Memory foam is a new foam development which reacts to body heat and temperature and has been shown to improve sleeping posture by moulding to the user’s body shape.. Memory foam now is being used in many applications especially bedding due to it pressure relieving qualities.
A poor mattress can lead to poor posture, mattresses which are either too hard or soft can cause neck and back ache . The importance of a high quality memory foam mattress to maintain a healthy posture is important considering the amount of time we spend each day in bed, bad sleeping posture can lead to broken or disruptive sleep patterns and we can often wake feeling un rested.
An ideal memory foam mattress must be firm yet supportive, supporting the back in a neutral position and supporting areas such as pelvis and shoulders to prevent excessive pressure on the back muscles, discs and underlying soft tissues such as tendons and muscles.
Keeping good musculo skeletal health is critical, a good supportive mattress can assist in a smooth relaxing nights sleep, back pain and hip shoulder discomfort will be symptoms that the mattress is not right for you. If this is the case many people see physiotherapist or doctor to assist them with this problem, the health professional may recommend a visco elastic mattress to combat the problem
A large percentage of us in a stage of our life may suffer from such conditions as sciatica, lower back pain, herniated disc or slipped disc, spinal stenosis, degenerative disease and facet joint problems. Therefore good mattress provision is vital to assist for a restful nights sleep. Fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and osteo arthritis sufferers have also found memory foam mattresses help with the condition.
Pressure i.e. weight and temperature from the body slowly start to react the memory foam in the mattress to envelop you therefore reducing pressure and evenly supporting the load to ensure proper spinal alignment. This reduces a lot of tension in the muscle and aids for a good nights sleep and less postural stiffness in the morning.
The term visco elastic can also be used for memory foam, i.e. it has visco elastic properties which react under temperature and load. Good quality memory foam comes in many grades which have differing density and harness specification, These density ranges can be from 40 Kg3 and can also go above 100Kg for super viscos, .A typical density for a mattress can range from 40- 85Kg3 . The 40 Kg grade being softer this is usually used in a sandwich constructions as a softer top surface while a 60Kg will support more load. A high quality polyurethane foam is usually used as a supportive base.

Memory foam can be used to construct many therapeutic aids including memory foam mattresses, wedge pillow, can orthopedic pillows.