Did you know that back pain is one of the leading causes of missed days at work?
If you suffer from back pain, then you probably don't need us to tell you this! Lower back pain can be a debilitating condition and one that impacts many areas of your life.
Besides restricting one's ability to work, back pain can also impact your mental and emotional wellbeing. According to research, back pain can trigger feelings of fear, anxiety, and isolation.
What's more, a lot of the treatment options for lower back pain can be highly costly, thereby causing financial worries as well.
Fortunately, there is one cheap and easy way to ease lower back pain. By using a lumbar support pillow, you can not only reduce lower back pain—but also work to prevent it.
Are you wondering if a lumbar support pillow can help you? Or are they just a gimmick? If not, what kinds are there, which should you get, and how should they be used?
If you want to know the answers to these questions, stay with us as we break down everything you need to know about lower lumbar support pillows.
What Are Lumbar Support Pillows?
First things first, what are lumbar support pillows?
Lumbar support pillows are specially designed to provide, as their name suggests, extra support in the lumbar region. They are generally flat at the back and curved at the front. This allows them to act as a wedge between your lower back and the back of your seat.
Most backrests are flat and provide little to no lumbar support. Because of this, you might often find yourself either rounding forward or slouching backward in your seat. With the right lumber cushioning, however, your back will be supported evenly, increasing comfort and reducing compression on your spine.
Who Are They For?
Many people only start to use a lumbar support pillow when they begin to experience back pain. However, anyone who spends a lot of time seated should look into supporting their lower back—whether or not they have back pain.
One of the many reasons for lower back pain is, you guessed it, sitting.
The cause for this is that the human body is not designed to be in a seated position for long periods of time. Studies have shown that extended sitting can wreak havoc on one's health. One way it does this is by impacting posture and circulation, and increasing compression in one's back, hips, legs, and pelvis.
One of the ways to offset these effects is to make sure that your seating arrangements are as easy on your body as possible. Lumbar support cushions are an important part of this. They maintain the natural curvature of the spine while seated. If made with the right material, they can also reduce compression and improve circulation.
Besides being able to alleviate lower back pain, some users also report that lumbar support pillows also relieve upper back and shoulder tension. One of the reasons for this is that by promoting better posture, the whole of one's spine is more aligned, reducing strain on both the upper and lower areas.
While lumbar support pillows are ideal for office workers, drivers, and anyone else who spends a lot of time seated, they are also useful if you are suffering from an injury or an affliction like arthritis or fibromyalgia. In short, if you are having pain in your back, having a lumbar back support pillow can be invaluable.
Do Lumbar Support Pillows Work?
Let's be honest. There is probably a product for every affliction you can think of on the planet. However, not all of these so-called "solutions" do what they say they will.
When it comes to lumbar support pillows, they might not be able to cure everyone's back pain, but they have been proven to be highly effective at easing pain stemming from lower back issues.
For example, this study showed that in those with a history of lower back pain, lumbar support cushions measurably improved comfort in healthy participants. Participants demonstrated a decrease of lumbar flattening as well as an increase in thoracolumbar curvature.
Another study that combined lumbar support cushioning with physical therapy showed that participants demonstrated greater improvement and reduction in pain levels when using lumbar support, (as opposed to those that merely underwent physical therapy).
In short, lumbar support pillows can work to keep your spine from flattening while seated, increase comfort, and reduce pain.
The Different Types of Lumbar Support Pillows
Lumbar support pillows generally have similar shapes and designs. As mentioned above, they are usually flat at the back and curve to fit the natural shape of one's lower back. Many lumbar pillows also come with straps attached so that you can secure them to your chair.
Besides these common features, one of the areas where lumbar support pillows differ is in their material. Let's take a look.
Regular Foam Pillows
A lot of the cheaper lumbar support pillows are made out of regular sponge foam. The quality of the foam can vary, as well as the longevity of these pillows.
Lumbar pillows made out of regular foam can provide relief, however, they do not offer the highest level of support. These pillows can make for a good option if you just want to try out a lumbar support pillow. However, they are generally not that long-lasting and are also prone to absorbing sweat, moisture, and dust.
Memory Foam Lumbar Support Pillows
If you are looking to relieve or prevent lower back pain, then the Rolls-Royce of lumbar support cushioning is memory foam.
Memory foam lumbar pillows cushion your lower back in two ways. Firstly, they are contoured and soft, just like other lumbar support cushions. However, the unique capabilities of memory foam also allow for additional support.
When exposed to the heat of your body, memory foam sinks away. The result is that it molds to your body, providing even pressure distribution. Therefore, no matter the specific curve and shape of your spine, a memory foam lumbar pillow will be able to contour to it exactly.
Besides this, the even support and softness of memory foam also allows for better circulation through your back and less compression of the spine.
Lastly, besides being one of the best materials for lumbar support, memory foam is also one of the comfiest. Which, if you haven't guessed, we are big on here at Everlasting Comfort!
After all, a large part of using a lumbar support pillow is making yourself more comfortable. What's more, comfort and pain reduction go hand in hand.
As well as being ideally suited for lumbar support, memory foam pillows also have a number of other benefits to them. For one, they are hypoallergenic. They are also highly longlasting and are excellent at heat retention.
If you would like to invest in the best lumbar support pillow for your back, then take a look at our memory foam lumbar cushion. Available in a variety of colors, this pillow is specifically designed to ease back pain and can be used in a variety of seats. It is also washable and fitted with dual adjustable straps.
Gel-Infused Memory Foam Lumbar Support Pillows
Speaking of heat retention, we listed this above as one of the benefits of memory foam lumbar pillows. However, not everyone likes a hot seat.
If you live in a warm climate or struggle with overheating or excessive sweating, the last thing you want is a lumbar pillow that soaks up warmth like a sponge. Fortunately, if this is you in a nutshell, you don't have to skip the advantages of a lumbar support pillow made from memory foam.
Gel-infused memory foam is specifically designed for those who struggle with overheating. While regular memory foam absorbs and stores heat to the max, gel-infused memory foam is formulated to release and distribute heat away from your body. This is done through the incorporation of cooling gel microbeads and—in some cases—strategically placed cut-outs.
If you would like to protect your back with a lumbar support pillow with cooling capabilities, then take a look at our gel-infused lumbar support pillow. It comes with adjustable straps, is machine washable, and can be used in all types of seating, including office chairs, car seats, and more.
Inflatable Pillows
Lumbar support pillows also come in inflatable designs. These are mostly meant for traveling and situations where you cannot carry a full-size pillow with you.
In this instance, you can deflate these pillows, and blow them up again when you need cushioning.
While inflatable lumbar support pillows are novel, we would not recommend them for regular use. Firstly, they do not contour correctly to the shape of your lower spine.
Secondly, they also aren't all that comfortable. Ever slept on a blowup bed before or used a blowup head pillow? If yes, then you know what we mean.
Where Can Lumbar Support Pillows Be Used?
One of the advantages of lumbar support pillows is they can be used just about anywhere. If you suffer from back pain, then you want to be able to have support wherever you need it.
Because lumbar support cushions are portable, this means you can carry them from home to work, and even use them in the car on the way. They can also be moved around your home, to whichever seat you happen to be sitting in.
Because they can be used in any chair, lumbar back support pillows are a cost-effective way to improve all of your seating.
The Cost of Lumbar Support Pillows
Speaking of cost, what can one expect to pay for a good lumbar support pillow?
Lumbar support pillows vary in price. However, for a good lumbar cushion product, you can expect to pay around $30. For instance, our back pain support pillows range in cost from just over $26 to roughly $49 for a back and seat combo.
While this might be more than one pays for a scatter cushion, it is a valuable investment when stacked against medical back pain treatment costs. For example, the cost of one back pain injection can be up to $600—and most back pain sufferers require a series of injections.
One of the reasons why we love memory foam cushioning products so much is their accessible price points. While we wouldn't describe our memory foam cushion inserts as "cheap" products, they are hugely cost-effective.
Thanks to the fact that memory foam is a specialized material, full memory foam mattresses can be cost-prohibitive. Because memory foam pillows are a lot smaller than mattresses, you can access the benefits of memory foam for you back, at a fraction of the cost.
How Long Do Lumbar Support Pillows Last?
Another aspect that can make lumbar support pillows highly cost-effective is their potential longevity.
If you choose to invest in a lumbar support pillow made out of 100% memory foam, you can expect it to last for up to 8 years. What's more, if you choose a memory foam product from our store, you will get a lifetime guarantee. This means that you only have to purchase your support pillow once.
After this, if anything happens to the pillow, we will replace it free of charge.
Do You Need a Lumbar Support Pillow?
If you sit for extended periods or suffer from back pain, having a lumbar support pillow can make all the difference. Proven to reduce pain and increase comfort, lumbar support pillows are also highly cost-effective and can be used just about anywhere.
Do you need to find a good quality lumbar support pillow? If so, you couldn't have arrived in a better place.
Because we believe comfort and wellbeing are essential, we stock some of the best quality lumbar support pillows. Made out of 100% memory foam, our pillows come with a lifetime guarantee that you'll be pressed to beat anywhere else.
Therefore, head on over to our Back Pain section and pick yourself out a memory foam lumbar support cushion today.
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