Over the years, I have been experiencing some lower back pain when lying down for long periods of time which affects my sleep quality. So in 2016, I decided to explore different pressure relief mattresses through Motion Specialties to see if it would help relieve my back pain. I was given the opportunity to test out three different mattresses; the Elite Turn Lateral Rotation Low Air Loss Surface (air mattress), V4 mattress with Roho insert, and the Dynalal Low Air Loss Surface (air mattress).
Elite Turn Lateral Rotation mattress
The Elite Turn Lateral Rotation Low Air Loss Surface is an air mattress that helps the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. The mattress is able to turn the bed from side to side. I didn’t mind the turning, however, it did not relieve my back pain and the mattress made my legs sore as well.
V4 Mattress with Roho
V4 mattress with Roho insert helps with pressure relief and reducing pressure sores from forming. I wanted to try the Roho because I have been using a Roho cushion for my wheelchair and was hoping for the same effect of no pain. However, once again it did not help relieve my back pain. As you can see in the picture below the Roho fits right in the centre of the mattress that I have been using. The cost of $1,050 does not include the V4 mattress which costs $899.50, and an alternative to getting the V4 would be to use 4 Roho inserts.
DynaLAL mattress
The DynaLAL (Low Air Loss) Surface is an air mattress that helps the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers, just like the elite turn. The mattress feels like it’s giving my back a massage all night long as the air goes and down like a ripple effect. It is also great that it cools me down as there are air holes. After trying the mattress for one and half weeks, I found that it was able to completely relieve my back pain, which was very exciting.
Costs & Funding
I had the option to pay for the mattress or to request for funding to subsidise some of the cost. I decided to go the route for funding through Ontario Disabilities Support Program (ODSP) Mobility Aids Discretionary Benefits which covered $3,000 and took at least four months to process with the help of an occupational therapist (OT). If you have personal health insurance, you can check if they cover pressure relief mattresses too. For myself, with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Muscular Dystrophy Canada, also can offer financial assistance, however, they suggested me to ODSP or health insurance first, so it’s worth checking with the charity that supports you. Don’t bother checking in with March of Dimes or ODSPs Assistive Device Program (ADP) as they would not offer financial assistance for mattresses.
| Mattresses | Cost | Rental costs | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Elite Turn Lateral Rotation Low Air Loss Surface | $6995CDN | $1100CDN/monthly | Motion Specialties |
| V4 mattress with roho insert | $899.50CDN (V4 mattress) and $1050CDN (roho insert) | $105CDN/monthly (for roho insert only) | Motion Specialties |
| The Dynalal Low Air Loss Surface | $6995CDN | $1100CDN/monthly | Motion Specialties |
Conclusions
After testing these three mattresses for over a month, I decided to purchase the DynaLaL mattress because it helped to completely ease my back pain at night. It’s now been two months since I have been using it full time, what I love about it besides back pain relief is that it reminds me of being in the ocean. It is not a perfect solution by any means as I still wake up once or twice throughout the night due to leg soreness until I find the next best option.
That is really cool that this mattress helps the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. That would be really nice to have for someone who builds a lot of pressure in one spot during their sleep. This mattress is something that I would love to try out sometime.
Hi Dave, it sure is worth trying! Companies like Motion Specialities do rent the mattresses for people to try.