Although among the general population, and even within the medical community, there is a strong presumption that the characteristics of sleeping surfaces, especially their firmness, can influence the onset, intensity and/or recurrence of pain associated with some types of mechanical spinal pathology, there was no scientific evidence demonstrating which characteristics were most appropriate for healthy or sick individuals. In fact, very few studies had been conducted on this subject, and their methodology prevented reliable conclusions from being drawn.
However, although it was not known which specific characteristics had a concrete effect, there were data suggesting that bed characteristics had a noticeable influence. The Foundation itself had promoted a broad epidemiological study on the frequency of back ailments among adolescents and the factors associated with a higher risk of suffering from them (see page 17), and its results had shown that the factor associated with the highest risk, both among adolescents and their parents, was perceiving discomfort in bed, with a much stronger association than other factors, such as having been diagnosed with scoliosis or a difference in leg length.
Therefore, it was considered necessary to delve deeper into the influence of certain specific characteristics of the sleeping surface on back ailments and, in this particular case, to define what effect different mattress firmness has on the evolution of pain in those who already suffer from back pain.
Source: Kovacs Foundation
