Do you suffer from chronic back pain? Your answer might be to get a new bed.
Just as the famous Goldilocks found out, beds can be too hard, too soft or just right. Is your bed just right?
How are you going to know if you have bought the right bed?
Should I buy an expensive bed?
How long should a bed last?
Is my bed causing my back pain?
On average we spend 8 hours in bed. Can you imagine what your feet would feel like after wearing old, unsupportive and uncomfortable shoes for 8 hours? Probably a bit like your back would feel after lying on an old bed for the same amount of time.
Bad beds can cause chronic back pain. I’ve seen it time and time again.
If your bed is to blame, this will be your story…your back feels tired, stiff, achey and sore. You feel like you’re a hundred years old. The worst time is straight after you get out of bed. You try and straighten up as you walk to the bathroom. You can’t wait to get in to the shower and get that hot water to pound your aching back & ease your pain.
After your shower you feel half human again. By the time you’ve had breakfast, you are nearly there. Mid morning, you’re ok again, you’re back to normal. But you’re dreading going to bed again tonight, because you know the same thing is going to happen tomorrow.
As Osteos we always ask about the bed you’re sleeping in as part of 1 hour new patient consultation. Not only do we ask about your bed but we also ask about how you sleep in that bed. We don’t like you sleeping on your front or face down. We like you to sleep on your side or your back. There are special instructions for sleeping positions when you have osteoarthritic knees or disc problems. You also need a great pillow, that supports your head and neck.
New beds these days last for about 10-15 years. Sometimes longer if you buy the more expensive latex type mattresses. Older type foam mattresses might only last for 6-8 years. When buying a bed it really pays to buy a top of the range bed. The better quality of bed you buy, the longer it will last and the more value for money it will be.
A great quality bed can set you back around $5000 (AUD). But it might last 15 years. The per day cost of a $5000 bed is around a $1 per day for 15 years. Which is not bad. We spend more money on take away coffee!
How do you know if you’ve bought the right bed?
Well the answer to that question is you don’t ever know that for sure. Lying on a bed in a store for 20 minutes isn’t quite the same as lying on one in the comfort of your own home for a whole night.
The best thing to do is make sure you narrow your choices down to 2-3 beds when you’re in the bed store and try each bed out for around 20 minutes. Eliminate one bed after the 1st round and then another after round 2. If you try too many beds, you’ll get confused. make sure that the bed store is happy for you to return the bed if you’re not happy. Most stores will do this for you within defined time periods after your purchase. Of course you can’t return it a year later and ask for your money back.
There’s a lot of bed stores out there, but there’s only a handful of great sales people willing to put time and effort into helping you choose this most important of investments. One such store is the Bedshed on Nepean Highway, Cheltenham. Talk to Alan, he’s the store Manager. He’s your go to guy for beds. I bought my bed from there and couldn’t be happier. Great service and great staff.
If you’ve got an aching back, and that story sounds like you come and see us first so we can check you out and confirm the cause of your pain. If you’ve been used to sleeping on a dodgy bed for years, we need to undo the damage that bed has done to your back before you purchase a new bed. This will allow you to get the full benefits of you new bed.
Dr Wayne
www.badbak.com
