholdt, Kim DC; Fabricius, Rasmus N. DC; Bendix, Tom MD, DrMedSci

Abstract:
Study Design. A "randomized"/stratified, single-blinded, parallel-group study.

Objective. To evaluate 3 structurally different mattresses relative influence on patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP).

Summary of Background Data. In several advertisements, it is proclaimed that certain mattresses have a positive effect on LBP, and especially a hard mattress is commonly believed to have a positive effect.

Methods. One hundred sixty CLBP patients were randomized to 1 of 3 groups, having a mattress/bed mounted in their sleeping room for 1 month. The beds were: (1) waterbed (Akva), (2) body-conforming foam mattress (Tempur), and (3) a hard mattress (Innovation Futon). At baseline and after 4 weeks, a blinded observer interviewed the patients on LBP levels (0-10), daily function (activities of daily living, 0-30), and on the amount of sleeping hours/night.

Results. Because of dropout of 19 patients before baseline, the analyses were performed on 141 patients. During the 1-month trial period another 27 patients stopped ahead of time, which were accounted for by "worse case" as well as "no-change" analyses. Both the waterbed and the foam mattress seemed superior to the hard mattress, especially when using the probably most relevant "worst case" data. There were no relevant difference between the effects of the water bed and the foam bed.

Conclusion. The Waterbed and foam mattress' did influence back symptoms, function and sleep more positively as apposed to the hard mattress, but the differences were small.

http://www.spinejournal.org/pt/re/spine/abstract.000076...43!181195629!8091!-1

I bought my Tempur-pedic prior to my back surgery because of the pain. I loved it then and still love it after ADR L4-5. It is King size, $2400.00, Brookstone (online). I've had it for about 5 years. Even with a King size my two cats sometimes only leave a small corner to sleep in. They let me share the bed....crazy cat lady...I know!!

tempur-pedic
here and have no regrets. we have the queen size deluxe.
only regret is i didnt buy a king size tempur-pedic.
to pricey to change my mind now.
but they are awesome beds.
chuck

Hm, this is a very interesting topic as I've been thinking about how my bed might be affecting my back for about a year now. I take it the tempurpedic mattresses do the best job for us back pain sufferers?

I have a very very cheap queen sized bed (a $600 thing) because that was all I could afford about 5 years ago when I moved into my old apartment. I wanted to upgrade when I moved into my house last fall, but I can't afford it. So far, it doesn't seem like it's causing extra problems, but I certainly worry that it might.

It's a shame you can't necessarily take a nap on the showroom beds to truly test the differences. http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...icon_smile.gif

http://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Better-3-Inch-Elastic-Mattr...ref=pd_sim_k_title_7
people wondering about a bed should try thing like this. i hear its helped many spineys.
and then if you like the feel and sleep one could then think about spending the cash on a tempur pedic
chuck