modul-science-en
Worldwide clinical studies
This was followed by a whole series of clinical studies around the world, which dealt with the training-related influence of snoring and nocturnal respiratory flow disorders and showed a positive effect of oral exercises on sleep-related breathing sounds and breathing stops (sleep apnea).
The winners of the IG Nobel Prize at Harvard University 2017 : „Didgeridoo playing as alternative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: randomised controlled trial“.
Studie: Didgeridoo playing as alternative treatment for OSA syndrome (Puhan, Suarez, Lo Cascio, Zahn, Heitz, Braendli)
To be read at BMJ (global healthcare knowledge provider) and at Pub|Med (US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health).
Sao Paulo, Brazil, has been leading the research over the last decade with several investigations at various universities and clinical institutions:
USP Sao Paulo 2008
Effects of oropharyngeal exercises on patients with moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov & ajrccm.atsjournals.org & atsjournals.org
Sao Paulo 2013
Effect of speech therapy as adjunct treatment to continuous positive airway pressure on the quality of life of patients with obstructive sleep apnea. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Sao Paulo 2015
in this study the acoustic noise production was observed:
Effects of Oropharyngeal Exercises on Snoring journal.chestnet.org
Effects of Oropharyngeal Exercises on Snoring – a randomized trial (PDF) snoozeal.com
Oropharyngeal exercises significantly cuts snoring mdedge.com
Sao Paulo 2018
Obstructive sleep apnea: focus on myofunctional therapy. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Sao Paulo 2019
Effect of exercise training on subjective parameters in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Original quotes from these papers:
- Physical exercise is efficient in improving the quality of life in OSA patients,
- Improvement in quality of life is comparable to that found with CPAP treatment,
- Daytime sleepiness is reduced regardless type of physical exercise,
- positively impacts severity of OSA can be measured.
Studies worldwide
USA 2018, Minneapolis, Minnesota
A “randomized double-blind” study (such a design represents the gold standard in medical research): the use of smartphones for exercise support was researched:
Smartphone-based delivery of oropharyngeal exercises for treatment of snoring: a randomized controlled trial springer.com
Output: After 8 weeks of training the participants showed a significant improvement of the snoring score, all sleeping partners reported a reduction of snoring in volume and extent.
Japan 2019, clinical study with 28 volunteers with moderate to severe OSA (sleep apnea)
0565 Impact on Oral Myofunctional Therapy to Treat The Patients with Moderate to Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea academic.oup.com
Indien 2016, Chandigarh City, in Zusammenarbeit der HNO, Neurologie & Physiotherapie
Oropharyngeal exercises in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea: our experience. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov & springer.com
Indien 2018, Puna, Department of Physiotherapie
Effect of Oropharyngeal Exercise on Obstructive Sleep Apnea researchgate.net
Mouth-throat exercises and pranayama yoga breathing exercises (College of Physiotherapie, Nashik city)
Effect of oropharyngeal exercises and Pranayama on snoring, daytime sleepiness and quality of sleep in patients with moderate obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome ersjournals.com
Iran 2015, Guilan University of Medical Science Abteilung von HNO-Kopf und Hals Chirurgie, Department and Research Center
The effects of oropharyngeal-lingual exercises in patients with primary snoring. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Ägypten 2012, Universität der Stadt Tanta
The role of oral myofunctional therapy in managing patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea researchgate.net
Ägypten 2016, Mansoura Universität
Upper airway muscle exercises outcome in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome sciencedirect.com
China 2018, Dailan Universität
Mouth-throat exercises after strokes improve the associated (neurological) sleep apneas.
Oropharyngeal Muscle Exercise Therapy Improves Signs and Symptoms of Post-stroke Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Meta studies
A meta-analysis is a kind of higher-level study that compares and supervises several small individual studies.
Brasilien 2019, Recife
Effect of exercise training on subjective parameters in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis sciencedirect.com & ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Sao Paulo, Katholische Universität
Effects of orofacial myofunctional therapy on the symptoms and physiological parameters of sleep breathing disorders in adults: a systematic review scielo.br (scielo.br/pdf) & researchgate.net
UK 2015 – 2018, Stanford University Medical Center
Myofunctional Therapy to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Oropharyngeal and tongue exercises (myofunctional therapy) for snoring: a systematic review and meta-analysis. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Myofunctional Therapy to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review and meta-analysis (PDF) citeseerx.ist.psu.edu
Singing against snoring
The earliest research on muscular training effects in the neck and throat area for and against snoring was a pilot study at the University of Exeter, UK, 2000, on “Singing exercises can reduce snoring”:
Can singing exercises reduce snoring? A pilot study. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov & sciencedirect.com
Other studies
can be found in the Cochrane Library, the central international comparison register for clinical investigations and therapy success evaluation:
Myofunctional therapy (oropharyngeal exercises) for obstructive sleep apnoea cochranelibrary.com
