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What are the spine diseases caused by bad mattress?
Back issues and spine diseases are probably one of the most common health issues in modern society due to many reasons such as stress, lifestyle, pressure or accidents. However, there is a major cause that is not so obvious to most of us: a bed mattress.
Many studies have proved that the support and comfort of a sleeping surface are closely related to the efficiency and quality of your sleep. If you are using a too soft or firm mattress, it might result in shoulder pain, stiffness, and low back discomfort. In the next sections, we will show you some common spine diseases and back problems caused by a bad mattress and bedding and how to identify them.
Before getting started, you should have a basic understanding of the spine anatomy.
Spiral anatomy
In general, human spine is divided into 3 main parts, which are typically determined by the number of vertebrae in each section.
– Cervical spine or neck
This section consists of seven vertebrae, termed C1-C7, that provide support to your head. Neck issues can lead to neck pain or pain that spreads down to your arms, hands, and fingers.
– Thoracic spine or upper back
This part is made up of twelve thoracic vertebrae, termed T1-T12, which are connected to the breastbone and rib bones. This makes it very stable and rarely has issues related with mattress.
– Lumbar spine or lower back
Featuring 5 lumbar vertebrae, termed L1-L5, the lower back section has a great deal of flexibility and motion. Since it bears most of the weight and movements of your body, this is the part that is associated with most spine diseases and back issues.
Common spine diseases caused by bad mattress
As you have already known through personal experiences, back pain and spine problems can be uniquely complicated and difficult to identify or treat. There are a lot of contributing factors or causes and contributing factors, and bad mattress is just one of them.
Here we give you some common spine diseases that is often caused by bad mattress. Understanding their signs and origin might be helpful in finding the right treatments for your back problems.
– Axial problems
Also known as mechanical pain, this spine issue can be described in a lot of ways, such as constant, dull or sharp. In most cases, the pressure and tension placed on your back muscles are the main cause of this condition. As a result, it leads to painful feeling in the lower part of your back.
– Referred condition
Often characterized as achy and dull, referred conditions tends to occur around your back and vary in the level of intensity. Generally, the firmness of your mattress and the height of the bed are two main factors that trigger as well as contribute to its intensity.
– Strained muscles
This is probably the most common problems with your back when using a bad mattress. Due to an uncomfortable position or constant stretches, your muscles can be stressed and strained. As a result, the spine will suffer from painful feeling, which might even need a surgeon to relieve in the worst case.
– Sciatica condition
This is another painful condition that results from the irritation of your sciatic nerve. In most cases, this issue is caused by pressure and tension from an abnormally tight muscle in the degenerative disc disease. The most effective treatment for sciatica is physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medications.
– Degenerative disc
If you sleep in a bad mattress, tension and pressure might cause your spinal discs to degenerate over time. This eventually shrinks the spaces between discs and leads to nerve compression and instability. Pain management and conservative rehabilitation treatments are required to solve this spinal issue.
– Radicular pain
The most common sign of this problem is a searing and deep pain in your back. Basically, this type of spine disease is caused by injury, inflammation or compression of your spinal nerve root. In worse cases, it can result in more severe conditions such as spondylolisthesis or spinal stenosis.
Final thoughts
To sum up, there is a long list of spine diseases and back problems caused by a bad mattress. In most cases, the lack of support and comfort in the mattress are the main causes of these issues, whether they are temporary or chronic.
Therefore, make sure to address your personal preferences and go for the right model that can meet your sleeping positions. If the problems get worse, it is advisable to work with your doctor or healthcare provider to have the best treatment for your back.
