Why does my mattress make my hips hurt?
One of the most common reasons a mattress will cause hip pain? It's simply too old, and its interior no longer supports your body the way that it used to. You can also start to notice hip pain from a new mattress that is too hard for your body and doesn't provide any contour or cushion to the hips.
To relieve hip pain, especially for side sleepers, a softer mattress surface will help tight muscles relax and relieve pressure. If you already have a good-quality mattress but it's too firm, and you're aware of uncomfortable hip pressure, consider adding a soft mattress topper.
A mattress that's too soft or too hard could trigger pressure points, which may lead to a sore hip. Sleep posture can also cause pain. Try sleeping on your back or, if you're a side sleeper, sleep on the side that doesn't hurt and put a pillow between your knees to keep your hips aligned.
Sleep Position
If you regularly wake up at night from hip pain, the way you're sleeping or your mattress could be to blame. A mattress that's too soft or too hard could trigger pressure points, which may lead to a sore hip. Sleep posture can also cause pain.
- Gentle stretching during the day to help relieve strain.
- Investing in a more supportive mattress.
- Avoiding alcohol before bed.
- Setting a normal sleep schedule.
- Taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines before bed.
- Using ice to reduce inflammation.
- Having joint injections to relieve pain.
What causes hip pain when sleeping? A variety of conditions can cause hip pain when sleeping. The most common causes are bursitis, osteoarthritis, sciatic-piriformis syndrome and tendonitis. Other causes include injury to your muscles or soft tissues, pregnancy, the position you sleep in and your bed or pillows.
Memory foam can soothe joint pain and arthritis by relieving pressure and easing swelling. Here's why memory foam provides the ultimate comfort and support for arthritis and other similar conditions; Provides a soft, comfort layer to cushion pressure points and joints. Absorbs movement.
Symptoms of bursitis of the hip
Symptoms include joint pain and tenderness. You may also see swelling and feel warmth around the affected area. The pain is often sharp in the first few days. It may be dull and achy later.
- You're unable to bear weight.
- Your hip made a popping sound.
- Your hip became visibly deformed after a fall.
- Your hip is more painful the day after a fall.
- You're experiencing intense pain or sudden swelling.
- You have osteoporosis and have injured your hip.
If you experience hip pain at night, there might be an underlying issue. Conditions like arthritis and bursitis can cause inflammation, and the pressure from sleeping on your side can aggravate it. While you might still need a new mattress, you can know exactly what's behind your hip pain.
How can you tell the difference between hip arthritis and hip bursitis?
“The simplest way to understand the difference between hip bursitis and hip osteoarthritis is to understand where the pain is coming from,” says Dr. Sparling. “When you have hip osteoarthritis, the pain is coming from inside the joint. With hip bursitis, pain is coming from the outside.”
Walking is one of the best ways to relieve hip pain. But, if you find that despite a daily walk you are still experiencing it, there are other options available to you as well. If you've had a hip injury, ongoing physical therapy can help you immensely.
- Rest. Avoid repeated bending at the hip and direct pressure on the hip. ...
- Pain relievers. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) may help ease your hip pain.
- Ice or heat.
Your chiropractor can help evaluate your hip joint and other joints around the hip to determine what may be causing your discomfort or limited mobility. Chiropractors can treat a number of conditions in the hip region.
Memory Foam
It uniformly distributes your weight and keeps your spine aligned in all sleep positions, which is why memory foam mattresses are recommended for back pain by chiropractors. Memory foam also helps relieve pressure points and reduce pain in sensitive areas along the hips, shoulders, and back.
- Best Overall. WinkBed. ...
- Best Value. DreamCloud Mattress. ...
- Most Comfortable. Helix Midnight Luxe. ...
- Best Luxury. Saatva Classic. ...
- Best Temperature-Regulating. Nectar Premier. ...
- Best for Side Sleepers. Layla Mattress. ...
- Best for Back Pain. Bear Hybrid. ...
- Best Pressure Relief.
Side sleepers should lie on the hip that isn't painful, and place one or more pillows between the legs. When lying on your back, place a pillow or rolled up blanket beneath your knees and possibly another under the small of your back. When sleeping on your back, place pillows beneath your knees.
Diagnosis of hip bursitis
Your doctor might order imaging tests such as x-ray, MRIs, ultrasounds, or bone scans. Ultrasound and MRI specifically are used to confirm the diagnosis when the bursae are too deep for regular inspection.
- Rest: This is the most important part of treatment. ...
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): Certain over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, can decrease the inflammation and pain.
A hip affected by inflammatory arthritis will feel painful and stiff. There are other symptoms, as well: A dull, aching pain in the groin, outer thigh, knee, or buttocks. Limited range of motion.
How do you tell if hip pain is arthritis or something else?
“Pain coming from the hip joint is most often due to hip arthritis (osteoarthritis). If the pain seems to be in the front of the thigh, including deep in the groin area, then this is an indication of hip joint pain and probably hip arthritis.” The pain may become worse with activity or with sudden pivoting movements.
Myth: Young people don't have hip pain
Patients, between the ages of 30 and 50 often experience wear and tear at the hip joint. Patients ages 50 and older commonly deal with “bad hips” and have pain in the worn joints.
Pain that flares up with vigorous activity. Stiffness in the hip joint that makes it difficult to walk or bend. "Locking" or "sticking" of the joint, and a grinding noise (crepitus) during movement caused by loose fragments of cartilage and other tissue interfering with the smooth motion of the hip.
- It doesn't contour to your body.
- It feels uncomfortable.
- You wake up with back or neck ache.
- You get a better sleep when you sleep on a softer mattress elsewhere.
Can a mattress cause back and hip pain? A mattress that is either too soft or too firm can be why you experience back and hip discomfort while sleeping. A mattress that is too plush will sink the most where the body is the heaviest — the lumbar region and hips.
Body weight
Generally speaking, heavier people prefer firmer mattresses. Soft foams may sink in too much for comfort and adequate support. Conversely, lighter sleepers may sink in less and find firm beds to be uncomfortably hard, so they generally prefer soft to medium firm options.
A firm or semi-firm mattress can support good sleep quality in people with certain health concerns, such as back and neck pain. This is because sleepers will easily maintain a neutral spinal alignment throughout the night. Sleepers with back problems have reported doing best on a medium-firm mattress.
If you carry weight, sleep on your back, or sleep on your stomach, a firm mattress may help alleviate lower back pain by distributing your body weight more evenly across the mattress. This way, your back isn't curving as much while you sleep.
While the level of firmness that's most comfortable for you is ultimately a matter of preference, medium or medium-soft mattresses are usually best for frequent side sleepers. This ensures that there's enough plushness to alleviate pressure points plus the right amount of support to keep the spine aligned.
Most of the time, the reason it is too firm is due to its temperature sensitivity and heat reactive properties. In other words, the qualities that make memory foam the best type of mattress can also cause it to be firm.
How soft should a mattress be for side sleepers?
Above all else, this is probably the most important question to answer when considering firmness. Strict side sleepers will typically want something within the 3-6/10 range while back sleepers will want to go with something in the 5-7/10 range.
Hip bursitis causes pain and tenderness that often gets worse when you try to sleep. The wrong mattress makes pain from hip bursitis worse, and the right one can provide much needed relief. After reading our guide below, it should be clear what the best mattress for hip pain should provide.