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+--- Thread: [CPAP] CPAP exercises to cure OSA? (/Thread-CPAP-CPAP-exercises-to-cure-OSA)
CPAP exercises to cure OSA? - sleepykick - 05-28-2012
This is a portion of a full article I pulled. This is a curious approach. I wonder if any of you are familiar with this............
Specialized CPAP exercises:
Things You'll Need
sleep apnea condition
Show More Instructions
1
Repeat your vowels for three minutes strait to help treat sleep apnea.
This is going to feel silly, exaggerating the tone of each vowel will help make this exercise for sleep apnea stretch out your throat.
2
Push your tongue firmly against the back of your front teeth and slide it to the the back of your mouth for three minutes.
Purse your mouth firmly and hold for thirty seconds. Performing these sleep apnea treatment exercises makes you feel pretty cool doesn't it?
4
Contract the muscles of the back of the throat for another thirty seconds or so. You may feel kind of like a frog doing this sleep apnea exercise.
5
Force your lower jaw to the left for thirty seconds. Now back to the right for thirty seconds.
6
Perform these throat exercises on a daily basis if you suffer from mild sleep apnea. Studies have shown that this can be an effective sleep apnea treatment.
I am not sure about the validity of such exercises...
RE: CPAP exercises to cure OSA? - Sleepster - 05-28-2012
There has been a lot written and talked about, and also some research done, concerning the value of exercises to strengthen the muscles in the throat, reducing the number of obstructive apneas. There may be something to it.
If you are proficient with your data-capable CPAP machine, you might be able to monitor your progress. See if the number of obstructive apneas reduces as you exercise. You may be able to lower your pressure and reduce the number of obstructive apneas you experience. You should consult with your doctor. Sometimes an oral appliance can help, too.
I know that CPAP therapy works for me. I'm open to trying things like the exercises and the dental appliances while I stay on CPAP therapy. If the data shows I can go without CPAP therapy, then I will. But right now the data shows I need CPAP therapy, so I'm sticking with it. For the rest of my life if I have to. Without CPAP therapy I feel like crap every day, especially in the morning; I have high blood pressure, and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Maybe cancer, too.
RE: CPAP exercises to cure OSA? - sleepykick - 05-28-2012
interesting....I wonder if other exercises pose a direct benefit, like bodyweight exercises (via military like style)...have you or anyone you know gone this direction?
RE: CPAP exercises to cure OSA? - PaulaO2 - 05-28-2012
Just thinking out loud....
These muscles (the tongue, the throat) are voluntary muscles meaning we control them directly. When we sleep, we relax. So do these muscles.
I understand the concept of these exercises but I just don't understand how making them "stronger" is going to make them not still relax and collapse. If this were the case, there would be no trained singer who has sleep apnea. Nor anyone who is a public speaker and has had training in how to project their voice.
Add into the mix that fit muscles are bigger than unfit. So you'd think they would take up more room and be more prone to collapsing in our sleep.
RE: CPAP exercises to cure OSA? - zonk - 05-28-2012
According to the British Medical Journal, playing the didgeridoo can help sleep apnea patients
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-Playing-Didgeridoo-Sleep-Apnea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Day_3_Occupy_Wall_Street_2011_Shankbone_17.JPG
RE: CPAP exercises to cure OSA? - sleepykick - 05-28-2012
yes..i have seen footage on that...i am still searching for a legitimate exercise plan that supports and controls sleep apnea (mild cases)...still searchin...
RE: CPAP exercises to cure OSA? - Sleepster - 05-28-2012
(05-28-2012, 01:37 PM)PaulaO2 Wrote: I understand the concept of these exercises but I just don't understand how making them "stronger" is going to make them not still relax and collapse. If this were the case, there would be no trained singer who has sleep apnea. Nor anyone who is a public speaker and has had training in how to project their voice.
Because of the exercise, perhaps there is less fatty tissue in regions near the muscle?
And to show the effect, all you'd have to show is that within professions where vocal exercises are required, OSA is less likely.
No one with credibility is promoting it as a cure-all. It's just that in the cases of some patients, it may make a difference that's significant enough to either reduce the titrated pressure, or remove the need for CPAP therapy altogether. Especially when combined with an oral appliance. The same is true of the various surgeries designed to relieve OSA.
RE: CPAP exercises to cure OSA? - Sleepster - 05-28-2012
(05-28-2012, 12:51 PM)sleepykick Wrote: interesting....I wonder if other exercises pose a direct benefit, like bodyweight exercises (via military like style)...have you or anyone you know gone this direction?
If being overweight is the cause of your OSA, then losing weight can reduce or eliminate it. Exercise helps you lose weight.
It also helps you sleep better, so it'll increase the effectiveness of CPAP therapy in that you'll feel better. Feeling better is one of the great benefits of CPAP therapy.