Cpap and Back Problems

Hello Cpap Community!

Being diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, I have been using a cpap for about 3 weeks now, with good results. My machine is the Respirnics auto with cflex.

Before I started using the cpap, I was having back problems and seeing a chiropractor. She told me that using the cpap machine would cause back problems in the future. I usually sleep on my back or left side. Slowly, I am learning to get comfortable using the cpap machine, just learning how to turn to my left side and still keep the mask on.

Are there any known cases where use of the cpap machine resulted in back problems, or other physical effects?

Thanks!

Well cpap therapy has cured so many things that were wrong with me, I would guess that if I had back problems it would cure them too!!!!!!!!

I never heard of cpap causing back problems, but let's see what responses you get.

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a wedge shaped pillow under your knees may help postition your spine correctly.
good luck

I would be very interested int he Chiros thought pattern as to how CPAP would be the cause of back problem.

I spoke with my chiropractor about me being on a cpap machine and he made no mention of it causing problems. In fact I don't sleep positionally any different than I did prior to CPAP so I don't know how it could possibly affect my back. I think we need to contact Discovery's Mythbusters on that one.

I have severe back pain and can only sleep flat on back with small cervical pillow under neck (which is about the time I started feeling so exhausted) so I'm convinced that back sleeping is MAJOR cause of my apnea.

I've only been on AutoCPAP for less than one grueling month, but from the very (rocky) beginning, I noticed the pain in my back and neck actually got better, so IMHO the oxygen being delivered to damaged tissues would help, not hurt.

I go to an upper cervical chiropractor for my back/neck pain and when I even mentioned CPAP to him, he said there is nothing in my xrays that shows any kind of obstruction and he totally thinks CPAP is a farce. Needless to say, I haven't mentioned it since.

But I now wonder if the "CPAP bad" attitude is something that chiropractors learn in their training - seriously. I think the absolute world of my chiropractor and would not even be able to be sleeping in the bed if it weren't for mine, but I sure stepped back a step when he REACTED so badly to my question - I have been going to this Dr. for 4 years now and I've never known him to REACT like this, so I really do think it's some kind of legitimate chiropractor thing.

Let us all know how you do, and I hope that get some good results like I'm getting - where is your back pain during sleep and what did your chiropractor find in xrays - maybe I can actually help you learn a way you would be comfortable to sleep -

Feel free to PM me

Back in better with CPAP in Wyoming

Ellen

Ellen, you may think the world of your doctor but quite frankly I would have a hard time with a doctor who says he sees nothing on the xray causing an obstruction when it is soft tissue which won't show up on xray. Too many times a doctor makes a statement that it so far off the mark it's hard to take other things they say seriously.

The comments by the chiropractors are typical and shows nothing but their ignorance.

I rate chiropractors right up there with the easter bunny and tooth fairy.
It amazes me how many people buy into their BS.

This is not to say they are not helpful to a certain pct of problems, but chiropractic theory is pure BS, imho and many others.

Any malady will have 3 possible outcomes. A person will get worse, get better, or stay the same with or without any intervention.
The DC or even allopaths do great with 2 of these.
Many times a person only needs compassion and empathy to belive in such hocus pocus.

Not being able to find any obstructions on x-rays is about as much proof I need to evaluate their competence.

Back aches are common in new users of cpap. After all those years of tossing and turning, the sudden getting a solid nights rest and staying in one position will cause a sore back in the mornings. It goes away in a few days,

One experience with a chiropractor at his booth at a health fair. He checked me for scoliosis and said I was ok (this was correct). Then before I could leave he insisted on using a "technical" looking device to examine my 5-year old son. He placed the device on my son and told me that the instrument was showing the presence of a large tumor at the base of my son's skull and I should bring my son to any one of his three offices the next week. Then he gave me his business card and said "have a good weekend". Ha!!!!!!!

I threw the card away and went on my usual business. Today my son is a healthy 21-year old.

Harvard Medical School and CBS 60 Minutes did an expose of some chiropractors a few years ago. Chiropractors are all crooks! How the heck does someone in that profession live with himself?