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The foam mattress-back syndrome
1Department of Internal Medicine, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, Kashmir, India.
The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India
|February 24, 2001
Summary
Medical residents sleeping on hospital foam mattresses reported back pain. This pain resolved when they returned home to their regular cotton mattresses, indicating a clear link.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Sleep Science
Background:
- Medical residents frequently experience back pain after transitioning to foam mattresses in hospital accommodations.
- This discomfort contrasts with their usual experience on cotton mattresses at home.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between sleeping on foam mattresses and the incidence of back pain among medical residents.
- To quantify the prevalence of back pain in this population within a tertiary care hospital setting.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 100 medical residents assessed the onset of backache after sleeping on 10 cm thick foam mattresses.
- Pain intensity was measured using a 10 cm visual analog scale.
- The impact of returning to regular cotton mattresses was evaluated.
Main Results:
- 63% of residents developed back pain, primarily in the lower back, after sleeping on foam mattresses.
- The pain was reproducible, subsiding with cotton mattresses and recurring with foam.
- Four residents reported 13 instances of work absenteeism due to back pain.
Conclusions:
- Sleeping on foam mattresses is significantly associated with the development of reproducible back pain in medical residents.
- The findings suggest that mattress type is a critical factor in resident well-being and potentially impacts work attendance.