A firm mattress for aiding back pains is one of the largest myths. Medium-firmness beds help people with back pain more frequently than the their firm counterparts, according to a Spanish study conducted in 2003. There was another study done in 2008 that compared hard mattresses and Talalay latex mattresses and waterbeds. The conclusion was increased back pains and tossing and turning nights for the people who slept on the firm mattress and not the latex foam mattresses.