Dealing with chronic back pain requires more than medication and therapy. It also involves a mattress that helps relieve muscle tension and keeps it from coming back.

Here’s your guide to choosing the best mattress for chronic back pain.

RELATED: Learn How To Sleep Peacefully Even With Shoulder Pain

How to Choose a Mattress That Helps Cure Chronic Back Pain

1. Firmness Level

It’s a common misconception. Unbeknownst to many, a firmer mattress is not synonymous to a better mattress. Neither is it the solution for chronic back pain.

The best mattress is a personal preference and is decided on numerous factors.

Lighter sleepers (less than 60kg) may find softer mattresses more comfortable. These have more give but could be firm enough to cradle your muscles and contour to your natural curves at the same time.

Heavier sleepers (more than 105kg) would benefit from firmer mattresses.

That said, the general rule of thumb is to go with a medium-firm or mid-firm mattress. It might be the best

But at the end of the day, sleeping preference is personal and even heavier sleepers may prefer mattresses that give a plush and luxurious feel.

Choose a mattress with a pillow top layer and a firm foundation. This will provide you with durable support and ease of movement without sacrificing your comfort.

The Grand Suite Serta mattress is a mid-firm mattress boasting a pillow top layer. Also topped with a latex layer, you get additional spinal support, pressure relief, and superior back support.

For those dealing with chronic back pain due to injuries or health conditions, this may also give them the ease of movement only a mid-firm to firm mattress could provide.

2. Spinal Alignment

More often than not, a bad mattress leads to a bad back. If pain relievers, improved posture, and therapy don’t help soothe chronic back pain, it could be because of your mattress.

The best mattress supports the natural alignment of your back. This means that it can keep you back straight from the neck all the way down to your hips regardless of where you lie on the mattress and your sleeping position.

If what causes your back pain is an injury or a medical condition, a mattress that supports your natural posture could also

3. Adaptive Support

In addition to providing adequate spinal alignment, your mattress should be able to support your muscles, movement, and sleeping position.

Choose a mattress with layers and a foundation that are designed specifically to cradle you as you sleep.

Memory foam layers are great mattress toppers for those dealing with chronic back pain. They conform and contour to your body’s curves and are pressure-relieving for your muscles.

However, beware of cheap memory foam. These are too soft and not dense enough to hold up your weight and absorb where it counts.

Pocket-on-pocket coils that move individually against your body and movement provide precise body contouring, spinal alignment, and motion isolation.

The Freya Serta mattress is built with a 7-zone honeycomb pocket-on-pocket coil system comprised of spine supporting Gold Series Coil™.

4. Pressure Relief

You hear the term pressure relief get thrown around a lot when you go mattress shopping. But what does it mean?

Pressure relief is a balance between mattress firmness, contouring, and spinal alignment. A truly pressure-relieving mattress supports and distributes your weight across the mattress.

Pressure points are points of your body that come into contact with your mattress. This could depend on your sleeping position. But the best pressure-relieving mattress is able to cradle you any which way you toss and turn.

Memory foam and latex layers are great at absorbing your pressure points. These materials compress and sink in deep enough to absorb your weight and allow for proper spinal alignment.

Even better are hybrid mattresses which come with multiple structures and layers that are intended to provide pressure relief and spinal support. And these mattresses are also more likely to offer motion isolation, which is also great for those that share a bed with a sleeping partner, kids, or pets.

Our Celestial collection Serta mattresses are our most divine mattresses, boasting 7-zone honeycomb pocket-on-pocket coils that provide sturdy support and  and comes in three firmness levels to give you exactly the support you need.

RELATED: Serta Mattress Product Highlight: The Perfect Spine Collection

5. Durability

A mattress that doesn’t buckle under pressure (and absorbs it) becomes more important for those struggling with chronic back pain.

When you’re seeking back pain relief, you need a mattress that will last. A sagging mattress or one that is dented will not provide you with the support you need.

Mattress protectors may help prolong the lifespan of your mattress. These are waterproof layers that keep fluids from seeping into the layers of your mattress, which could contribute to the damaging moisture.

6. Temperature Regulation

There is no tossing and turning to look for the cool side of the bed when you’re dealing with chronic back pain. A hot mattress could lead to sleepless nights and disrupted sleep. Sleep that you desperately need to help remedy your back.

The iBreeze Serta mattress boasts an adaptive dynamic cooling system that rapidly evaporates vapor within your mattress. It keeps your mattress cool and allows you to sleep comfortably—coolly—throughout the night. You’ll wake up refreshed and rejuvenated in the morning.

It also comes with multiple cushioning and supportive latex and foam layers that precisely cradle the pressure points of your body.

7. Sturdy Encasement

A sturdy encasement not only extends the usable real estate of your mattress, but it also supports your movement as you get on and off and within your bed.

A mattress that does not support your weight 100% could give you a worse sleeping experience even before you’ve begun snoring.

When a mattress sags and dips too much under your weight, it may prove too difficult to move in especially for someone whose movements are already limited and strained.

Don’t take chronic back pain lying down.

Curing a bad back could be as simple as changing your mattress. If a good night’s rest doesn’t help your back feel better, your bed could be the culprit.

Other than absorbing the day’s stress, your bed should be able to finely absorb your pressure points and alleviate pressure off your muscles.

UP NEXT: 

• How To Choose The Best Spring Mattress | 6 Features To Look For
• What Is The Ideal Bed Size For Couples?
• 7 Important Health Benefits Of A Pocket Spring Mattress

How do you deal with chronic back pain? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below! We’d love to hear from you.