'Replace your mattress' to ease lower back pain

People who suffer from lower-back pain have been advised to replace their bed and mattress.

Dr Miriam Stoppard, a health writer at the Daily Mirror, explains that an old mattress or one that does not provide adequate support can be a "classic" cause of pain in the lower-back area.

She advises everyone with a mattress that is more than a decade old to replace it with a new one, also recommending they purchase a new bed at the same time, as both are designed to work in conjunction with one another.

"Your mattress should be supportive rather than hard," Dr Miriam Stoppard said.

She also advises people with chronic back pain to speak to a specialist or GP before buying a new bed.

The Sleep Council notes the results of a 1988 study by Dr Chris Idzikowski which found that swapping an uncomfortable bed for a new model can provide an average of 42 minutes extra sleep.

Tempur mattresses and pillows offer a middle ground between hard and soft to give the most comfortable night's sleep.

Classic Bed Company is the UK's premier bed store for ultimate comfort and luxury offering Tempur, Vi Spring, Willis Gambier, French sleigh beds and contemporary beds online