A good night’s sleep is essential for our overall well-being, but for many people, sleep apnea disrupts this crucial rest. This common condition affects millions worldwide, leading to countless hours of lost sleep that ultimately impedes one’s physical and mental functionality. While it can be caused by various factors causing the obstruction of the airway, one other and often overlooked culprit is the alignment of the spine. Continue reading to learn more about how sleep apnea is influenced by spinal position, and how professional treatment can offer a practical and effective solution.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open, causing an interruption to breathing during sleep. This can happen repeatedly throughout the night, meaning that affected patients must continually wake up to restore their breathing, resulting in lost deep (REM) sleep and all of its regenerative benefits.
The most common and significant symptom of sleep apnea is snoring; however, other symptoms include daytime fatigue, waking up with a headache, sore throat or dry mouth, irritability, and more. However, sleep apnea can turn dangerous if left untreated, having the potential to trigger serious health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and even heart disease.
How Does Spinal Position Influence Sleep Apnea?
Believe it or not, the alignment of your spine can significantly impact your ability to breathe properly during sleep. When the spine is misaligned, it can affect the nerves that control the muscles of the throat and tongue, which in turn can lead to the restriction of your airflow and worsened sleep apnea symptoms.
Can Chiropractic Care Help with Sleep Apnea?
Chiropractic treatment can help alleviate some of the catalysts that are associated with sleep apnea. When the spine’s vertebrae are misaligned, it poses a problem for your central nervous system, which is responsible for your body sending signals across different systems. This can cause a chain effect of issues, such as sleep apnea. Apnea can also be induced even by severe subluxations, which push on the windpipe and restrict airflow.
The nervous system’s function must be restored in order to improve sleep patterns; often, sleep apnea symptoms can be treated by spinal manipulations and alignments, but to varying degrees. Similarly, exercises that strengthen the muscles and tissues surrounding the spine can also help. A chiropractor can also relieve the tension in your neck and stabilize the tissues in the area to provide better breathing.
In any case, sleep apnea is not something that you should have to live with needlessly when options like chiropractic care assist in managing or even curing the disorder. Solutions such as CPAP machines or oral appliance therapy can also be used at your provider’s discretion to assist with managing sleep apnea. The bottom line is that your sleep is simply too valuable to shrug off!
About the Author
Dr. David J. Drummond received his DDS from the Northwestern University Dental School in Chicago and has proudly served patients in the Lawton, OK community for several years. His practice is thrilled to offer a wide range of sleep apnea treatment services that are certain to help you or a loved one achieve consistent, rejuvenating sleep each night. To request additional information about sleep apnea treatment or to schedule a visit, feel free to contact him through his practice’s website or over the phone. Telephone: (580) 227-8789.