Jp, I’m going to check into the inversion table as well. It’s a great concept! With this contraption you are able to get the health benefits of stretching your spine to the maximum extent possible. About the pain, since your MD can’t pinpoint anything wrong, has he or she recommended a consultation with a physical therapist? Your back muscles may need strengthening. Even if you’re not seeing a physical therapist, you can strengthen them on your own by working out or doing some other activity that targets the back muscles. Yoga and swimming are wonderful for this.
About the bed, a firm mattress is always best for people with back problems. It’s better for the back in general. I have a sealy. It’s firm with a little bit of give. With a firm mattress, you can always make your bed softer by piling on things like featherbeds and memory foam toppers.
I have a memory foam topper. I don’t have it on all the time because I find I enjoy a firm bed.
I had a Select Comfort air mattress at one point when I was married, I didn’t like it. On that particular bed, the air kept seeping out. Regardless, it wasn’t that comfortable.
Basset furniture makes a mattress with a nice, thick cotton cloth cover, that will probably be my next mattress.
