Can upper spine problems cause sleep apnea?

Or could spine misalignment make sleep apnea worse?

Went to the chiropractor yesterday for the first time since before I started CPAP therapy. He thinks that the vertabrae that are out in my spine are causing inflammation which is giving my lungs and diaphragm breathing issues. My back is so out of whack, I will need another visit or two, but I do notice an improvement in how easy it is to breathe.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Go to a real doctor. Chiropractors are quacks that delude a few people into thinking they did something for them.

I saw the 60 Minutes episode where they spent time at Harvard Medical School. HMS completely debunked the spinal and neck alignment, showed how the tricks are performed, and declared the entire field worthless.

These guys don't have medical degrees and about one-third of their course work is on how to market their quackery (look it up if you don't believe it).

If you need help see a real orthopedic doctor.

Good luck.

Sleep apnea is not caused by lung or diaphragm issues.

Now if a painful back causes pain on inhalation and exhalation and the pain is relieved by whatever methods, then that is wonderful but it doesn't do a thing for the cause of sleep apnea.

So Well wrote:Chiropractors are quacks that delude a few people into thinking they did something for them.

I've had my back adjusted in the past, and it has alleviated back pain. Same with many family members who have gone. So I'm not sure what you mean. I'm not saying a chiropractor can cure disease. I'm saying they can get rid of pain and inflammation.

Pugsy wrote:Sleep apnea is not caused by lung or diaphragm issues.

Then maybe I should ask, could I have been misdiagnosed with sleep apnea and just simply had trouble breathing which manifested in sleep apnea symptoms?

FoodPouches wrote: So I'm not sure what you mean. I'm not saying a chiropractor can cure disease. I'm saying they can get rid of pain and inflammation.

I'm saying that anyone who goes for spinal adjustment and improves would have improved without the spinal adjustment.

The only pain a chiropractor can actually relieve is the pain the patient gets from sitting on a fat wallet.

FoodPouches wrote:

Then maybe I should ask, could I have been misdiagnosed with sleep apnea and just simply had trouble breathing which manifested in sleep apnea symptoms?

People have been misdiagnosed of every malady under the sun.

Get a copy of your sleep study and then discuss it with your sleep doctor.

He thinks that the vertabrae that are out in my spine are causing inflammation which is giving my lungs and diaphragm breathing issues.

This is the typical crap that chiropractors are taught in their marketing courses. Was there even one bit of science involved when he checked you for lung and diaphragm inflammation? What tests did he run to confirm the inflammation? How did he examine your lungs and diaphragm? What is the medical definition of "vertebrae out"?

So Well wrote:

FoodPouches wrote: So I'm not sure what you mean. I'm not saying a chiropractor can cure disease. I'm saying they can get rid of pain and inflammation.

I'm saying that anyone who goes for spinal adjustment and improves would have improved without the spinal adjustment.

Well, I don't doubt that there are many frauds out there. But chiropractors can give effective methods of treatment for back problems. I mean, I didn't go to my chiropractor for nagging back pain and then get better within a day every time just out of sheer coincidence. He was a great chiro. Retired now. To bad, because it can be tough to find one that's really good at their job.

FoodPouches wrote: Then maybe I should ask, could I have been misdiagnosed with sleep apnea and just simply had trouble breathing which manifested in sleep apnea symptoms?

Doubt it.

Sleep studies have very specific criteria to meet to satisfy diagnosis requirements. Easy to spot on the sleep study. They don't pull those numbers out of their rear ends.

Sleep apnea is the cessation of respiration due to either the collapse (full or partial) of the upper airway in the throat area.. called obstructive sleep apnea

or

Cessation of breathing with airway open ...central sleep apnea.. now the brain might forget to tell the diaphragm to move but it is the brain's fault and not the spine. There can be other factors involved in central apneas. Google it for lots of complicated reading.

Nothing that can permanently be fixed with chiropratic adjustments. Believe me if I thought I could do away with my machine by having my back and neck cracked (which does help my pain) I would do it in a heart beat.

Pugsy wrote:

FoodPouches wrote: Then maybe I should ask, could I have been misdiagnosed with sleep apnea and just simply had trouble breathing which manifested in sleep apnea symptoms?

Doubt it.

Sleep studies have very specific criteria to meet to satisfy diagnosis requirements. Easy to spot on the sleep study. They don't pull those numbers out of their rear ends.

That actually makes me wonder. Because I had very minimal sleep data at my sleep study. In fact I only slept for just over an hour, and all of my events were hypopneas. Plus I am not that convinced of the expertise of the sleep doctor that diagnosed me. In fact, I am switching.

I guess I will just have to wait and see if things change.

I think if you wait a while your problems will come back. A good rub can make you feel better.

It's really a shame that chiropractic "medicine" is so full of fakes and charlatans.

The first chiropractor that I went to was really effective in helping me get some relief with some spinal problems. He was very conscious of treating the whole body, and overall, I don't regret it.
Unfortunately, when I did some work related relocation, I tried out quite a few different chiropractors, ....ALL Quacks!
I encountered some absolutely crazy ones.
I'm convinced that the whole practice is dominated by these types, and i would never again waste my time, or more importantly, risk serious injury to my spine, by seeing any of these fakes again.

He thinks that the vertabrae that are out in my spine are causing inflammation which is giving my lungs and diaphragm breathing issues. My back is so out of whack, I will need another visit or two, but I do notice an improvement in how easy it is to breathe.

Well right there I'd be suspicious of your chiropractor's claims because he doesn't understand the basic anatomy of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a problem with the UPPER AIRWAY--obstruction in the area between the nose and the bronchial tube, NOT the lungs or diaphragm. And unless you have a vertebra SO out of whack that it's actually protruding into that area to make a mechanical blockage (if you do, something is seriously wrong and you are probably a quadriplegic if you're even still alive!) no manipulation is going to cure sleep apnea.

The danger of your chiro's claims is that people may feel a little better because of less back pain and easier breathing and stop using CPAP when they STILL have sleep apnea.

Tell him to stick to the back pain, and find a good sleep doctor for yourself who can take the time to explain basics to you.

actually, they can help, not by opening up your lung or diaphragm (athought being adjust and forcing your body straight does help with breathing) but find one that works on getting the 45 degree curve back in your neck, middle and lower spine. I suffered for years, never could find the right setting....now my sleep apnea is better controlled. I use to range from 4 -5 event pre hour to now 1 - 2

My chiropractor would agree. He insists that the spine affects how everything else works.

Found this article interesting. Not sure how much is relevant or not to the original post.

http://consumer.healthday.com/general-h ... 83905.html

Regarding chiropractors, I know I am responding to old posts but since the issue of alternative medicine comes up frequently, I wanted to say something. A former co-worker had a fantastic chiropractor and got relief from back pain after doctors hadn't been able to do anything for her. But this professional knew her limits and always referred her to doctors when appropriate as she did when knee surgery was called for. And put her in hands of a great doctor by the way.

Unfortunately, there are chiropractors that are definitely quacks and give the profession a bad name. I think if their website says they cure everything or they make that claim, that is a bad sign.

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