Anyone tried tongue and throat exercises?

pjadams · Post by **pjadams** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 4:53 pm

I've been on a CPAP for many years now. I have nerve damage in my cheek and nose area from masks and am sick of hearing the machine, getting disconnected in the night, etc...you all know what I mean. I'm exercising and losing weight. If at ALL possible, I want off this merry go round!

Has anyone tried the throat and tongue exercises? I'd hate to buy any of these and find out they are (probably) rip offs.

http://www.thestopsnoringexerciseprogra ... core.vinur

http://www.lifelongeasybreathing.com/buteyko.html

Marzzz · Post by **Marzzz** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 6:03 pm

Anything's possible. It sounds good if they really do what they say. Have the exercises been scientifically tested?

Here's something that has been tested: Regular didgeridoo playing reduces snoring and daytime sleepiness, finds a study published online by the British Medical Journal.
Check this website
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 094017.htm

For those unfamiliar with the didgeridoo, the musical instrument of the Australian Aborigine, check out wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didgeridoo

I bought a didgeridoo just for fun, but I haven't had much time to play it yet.

It seems logical that anything that truly does strengthen the throat muscles could be an help.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 6:43 pm

These exercise techniques have been around for years, except no one wants to waste the $50 bucks or so to actually see if they worked.

I know someone on one of these OSA boards once paid for the program and was going to report back to us if they worked, but they must have died from untreated OSA because they never came back to report back.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 6:44 pm

How MUCH does a didgeridoo cost?

Mikesus · Post by **Mikesus** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 6:50 pm

Comparing the Didgeradoo study with throat exercises isn't really a fair comparison.

I had the opportunity to discuss that study with someone who reviewed it, and is a good friend of the person that did the study. Dr. Rappoport was intrigued by the results, but as of yet, they are not sure exactly why it works, just that it did help. The one subject that came up at the same time was singing, and although there hasn't been a lot of study into it, the initial results were not as positive as the didgeradoo. That said, this was only a single study, and fairly small, so we need to test more before all going out and getting Didgeradoo's. I think that when tested on a larger scale, it probably would not have as positive a result, as OSA patients do vary on what is causing the obstruction. But, anything proven to treat OSA is definately welcomed!

Its interesting to see the Buteyko folks now trying to claim it treats OSA. They are the same camp that say that it cures asthma. Guess anything to make a buck off of sick people is ok in their book...

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 8:19 pm

Mikesus wrote:Comparing the Didgeradoo study with throat exercises isn't really a fair comparison.

Just thinking about the physics of the situation where one has to control large volumes of air to excite the didgeradoo, I'm inclined to believe there may be truth in the study.

I gotta wonder though if one could get the same result with a TUBA. That's another big wind instrument.

Of course, I really know nothing about the subject matter, except that when my youngest daughter was learning to play the flute, she tended to hyperventilate because she hadn't learned adequate breath control yet. Anyway, take what I say as pure speculation. Still, it makes sense to me.

Regards,
Bill

Darth Vader Look · Post by **Darth Vader Look** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:19 am

Well laddie, wouldn't a set of the ol scotish blow pipes be a working solution for ya throat as well .

pjadams · Post by **pjadams** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:01 am

Just what I was thinking this morning, DVL

I can't justify buying a new musical instrument (do you s'pose I could hook the electric organ up to a bellows and blow the bellows? That would take some lung power! LOL!)

But I do have the chanter from a set of bagpipes (I bought it at a reenactment to "train" myself). Maybe I should be working with it!

It occured to me during the night that I had once read and experimented with the exercises expounded in "Oxycise!" by Jill R. Johnson. (This was before I got the CPAP)
It involves deep breathing and strange facial/mouth exercises, but it really elevated my energy and worked on the stomach muscles and fat. Because of the strenuous breathing involved, I wonder if it might strengthen my throat muscles. Gonna give it a try.

(Topic change) I see some of you use the same mask I do. (The Res Med Mirage Swift) Does yours develop leaks around the two swively ends? Mine seems to have. I thought about putting a gel over the swivel to seal it. Do you think that would work?

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): mirage, swift, CPAP, seal, Power

pjadams · Post by **pjadams** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:31 am

He he! OK, I've been reading here http://aboriginalart.com.au/didgeridoo/ ... round.html for awhile, and practising. It's been quite a success. I've made so many really disgusting noises, that I grossed out my daughter, and drove her to finish her cereal in her bedroom! LOLOL!

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:19 pm

Snoredog wrote:How MUCH does a didgeridoo cost?

You took the words right out of my mouth.

And where the heck do you buy a didgeridoo?

I would think the didgeridoo would be a lot more fun than just doing exercises for the sake of exercises....and MIGHT even be easier to get away with practicing than a tuba...maybe......

I was actually doing some throat and tongue exercises just before I got on CPAP, during my last days of denial and in hopes of not getting on CPAP. Didn't work for me.

Gidgie · Post by **Gidgie** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:32 pm

Hmmmm.......bagpipes.........now there's a thought........I wonder...would it be half as much fun????? (as a didgereidoo, of course)

Marzzz · Post by **Marzzz** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:49 am

Where do you buy didgeridoos? How much do they cost?

There are a number of places on line where you can buy a didgeridoo.
(Do a search)
You can pay anywhere from $25 to $200+
It depends on what you want.

I got mine at online at http://www.didgeridoostore.com
I paid $25.00 which included a 4 foot didgeridoo, an instruction paper, a small instruction CD, and a storage bag. Shipping from California to my house was $11.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 1:41 pm

Here's a previous thread you can click on regarding the didgeradoo:

viewtopic.php?t=6215

Stryker5777 · Post by **Stryker5777** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:50 am

While true you can make a 20 or 30 dollar investment on a real wood didgeridoo like I did initially. (It actually fell and cracked and as of yet haven't fixed it) However, I found one resource on the net that basically said you can use a 1" 1/4" diameter standard pvc pipe instead. Which at the hardware store will cost you around 5 bucks for 10 feet. Then just have it cut (at the store for FREE !) to around 47" (that's the length of my original wood didgeridoo, but longer was recommended from the source where I got this idea from so as long as you don't make it too short.) You don't even need a mouth piece in this case...!

I also jumped on the bandwagon, as I've been unsuccessful with APAP therapy even though I'm 100% compliant with nightly treatment. I've been playing for roughly 3 weeks and still use the machine as well. The one thing that I noticed is that the headaches in the front of my forehead when I wake up are quite improved. An interesting article that may help explain at least part of the didgeridoo factor is one at the top of our cpaptalk forum page ( for today) when you first enter. Here's the link though: http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/519266/

Since prolonged playing of the didgeridoo probably effects the motor neurons (and thus indirectly effects the corresponding regions mentioned in the article) of the tongue, since the way the didgeridoo is generally played, it probably retrains and strengths these brain regions connectivity. Which better keeps the tongue in place during sleep and thus eliminates much of the apneas. One would assume, the length of time someone has to play to see results probably varies with the person accordingly, if this study is right. Also a certain amount of continued didgeridoo playing is probably needed. After that initial time, regular periodic playing sessions is also more than likely required to maintain these benefits.

One person (so far anyways that I've read) on this forum say they took up the didgeridoo to help with their snoring but it didn't help. I'm sure any number of reasons could be to blame... but perhaps maybe like others have stressed when dealing with OSA or snoring, perhaps the tongue area isn't the place (or only place) that is causing her snoring problems but some other place in their airway passage.

stryker5777

"batteries not included... Some assembly maybe required"

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): APAP

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): APAP

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): APAP

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): APAP

Stryker5777 · Post by **Stryker5777** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 1:17 am

Hey pjadams, sorry about your troubles with CPAP, I can surely empathize. But what's this about nerve damage? literally nerve damage?

You must have had the mask on really tight. Even so I wouldn't think that you could damage such nerves unless you cut off blood flood significantly to them or really compress the heck out of them for a really long time.. I've heard some people complain about this too, still quite curious how such a thing could occur.

stryker5777

"batteries not included... Some assembly maybe required"

Mask	Humidifier

Additional Comments: My machine is a 10 year old Sullivan

Anyone tried tongue and throat exercises?

Anyone tried tongue and throat exercises?

Re: Anyone tried tongue and throat exercises?