Acupuncture and Sleep Apnea



The term sleep apnea refers to a generalized sleeping disorder syndrome that is characterized by several conditions. Frequent and loud snoring that is sometimes followed by a temporary cessation of breathing is one of them. Most likely as a result of this primary symptom, other symptoms include tiredness during the day, morning headaches, dry mouth, and sore throat. Depression is common and impotence and high blood pressure also often occur.

You would be hard pressed to find another condition that so well illustrates the weakness of Western Medicine when compared to Traditional Chinese Medicine in the area of internal medical conditions. When you examine most literature on sleep apnea, you are going to encounter much on the symptoms, but very little on the cause. The treatment suggestions are going to all be directed at symptomatic relief and environmental and lifestyle alterations in behavior that might be helpful in symptom control. One article on sleep apnea contained a section on acupuncture and sleep apnea that consisted of one short sentence. It said that acupuncture is useful for the treatment of sleep apnea. That was all.

Well, this should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with acupuncture. The basic assumption made in Traditional Chinese Medicine is that the body is supposed to function properly. When all is in harmony, it will do so. It is necessary to live in a certain way to make this harmony more likely. There are important environmental considerations such as diet, exercise, and even the mental and spiritual well being of a person that contribute to harmony. When something gets out of whack, there is a definite reason and cause. It is the pursuit of this underlying cause rather than a concentration on symptoms that makes acupuncture and sleep apnea such a good match.

The treatment of all manners of sleep disorders has been a major area of interest in acupuncture therapy for a very long time. Many techniques have been developed to improve the ease, duration, and quality of sleep. Acupuncture body points have been identified that are related to sleep issues to such a degree that a procedure known as acupressure is often used to induce sleep and treat insomnia.

Acupressure is simply the applying of mild pressure to the acupuncture body point. This can be done by pinching the point lightly between the thumb and finger. If positive results can be obtained this easily, it certainly bodes well for the chances of success when full needling is done. Acupuncture deserves more than a mere mention in the treatment of sleep apnea.