Sleep Apnea Helped by Chiropractic

The Asian Pacific Chiropractic Journal published the results of a case study on October 1, 2024, documenting the improvement under chiropractic care of a patient suffering with obstructive sleep apnea.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), "Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by episodes of a complete airway collapse or a partial collapse with an associated decrease in oxygen saturation or arousal from sleep." The NCBI goes on to explain that obstructive sleep apnea can cause a loss of quality of sleep resulting in a variety of other health issues.

This study begins by noting that "Sleep loss has been associated with obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular morbidity, impaired mood and cognition, and increased age-specific mortality." The authors further explain the importance of finding solutions for OSA when they say, "Current treatment options for OSA include lifestyle changes, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices, oral appliances, and surgery." They continue, "With many of the treatments being invasive and the outcomes unreliable, there is a significant need for alternative and effective management options for individuals with OSA, not only to improve their quality of life day-to-day but also to avert the potentially serious long-term effects of inadequate sleep."

In this case, a 26-year-old man who was employed as a bartender, presented himself for chiropractic care due to sports injuries he suffered previously that were causing chronic ankle, shoulder, and elbow pain. His history revealed that, several years earlier, the man had been diagnosed with OSA and had been using a CPAP machine. His CPAP monitoring showed he was having about thirty episodes each night where he would go from three to forty-nine seconds without breathing.

A chiropractic examination revealed the presence of multiple vertebral subluxations. Based upon the findings of subluxations, chiropractic care was started at the rate of two or three visits per week for the initial seven weeks. According to the study, "The care plan aimed to detect and correct chronic subluxations, and to support recovery from musculoskeletal pain due to sports injuries."

After seven weeks of care, the man reported that he had a significant increase in his range of motion and his pains were significantly reduced allowing him to engage in sports related activities. Additionally, it was noted that his CPAP machine reported a 50% reduction in his sleep apnea episodes, and he reported that he was experiencing better sleep as well as waking feeling rested.

In the study discussion, the authors commented that, "This case details the successful management of a patient with obstructive sleep apnea through a course of Chiropractic care. The patient reported a 50% decrease in sleep apnea episodes, as recorded by his CPAP machine, and noted more restful sleep. There was also a concurrent reduction in pain and an improvement in function when playing sport, as reported by the patient."