If you have chronic pain in your joints, back, lower back, neck, etc., you know how hard it is to sit down or go to bed without being in a lot of pain most of the time. It seems like the things that should be the most comfortable in the house have become the most painful.
Some people with Paget's disease, arthritis, or other painful conditions may find that furniture made from memory foam helps relieve their pain. Memory foam mattresses are known to help people sleep by making the bed more comfortable, and they are being used more and more in high-end hotels and even movie theatres to make the experience more enjoyable.
So how does memory foam work, and how can it help with pain?
Memory foam is made of a material called viscoelastic, which means it gets softer as it warms up. When it gets soft, things can sink into it when they put pressure on the foam. Memory foam is also an insulator, which means that you can heat it up in one spot without the heat spreading to other parts. When a warm person lays on a sheet of memory foam, the warm body heats up the foam only in the places where the body touches the foam. This makes the material softer where the body is, so it can sink into the foam. As you sink deeper into the memory foam, more and more of your body touches it. Eventually, the warm, soft foam will support your whole body.
When your whole body is supported by the soft, warm foam, the pressure on every part of your body that touches the foam is the same. Your whole body will feel better because there are no longer any single points of contact that can cause pressure hot spots. The pressure is spread out over your whole body, which takes the pressure off the pressure points and makes you feel better.
Why does memory foam exist?
Memory foam was first made for use in the space programme by NASA. It was supposed to be used as padding for the astronauts' seats to help ease some of the pain caused by high acceleration, or "G" forces. I'm not sure how this was supposed to work in that case, though, since the astronauts would be wearing space suits that would protect them from the foam seats. If there is no heat, the memory foam won't get soft.
NASA never used memory foam in its spacecraft because, in small amounts, it gives off a toxic gas that could be dangerous in a small, airtight space.
Try some other things.
Memory foam mattresses are still expensive, especially if you want a good one, so it's a good idea to try out some other options before you buy a new one. Memory foam pillows and mattress toppers are easy to find and can help you sleep much better if you are having trouble. There are also cheaper materials that are just as good, like high-density polyurethane foam and latex foam, which might be better for your budget.
If you have problems with the comfortable chairs in your living room, try adding one or two memory foam cushions. I know that any changes would be worth it because I know how uncomfortable a soft chair can be when you have lower back pain.
