Research on Mattress Use and Lower Back Pain in Pregnant Women

Abstract

This research illuminates the relationship between lumbago during pregnancy, the time in a woman’s life when the greatest physical changes occur, and the bedding used (for the purpose of sleeping), with the objective of explaining the bedding requirements for the relief of lower back pain. The subjects of this study were 90 pregnant women who developed lower back pain after becoming pregnant and who were still experiencing the pain. The group was divided into a“mattress use group”and a“mattress non-use group.”The mattress use group was asked to use the bedding at the time they were recruited for the study, and the consent of 15 women was obtained so that they could be included in the use group.
The results of study, after both groups of women were evaluated with the visual analog scale (VAS) and the activities of daily living score, showed that the mattress use group did not expe-rience an increase in back pain, but that the non-use group did experience an increase in pain within two weeks. In addition, the non-use group complained of difficulties in performing ac-tivities of daily living. The above results show that during periods of long bed rest, allowing the lower back or sections of the lower back to sink moderately into the mattress in order to reduce the burden on the back is a requirement for allowing a pregnant woman to reduce her lower back pain and be able to participate in activities of daily living.