what firmness level is suitable for people with low back pain from herniated disc?

do people with low back pain need a:

1. firm level support
2. medium support
3. soft level of support


Thanks so much

Medium support. Soft would be awful and firm would be to rough on your shoulders and hips, IMO. I would say go as firm as you find comfortable.

Pete wrote:
I agree. As firm as is comfortable. I ended up with medium firm but I don't have a herniated disc, thank goodness! Just scoliosis and some kind of damage from 3 car wrecks. (Doctors can't figure out what exactly my problems are.)

I am going to say extra firm (36 ILD).  Before I got my latex mattress, I suffered agonizing low back pain at night, and hip pain as well, with my hips going numb, feeling on fire, and hurting.  I am a side sleeper too.

With my extra firm latex mattress, there is still enough give so that you have pressure relief at the hip area (and shoulder too if you need it there) and I no longer have hip pain.  My agonizing back pain is gone at night too.  I have tried sleeping on my husband's side of the bed, which has a firm (32 ILD) layer on top of two extra firm layers, and it's too soft - you'll sink in too much and hurt your back.

My "Frankenmattress" (look at my "I made my own Hybrid mattress" thread) has an ILD (ILF) of 30, I estimated through my own measuring. IMO, I consider an ILD of 25-29 to be medium, 30-35 to be medium-firm. An ILD over 35 is what I call firm and anything in the 40+ range is very firm. I'm sure there are industry standards. (In fact I posted them in another thread, I think.) I have a herniated disc and am a side sleeper, too. An ILD of 30-35 is what I personally call "just right"

I am with Kimberly. I have a 36 ILD on top and I have herniated disks from a car accident and sleeping in my bed is so comfortable for me. I have a 1" soft topper (ordered separately since I am not quite 5 feet tall and very petite all over so the 2" topper was too thick for me) over FloBed Latex layers of 36 ILD (averaging a little more) over 36 ILD (averaging a little more) over 44 ILD (averaging a little more since I requested the highest range ILD's) and my bed has a little give for me and is so comfortable. I sleep on my side.

Lynn, what kind of top layer did you get?  Our flobed isn't working well for us yet, and we're about to do our first support layer swap to make it much firmer.  But we both kind of hate that 2" convolute on top.  We took it off for one night and my husband liked it better, but I was unable to sleep so we put it back.

Inkholder, I could not sleep with that convoluted latex topper since it was too thick of a cushion for me.  I sent it back toDave at FloBeds.  He then sent me a 2" Dunlap latex topper in exchange and that was too hard for me.  Then he sent me a 1.5" Talalay soft latex topper and it was still too much softness on top.  I was going to ask him to send me a 1" soft latex topper since I need that little bit of cushion as I sleep on my side but then I saw from others talking on this site that Brylane Homes had a sale on a natural queen latex topper for a great price so I ordered that. It has no seams but it was too big. I cut it to fit the Queen size bed and I have been sleeping very comfortable with my firm layers underneath me and my Overstock Natural Latex pillows.  I also could not sleep with any latex softer than 35 ILD for my latex core split layers.  My bottom latex layers are the blended 44 to 46 ILD Talalay Latex and the middle and top latex cores are from 35 ILD to 39 ILD (the 36 ILD sometimes has a range and the average was never 36 ILD on my latex cores). I found I need the firm layers for my back but I need the little bit of cushion for my pressure points since I sleep on my side. I am not quite 5 feet so maybe someone taller than me may like a 1.5" Talalay soft latex topper.  I know others that love the 2" convoluted topper but they don't have back problems.  I would first ask Dave what he can do for you for an exchange of that Latex topper and also make sure your latex layers are firmer if you have lower back pain from a herniated disk which I now have since I was hurt very badly in a car accident.  I always sleep on a super firm conventional bed and tossed and turned due to my pressure points so I love the little bit of cushion on my FloBeds and now I sleep much better not moving so much.  After the car accident, I made my bed even firmer and Dave worked with me despite the 90 days passing so that I had no latex core less than 35 ILD since I all of a sudden needed the bed even firmer.  I find the bed so comfortable and my pillow helps me also.  It took me 6 overstock pillows to get two that are the perfect height for me. The other four I use for shams.