As a male in my 40s who has suffered from chronic back pain for many many years, I got to the point in my life that I had to make a decision. Do I continue with this nagging irritating backache for the rest of my life, slowly wearing me down, or do I grasp the bull by the horns and start to take some action to resolve the problem.

Having browsed the Internet I started to get increasingly agitated about the mattresses on offer, there were so many, and every manufacturer and retailer promised me the world. I decided that getting some objective and independent orthopedic mattress reviews was the best way to go, to listen to what other sufferers have experienced and what worked for them.

One product that I hadn't been aware of before with the memory foam style of mattress, produced by companies like Tempurpedic and Restonics. These companies have been longtime producers of memory foam mattresses and have a fantastic reputation for the build quality and innovative design of the products. I was also impressed that these mattresses are not hugely expensive, and $400 or so could buy me a nice model.

You'll probably find that you are overwhelmed by the amount of mattresses available. There are memory foam, latex, and the traditional spring coiled mattress, a great product but I was looking for something new. The memory foam models appealed to me because I could use them on my existing bed frame or flat on the floor.

Most of the memory foam mattress reviews that I read were regarding mattresses that were constructed of a three layer principle, with a dense foam on the bottom, an intermediate poly-layer, and the final layer consisting of approximately 3 inches of five pound density visco-elastic foam. These 5 pound density is important and is really the minimum standard you should look for when buying a mattress, as it provides good support and is very comfortable.

The mattress that I purchased has been a fantastic investment and has really made sleep a far more enjoyable and pain free activity. I noticed within days how supportive the mattress was, and what was really great about it is when my partner moved around I didn't roll into the middle of the bed. I no longer wake up with a stiff aching back in the morning and my quality of life has improved no end.

Having purchased a memory foam mattress, I cannot believe the difference it has made to my back pain. It is truly astounding. I sleep more restfully, wake up feeling refreshed and invigorated, with none of that early morning stiffness that I used to ensure. I would probably recommend them.