Pack an Extra Pillow to Prevent Back Pain This Camping Season

Bethany Lawrence, orthopaedic expert at Panda London shares her advice to help you sleep well with back pain, and how to reduce the amount of back ache you are suffering from sleeping in the great outdoors.  

Why the wrong mattress and pillow could be giving you a bad back 

“One of the things that is likely giving you a bad back and stopping you from sleeping is a bad mattress. If your mattress isn’t supportive enough or is too thin, it is not going to offer you the right level of support you need. 

This is why your back pain may get worse when you are camping, as sleeping on a roll matt or air bed doesn’t supply adequate support for your back or spine. One thing that may help in this scenario is to pack an additional pillow that can be used to support your back where it is needed, or even using rolled up clothing if you’re limited on packing space.” 

Bethany also explains: “Whilst your mattress is very important, your pillow is equally as important for preventing you from suffering with back pain. This is due to the importance that pillows have on spinal alignment.  

“In the first instance, you have to consider your sleeping position when choosing a pillow, for example, side sleepers need firmer pillows than front sleepers and back sleepers do, to ensure that the space between the neck and mattress is filled, as this helps with proper spinal alignment.  

“Furthermore, side sleepers may want to consider an additional pillow between the knees to help prevent back pain as this further reduces the pressure that is put on your spine and back when you are aslee

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