Discussion on alternate treatments for sleep apnea

[Breathworker]

That first link is an incorrect one. I don't know how that happened.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16377643/

[joeblough]

he's not really advocating anything extreme here. he spends the first half of the video praising CPAP and only says that it's a therapy and not a cure. in the second half of the video he talks about myofacial exercises which is not pseudoscience. i don't see why he should be rejected out of hand.

[OpalRose]

Breathworker,

I have merged your threads. Please use this thread to continue discussions on alternate treatments for SA.

Should you decide to actually use a Cpap, then fill out your profile and start a thread in the Main Forum for advice.

Thanks for your understanding!

[Breathworker]

Breathworker,

I have merged your threads.  Please use this thread to continue discussions on alternate treatments for SA.  

Should you decide to actually use a Cpap, then fill out your profile and start a thread in the Main Forum for advice.

Thanks for your understanding!

No problem, OpalRose. Thank you for your understanding!

[cdplatt]

Oralfacial therapy (physical therapy for sleep apnea) is a well known adjunct to other apnea treatments.  There are numerous articles and research papers posted at the National Institute for Health (NIH) library and PubMed regarding such therapies.  This is not junk science or uninformed journalists.  Mentioning a book and author is not selling the book or author, it's simply alerting members here to the possibility of other treatment options.  There are studies that estimate long-term adherence to CPAP/APAP is only 30 to 40 percent.  That implies a 60 to 70 percent drop out rate by people who likely should be on some form of therapy.

This thread may not actually be about CPAP, thought it's circling pretty close.  It is definitely about sleep apnea though, so I'm disappointed to see it moved to the off-topic forum.  It doesn't belong nestled with all the junk in that forum and out of sight from the many people on this site who may benefit from adjunctive therapies.

One NIH example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9518429/

[Unkikonki]

authors don't sell anything now? the evidence is miles away from quite strong not that he would know.

if you want to take pseudo medical advice from journalists (or marketing bros) trying to sell you books instead of scientists have at it, but it's ill advised.

He's not selling anything in that particular video, just offering advice on free techniques supported by science:

The Role of Myofunctional Therapy in Treating Sleep-Disordered Breathing: A State-of-the-Art Review - PMC (nih.gov)

[Unkikonki]

he's not really advocating anything extreme here. he spends the first half of the video praising CPAP and only says that it's a therapy and not a cure. in the second half of the video he talks about myofacial exercises which is not pseudoscience. i don't see why he should be rejected out of hand.

I guess it's because some people here have become very dogmatic about CPAP and reject any alternatives or complementary treatments. Stating that CPAP doesn't resolve the root cause of sleep apnea is a fact.

[Breathworker]

Oralfacial therapy (physical therapy for sleep apnea) is a well known adjunct to other apnea treatments.  There are numerous articles and research papers posted at the National Institute for Health (NIH) library and PubMed regarding such therapies.  This is not junk science or uninformed journalists.  Mentioning a book and author is not selling the book or author, it's simply alerting members here to the possibility of other treatment options.  There are studies that estimate long-term adherence to CPAP/APAP is only 30 to 40 percent.  That implies a 60 to 70 percent drop out rate by people who likely should be on some form of therapy.

This thread may not actually be about CPAP, thought it's circling pretty close.  It is definitely about sleep apnea though, so I'm disappointed to see it moved to the off-topic forum.  It doesn't belong nestled with all the junk in that forum and out of sight from the many people on this site who may benefit from adjunctive therapies.

One NIH example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9518429/

Thank you so much for this reply, cdplatt. I'm new here so I don't want to make waves or protest too much, but I happen to agree with you. I am sorry to see it moved, too. And since I don't currently use a CPAP machine, that means all my threads - which will almost certainly be about alternative/adjunctive therapies - will have to be posted here.

[HalfAsleep]

Anyone can benefit from breathing exercises IMO. No apnea needed.

But for long-term, peer-reviewed, therapy for apnea, with large-number subjects, xPAP is the gold-standard. As a person with apnea, this is what I prefer to go with.

Personally, I regard a lot of the band-standing over appliances, surgeries, and breathing techniques to be promoted around limited evidence. The fan-base looks like advertising to me. At first take, these therapies and their marketing can look much better than a cumbersome therapy, but much of it seems to be about making a fast buck on the back of apneacs' discomfort.

[SeePak]

First, i read the article.
Science it is!
Also, tried the exercises....I can feel a difference after 2 days !
 
And....my results, which i will share at some point, appear to be better in a few key categories, as per the author...
12-13 breaths per minute
4-6 litres per breath

And, i definitely feel better this morning, though later in day will be a good indication for me.

Anxiety and Stress are killing us humans!

That is a fact, i think!?