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Effects of Mattress Firmness on Pain in Patients With Chronic Low-Back Pain

A Latin-Square Crossover Study of the Effects of Mattress Firmness on Pain in Patients With Chronic Low-Back Pain

Status
Terminated
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01044121
Enrollment
40
Registered
2010-01-07
Start date
2010-01-31
Completion date
2012-07-31
Last updated
2013-01-10

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Low Back Pain, Sleep Disruption

Keywords

mattress, pain, sleep, low back pain, back, neck, arousal, pillow, kingsdown, sleep to live, duke university, sleep to live institute, missouri, springfield, joplin, body diagnostic, dormo diagnostic, morning pain

Brief summary

The primary study objective is to determine whether mattress firmness affects pain in patients with chronic low-back pain. We hypothesize that mattresses that differ in their firmness and support should have a varying effect on low-back pain patients' level of pain and pain-related disability. We also seek to test the hypothesis that the optimal mattress might vary from person to person. In this regard, we will test: 1. Whether there is a single mattress that is superior to the others in terms of reducing low-back pain and pain related disability. 2. Whether the optimal mattress for reducing pain varies in the observed population.

Detailed description

Few treatments are effective for chronic low-back pain, a disorder that causes marked social costs in developed countries. A comfortable mattress is commonly assumed to play an essential role, both on a preventive and on a therapeutic basis on chronic low-back pain. However, evidence supporting the beneficial effects of different levels of mattress support on pain is lacking. The primary study objective is to determine whether mattress firmness affects pain in patients with chronic low-back pain. We hypothesize that mattresses that differ in their firmness and support should have a varying effects on LBP patients' level of pain and pain-related disability. We also seek to test the hypothesis that the optimal mattress might vary from person to person. In this regard, we will test: 1. whether there is a single mattress that is superior to the others in terms of reducing low-back pain and pain-related disability and 2. whether the optimal mattress for reducing pain varies in the observed population. The secondary objectives are: 1. to determine whether there is a relationship between mattress firmness and sleep in this population; 2. to determine whether there is a relationship between pain and sleep in this population; 3. to determine whether key sleep variables (subjective or objective) are mediating or moderating factors of the relationship between mattress and level of low-back pain (LBP) and disability; 4. to determine if different sleep surfaces have differential effects on measures of daily function among patients with chronic LBP; 5. to evaluate if Kingsdown's proprietary algorithm for selecting optimal mattress fits with the subject's best mattress for reducing pain and improving sleep and measures of daytime functioning; 6. to conduct exploratory regression analyses using variables included in the proprietary algorithm and other demographics and measures of physical characteristics to predict the optimal fit mattress (i.e., the mattress associated with lowest morning pain ratings, best sleep measures and optimal levels of daytime function); 7. to determine if different sleep surfaces have differential effects on measures of partner sleep disturbance; 8. to determine if there is a relationship between partner pain level and partner sleep disturbances. Please see Eligibility Criteria for inclusion and exclusion information.

Interventions

OTHERMattress Firmness

Current mattress and 6 experimental firmnesses of mattress as defined by a Comfort Support Analysis device.

Sponsors

Duke University
CollaboratorOTHER
Sleep To Live Institute
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
21 Years to 64 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Low back pain location must be inferior to T12 and superior to the gluteal fold and chronic (greater than 3 months) * Patient Global Impression for Pain of at least 3 on a 1-5 scale (moderate severity) * Visual Analog Scale for Pain of at least 40 on a 100 point scale (0 = no pain; 100 = worst pain) * Presence of normal motor strength on exam * English speaking and reading man/woman between the ages of 21-64

Exclusion criteria

* Neurologic or medical illness that is directly responsible for back pain * Psychiatric disease * Back related surgery * Substance abuse * Pregnancy (self or partner) * Sleep-affecting medications * Recent surgery * Recent physical trauma * Fibromyalgia * Spinal Stenosis * Sciatica * Spondylolisthesis * Spondyloarthropathy * Sciatica * Spinal Stenosis * Vertebral Fractures * Rheumatoid Arthritis * Inability to comply * Untreated sleep disorders * Night-shift worker * Frequent travel * Parent of child under 2 * Pending litigation for pain issue * Corticosteroid use in the last 90 days

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Reduction of PainDaily and every 3 weeks

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Improved Sleep QualityDaily

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026