Does “orthopedic” mean a mattress is hard?
Orthopedic means “related to orthopedics.” Orthopedics is defined as “the branch of medicine dealing with the treatment of deformities, diseases, and injuries of the bones, joints, muscles, etc.” (Webster’s New World Dictionary) The term “orthopedic” has been misused, especially with sleep-related products, because it has come to be used as a synonym for “hard.” This is due to historic records of the medieval practice of putting boards under mattresses. An orthopedic mattress, in the correct sense of the word, is one that permits the skeletal system, joints, muscles, etc. to lie at perfect rest, without pressure points that damage the natural state of the body, causing pain or forcing muscles to contract. In this sense, ALL of our mattresses are orthopedic, although they do differ according to the individual’s body weight. A mattress suitable for a small, light person is not the same as one designed for a person with greater body weight. The important thing is that a mattress be right
