Hi.
I am a 54 year old female with fibromyalgia & arthrtitis.. I have had severe pain from day 1 at age 27 in my shoulder blades. I have severe pain in the shoulders, blades, the whole spine, especially the middle & lower spine. I have arthritis in the knees really bad, I have to prop my kness up on a pillow. Then they hurt, then I take the pillow away. my current mattress is a spring mattress, over 20 yrs. o.ld the springs are cutting into my back. I now have to find one for all my pain.

I have pain everywhere but those shoulder blades, neck, shoulders & spine keep me awake.

The research I am doing shows latex is best. They are also very expensive. I don't have alot of money. One store I am going to go to has the Bliss line of latex matresses. What should I be looking for?

I went to 1 store & tried different mattresses. The memory foam was ok. But I know latex is the best.

The pain in my neck, shoulders, blades, whole back & spine is very hard to deal with, of course. Sleeping is a nightmare.

Can you give me some advice. I am 5'6" and skinny, 118.lbs. The pain is in my butt too. you know, way deep a little past the tail bone. lots of pain there. And my elbows too. But the shoulder blade area is horrendous. you know, the upper spine, upper back, into lower back. I need a mattress that is not too firm, I figure plush would be best. what should I do? Denise

Hi Denise,
You have a number of things to consider.
1) There are no mattresses made as they had been 20 years ago....except for latex. You won't get that kind of use out of a one sided innerspring today. You've held on to that mattress longer than you should have. If the coils are getting to you, it's way past its time.
2) Your conditions are many and sound pretty severe. A new mattress isn't a cure for them. Your mattress is making matters worse. The hope is that a new mattress will help, rather than aggravate your problems.
3) The difference between memory foam and latex is more than, "one is good and the other is better". The difference is, memory foam is the worst thing you can buy and latex is the best thing you can buy....like night and day.
The initial feel of memory foam is quickly lost and there are toxic chemical off-gassing issues with that product that will only make matters worse.
4) Your size is a factor, having very little of your own padding, you'll need the surface to be soft. The trick is how to get that without having to replace your mattress every year.
Based on how old your current mattress is, you're in for a shock when it comes to the difference in over-all quality between then and now.
5) The good news is the expense. You don't actually have to get an all latex mattress to benefit from the feel and quality. All you need is a latex topper on a decent quality innerspring mattress.
6) If your condition is as I imagine, you may also need a comforter top, that you will have to keep fluffed up and replace more frequently.
The latex topper is a, "set it and forget it", item and wears extremely well. But, it often is not enough for women who have exceptional sensitivity issues, who are also lacking in their own natural padding.

Here are links to the mattress I recommend for you...a Simmons Beautyrest, which will contour nicely to you and help relieve pressure points...and to the latex toppers. You'll choose a 3" soft Talalay topper for your needs. Once you have them and have slept on them, decide then if you need the additional softness of a feather topper.