Biguglygremlin

This article is careful to not draw any conclusions but it does touch on a number of possibilities although they are generally in the reverse direction to what you describe.

sleep-apnea-and-back-pain

I wonder if there might be a simpler explanation like pressure on the lower back transferring pressure to, or shifting the position of, the jaw or throat?

Hi POUUER

It's an interesting observation and one that could have profound implications.

I have no medical qualifications, only general observations and I have not heard of nor as yet read up on this potential.

There can be no doubt that snoring is worse when lying supine on the back but general consensus would have us believe that this is caused by a simple act of gravity on the throat and jaw.

If there is a compounding or contributing factor involving pressure points impacting directly on lung and chest function that could prove quite interesting.

Thanks for taking the trouble Rockethound.

It is very much appreciated and I'm sure it will benefit other users as time goes on.

It's certainly not something I would have thought of trying.

It's good to have you back Ruby. :)

The missing ingredient in CPAP therapy

Bear with me here because this will probably be my last real discussion in this forum and certainly the most difficult.

It is also the main reason I should leave.

I have become a skeptical old man, and like so many contrary old men I am proud of that, but somewhere along the way I lost something vital and it impacts adversely on both myself and those around me.

Way back in the pre-dinosaur era I saw the world differently ...... I had faith.

Wait! Don't skip out just yet. This is where it starts to get interesting.

Faith, for me is not a renewable resource, but while I still had some it made everything look different and much more importantly, end differently.

No I'm not talking about miracles or divine intervention and I'm not talking about religion, just faith in yourself and the universe, the power of belief and the changes that belief can make to our perception, persistence, outlook, actions, reactions and eventually the outcomes.

Ok I'd better cut to the chase while you are still here.

CPAP works better with faith. I'm not talking about incense and candles, just a generic kind of faith or belief.

If you need a different word to appease your world view I could switch to placebo. Yes placebo gets a bad wrap but it is real and it can have a powerful effect. We just haven't figured out how to invoke it properly yet and I doubt that we even have a proper definition for it.

So I've been hanging around here for months gradually eroding the foundations of this CPAP culture with endless questions and challenges, convincing myself that questions are good and understanding is essential but now I'm thinking I should have just kept my keyboard still and left things the way they were.

What is the point of this thread?

If faith or placebo is the missing ingredient in CPAP therapy we need to provide the necessary structure to support it.

We need to understand the value of simple arguments and dogmas for the CPAP culture and simple routines to do with diagnosis and training and yes the most obvious of all, simple instructions for cleaning. :)

Some people don't want to be bombarded with doubts and queries and arguments and alternatives. They just need a simple set of instructions that they can have faith in.

This is not about intelligence or education but a matter or efficiency, focus and choice.

Even from a scientific perspective there are times when it's not what people do that matters but why they do it and how it makes them feel.

Yes it would be nice to have real answers to real questions but not everybody needs that and those of us who do will just have to watch and wait and ponder.

haha a bit obtuse, especially on the world stage.

SAID HANRAHAN by John O'Brien

Yes kind of parallel and sad because it was intended to portray a prophet of doom but with climate change it's too close to true nowadays.

So CPAP and climate change ..... might have to chew on that. :)

My advice would be to do whatever makes sense to you.

The general subject has been covered many times over the life of this forum.

This thread touches on both extremes.

Cleaning Up My Act

It's probably best to avoid both extremes.

Just the answer you were hoping for right? :)

I'm sure there are people with the budget or desperation to try them.

Personally I think it looks uncomfortable and problematic but that pretty much describes all mask systems available to date. :)

Oh I do really like that answer SleepDent.

It shows insight and originality.

Thank you! :)

Well thanks for posting it and please let us know if and how it works. :)