CPAPtalk.com

Good morning,

I am looking for strap/cushion advice from anyone else with cervical radiculopathy, spondylolisthesis, and/or arthritis. I am using a ResMed Dreamwear mask, both of which the mask itself and hose position work wonderfully. My issue is with the straps for the mask. They sit higher than the previous mask I wore, but are still low enough on the back of my head to trigger issues with the aforementioned conditions no matter how loose or tight the straps are. I spoke to my doctor and he did not have any recommendation but to speak with the medical equipment staff. They in turn did not have any advice either besides trying some thin strap cushions.

If you have any of the same conditions, what worked for you in decreasing or avoiding aggravating them with the mask straps? Is there a 3rd party mask strap or such that helped?

Thank you and have a great day!

Which DreamWear model mask?
Full face model or either the nasal cushion model or the nasal pillow model?

I have cervical spine problems very similar to yours but I use a different mask so my solution may not be the best solution for you. I have even had surgery on my neck and I have a metal plate in my neck.

Otherwise about all I can offer is extra strap padding with some strap covers from padacheek.com as they can diffuse the pressure from the straps a bit.
https://www.padacheek.com/

I use the Dreamwear AirFit F30i full-face mask. Thank you for the links to the cushions, I will check them out. What solution did you find that worked with your mask?

I opted to use a mask with minimal or zero straps. It may not be an option for you if you just have to use a full face mask because your mouth won't/can't stay shut. Now if you want to try a nasal mask of some sort and can keep your mouth shut (for the most part) then you might consider a different mask. It all depends on if you just HAVE to breathe through your mouth because of nasal congestion that you can't alleviate and it forces you to mouth breathe.

The Eclipse is my primary mask....no headgear at all.
Second and third on my mask use choice would be the ResMed AirFit P10 or the ResMed AirFit N30. Headgear for those 2 are extremely minimal and don't bug my neck.
On occasion my mouth might open a bit but for the most part it stays shut because I don't have a nasal congestion problem.

Thank you for explaining what worked for you. I know I breathe through my mouth once in awhile, but I am not sure how often and it feels like a lot less since I started using a cpap. If the strap cushions do not help, I will look into trying one of those nose masks along with a chin strip. Thank you for the advice!