New Exercise Treatment Program for Sleep Apnea is Affordable, Effective

The diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea has been a much more complicated issue than federal authorities and Houston truck accident lawyers have believed. For one thing, it is only recently that a link between the prevalence of sleep apnea and obesity among truck drivers, was established. Truck drivers tend to suffer from obesity issues because of their lifestyle and diet, and this places them at a high risk for sleep apnea. Besides, federal authorities have not been able to establish well-thought-out procedures for the diagnosis of sleep apnea among truck drivers. Even if you diagnose a truck driver with sleep apnea and enroll him into a treatment program, he is highly likely not to complete the program.

Part of the problem with prevalent sleep apnea treatment programs is that they involve a lot of uncomfortable equipment, like mouthpieces and headgear. Researchers have now come up with a new treatment program that involves throat exercises. These exercises are meant to strengthen the throat muscles and airways, thereby reducing obstructions during sleep.

A study conducted last year found that persons, who were taught to perform these exercises for 30 minutes, had their incidence of sleep apnea reduced by approximately 39%. These people were able to sleep much better after the exercise program, and were able to reduce the incidence of snoring. Most importantly, treatment with these exercises is a simple low-cost means of controlling sleep apnea, compared to expensive gear.

Obviously, we need more studies to prove conclusively that these exercise programs can benefit persons suffering from sleep apnea. However, a 39% reduction in sleep apnea severity is definitely enough reason to call for further research into this treatment program.