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No More Counting Sheep, Part Two- Your Guide to the Perfect Mattress

6/10/2016

If you've already followed our guidelines to finding a perfect pillow, but are still not sleeping restfully, your mattress is likely the culprit. Thankfully, our physiotherapists here at Granville Physio have simplified your mattress needs. Read on below to discover which mattress types may be right for you, or click here to book in today with James Rowan, Jim Bowie, or Damien Wild for your one-on-one treatment.

Support

In our opinion, the most important feature of your mattress should be the support that it provides for your spine. A good mattress will fully support the natural alignment and curvature of the spine, allowing for a comfortable and healthy rest. Your mattress should cushion your body in such a way that pressure points are minimized, the body relaxes into a position of natural and lengthened spinal alignment, and most importantly there is no soreness or stiffness upon waking.

Choosing the best firmness for you depends on mainly two factors: the preferred sleeping position and the shape of the individual. Sleeping on your back will lend itself to a firmer mattress being more comfortable (this doesn't mean back sleepers want a rock hard mattress). Side sleepers should have a mattress that allows the hip to sink into the bed enough that the spinal alignment remains neutral (adding a pillow between the knees can further help this). Additionally, the shoulder should sink into the mattress enough so that the neck and mid back are in the same line while the bottom shoulder is not rolled forward too far.

We recommend that you try laying on any potential mattress for a minimum of 20 minutes before making a decision. This will allow your body to relax fully into the support each mattress offers, and much like Goldilocks, will enable you to rule out the "too hard" or "too soft" options before you commit to purchasing. When shopping for a mattress you should also bring along someone to verify that your spinal alignment looks like the "just right" picture below.

Side Sleepers - The "Goldilocks Guide" to Mattresses

"Too Soft"

Sagging spine
No back support, spine curves as a result
Spinal compression in sagging areas
Back pain upon waking

"Too Firm"

Mattress prevents spine from relaxing into a natural position
Spine is distorted upwards
Pressure is concentrated into the shoulders and pelvis
Back pain upon waking

"Just Right"

Mattress fully supports the body in a neutral resting position
Spine maintains a natural and straight alignment
Optimal pressure distribution
Even blood circulation
No stiffness or soreness upon waking

Materials and Composition

One last consideration for a mattress is what it is made of, which will affect respiratory health greatly. Remember that this is a place where you'll be spending almost a third of your life. There are three main culprits that adversely affect your health.

In North America mattresses are required to be fire retardant. For the majority of mattresses this means spraying them in a chemical soap to help "save" us in the case of a fire. While this might seem like a good idea we, unfortunately have to breath in the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) that are emitted from the mattress as a result of this. Additionally, many of the mattresses and pillows out there have glues that hold the mattress together, and these release VOCs as well.

The third respiratory concern is from dust mites, mildew, mold, and fungi. Dust mite feces, rather than the actual dust mites, are the main culprit. Common allergic reactions to these are sneezing, itching, watery eyes, wheezing, headaches, and fatigue.

Coil/Spring mattresses are the least favorable for allergy sufferers because of their inner spring system.
The inner cavity of coil mattresses creates an incubator for dust mites and dead skin cells accumulate. You'll often find mold and mildew within the cavity of a coil/spring mattress due to humidity caused by the transfer of body heat. This is why spring mattresses will typically weigh 10 times its original weight after 10 years of use. Pillow Tops or Quilted Tops attract dust mites as well. With light, loose padding, these soft tops provide an ideal environment for dust mites to thrive in. Therefore, memory foam mattress and latex mattress without coils or springs are the way to go if you have allergies.

If you have any further questions on mattress shopping, please do not hesitate to contact us! Click here to ask one of our physiotherapists your questions, or click here to book an appointment today!

Sweet dreams!

- Granville Physio

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For Your Health - Don't Sit on This Info!

6/2/2016

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The average mattress can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, a price that we spend without question for a good night's sleep. Yet, the thought of spending hundreds of dollars on an office chair is seen by most as an incredulous expense. After all, it is only a chair, right?

Wrong! When you consider that for many working Vancouverites, more hours of the day are spent sitting in an office chair than sleeping in bed each night, a proper chair can be an invaluable asset to your comfort and health. While we are not necessarily suggesting that you go spend thousands of dollars on a new office chair, we do have a few recommendations in regards to the support that your chair should provide.

Before we explain the key features we look for in an office chair, a quick note - as we've mentioned before, prolonged periods of sitting are never ideal, and so finding ways to incorporate movement and new postures into your work day is a fantastic idea, regardless of the price tag on your office chair. If you are interested in learning more about the various consequences sitting has on our health, see the poster below (courtesy of the Washington Post). Read on to learn what our physiotherapists here at Granville Physio have to say about purchasing an office chair, or click here to book in today with James Rowan, Damien Wild, or Jim Bowie!

Key Features of an Effective office chair

High quality office chairs carry a higher price tag largely because they offer a wide array of customize-able features, such as seat height, lumbar support, armrest height, tilt tension, and seat depth adjustments. Additionally, a good chair lasts longer than your Walmart, Canadian Tire, Staples, or Costco special buy.

First and foremost, we believe that a pneumatic seat-height adjustment is by far the most important feature that your office chair should offer. Adjustable seat height ensures that:

Feet are fully supported by the floor
Forearms extend straight out from elbows to work surface
There is the ability to raise the seat and use a footrest, to accommodate desks that are too high for the worker
Hunching or straining to view the workstation at a proper height is avoided

Another great feature to look for in your next office chair is adjustable seat-pan depth. This means that the base of the chair (where you sit) can be adjusted to a position that is closer to or further from the back rest. This is especially important for individuals who are smaller than average as it prevents the pelvis from becoming rotated and forcing the low back to slump.

Lastly, having the ability to tilt the chair backwards reduces the pressure in your back and is a great option for changing your posture, particularly if you are not typing or mousing.

What about using an Exercise Ball?

Replacing your conventional office chair with ball has been touted as a healthy sitting alternative, with offers of increased abdominal activity and a "workout while you work" being attractive claims. However, our physiotherapists here at Granville Physio strongly recommend that you leave the ball at the gym, and here's why:

You are more likely to slouch
- Sitting on a ball for long periods of time is not sustainable, and chances are your posture will deteriorate over the course of your work day
They increase pressure on your spine
- Sitting on a ball even with good posture will result in a greater load on your discs when compared to having your back against a back rest particularly if you tilt the chair back
They are not customizable
- There is no ability to adjust height, which creates many of the same problems that we have addressed above

Our Final Thoughts on Office Chairs

Finding an office chair that offers seat height and depth adjustments is extremely important, and should be the main priority if purchasing an office chair with a limited budget. There are a few great options on the market, and we are particularly found of the Steelcase Leap (pictured above) or Steelcase Criterion which offer the support we have emphasized.

Despite your chair selection, we always recommend moving throughout your work day. Get rid of your exercise ball seat, and instead take five minutes periodically to incorporate stretches or office-friendly exercises into your day (can link to "posture perfect" blog once it is posted). You will be more productive, and your body will thank you for it! Wherever possible, we strongly recommend establishing a sit-stand office design, as this allows you to alternate between sitting and standing as you work.

Investing in a high quality office chair will increase your comfort and productivity at the office, and will reduce the negative health impacts that prolonged periods of sitting have on the body. For the sake of your long-term health and well-being, we strongly recommend that you assess your current office structure, and consider whether or not your chair is giving you the support that you deserve! As always, if you would like more information, or have questions regarding your workplace routine, our physiotherapists are here to help. Click here to book in with James Rowan, Damien Wild, or Jim Bowie today!

- Granville Physio