Apr 23, 2019

How a Naturopathic Doctor Can Help With Sleep Apnea?

Can sleep apnea be reduced using natural remedies?

The short answer is yes. Let’s first define what is naturopathy. A naturopathic doctor uses natural methods to allow the body to heal. It includes different therapies like herbs, massage therapy, acupuncture, physical activity, and nutrition.

The main goal of naturopathy is to treat the entire body, including the mind. It also holds the goal of treating the root of any illness besides just treating the symptoms. A naturopathic doctor can take a few hours during checkup and examination. They will collect information about your health history, stress factors, and lifestyle choices. They can also ask for lab tests to confirm or rule out any diagnosis.

Later, a naturopathic doctor gives you a customized health plan. Naturopathy gives importance to education and prevention. That’s why your naturopathic doctor may give some diet, exercise, or other lifestyle tips.

They may also use complementary medicine along with their treatment plans. These include homeopathy, herbs, and acupuncture. They might also include touch therapy, like massage or pressure, to add balance to your health. This is known as manipulative therapy.

So, what is sleep apnea?

It’s a type of sleep disorder. While some people sleep, they can stop breathing for small amounts of time. If such instances continue happening for longer, it indicates sleep apnea. This is a serious issue and must not be overlooked. It can cause a lot of problems in a person’s normal sleeping routine.

With shorter breathing times individuals will naturally feel weaker. They will progressively face harder mental consequences. Studies show that this disorder exists in 3% to 7% of the global population. With less control over risk factors like obesity, this number will slowly increase.

How do you know when you have a sleep disorder?

With this disorder, the airways are closed which then results in loud snores and wider gaps of breathing. But the hard truth is that you will never know your issue since you will be sleeping. Most time it is other people who catch the symptoms.

Sleeping partners will most likely let you know if you have breathing problems. Even if you do not feel the issue to be important you have to take it seriously. It can be difficult to deal with if left untreated.

How can it be treated?

Naturopathy is meant to treat illnesses and conditions from the inside out. These conditions include depression, obesity, anxiety and, yes, sleep apnea as well. A naturopathic doctor will take your history and conduct a full physical examination. This is to rule out other causes of sleep disturbances like infection, trauma or other abnormalities.

Once your examination is done, the doctor will take a look at any risk factors you may have. These include alcohol, smoking, diet, exercise, stress, and others. After evaluating your condition, a naturopathic doctor will then create a plan for your problem. Some of the naturopathic remedies for this disorder include:

Lifestyle changes

Your naturopathic doctor can recommend certain lifestyle modifications to help you sleep. These include less use of sleeping pills, alcohol and anti-allergy medication. These drugs are closely linked to sleep problems.

Taking beverages like coffee and alcohol can also prevent people from sleeping properly. They also add other negative health benefits including insomnia, ulceration or liver disease. Limiting their use before your sleeping time can be very helpful for this disorder.

Setting a normal sleeping cycle can also help in getting better sleep. It is crucial to stay with a regular routine when going to bed. You should also follow a normal wake-up schedule as well. This is especially important on weekends, to prevent more issues of this disorder.

Dietary modifications

With sleeping disorders, folks should try to hold back on dairy products and many other foodstuffs. These include greasy foods like fries, chips, fish, or chicken. Beverages like cold beer and soda should also be avoided to reduce mucus development. Too much mucus can block the airways.

That is why the use of food and drink that causes breathing problems should be avoided. Patients are told to stick to a recommended diet plan. This usually includes fresh fruits and vegetables that help keep up physical and mental health.

Massage

A naturopathic doctor can recommend simple massaging techniques. These techniques ease the muscles to get rid of any underlying stress. Using deep tissue massages, people can get better relief from stress. This can leave patients feeling better relaxed, which can help with better sleep

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a natural technique that generally does not promise a complete relief. That said, it can help lower the severity of the sleep apnea. It is a therapy that includes the use of oils taken from different aromatic plants. These oils help ease stresses and rejuvenate the mind and body.

Some effective scents include cinnamon, nutmeg, citrus, lavender, and elemi. These can be used to get a better quality of sleep.

Acupuncture

A naturopathic doctor can also make use of very fine needles. This is popular in acupuncture therapy. Usually, doctors place stainless steel needles on certain points in the skin. The technique is an old art, and it is common in naturopathy to improve the body’s own ability to heal itself. It can improve the blood circulation in your body to relieve any tension. This allows patients to relax their bodies for better sleep.

Acupressure

Acupressure is almost the same as acupuncture therapy. It makes use of fingers instead of needles to put pressure on specific points on the skin. This again promotes self-healing to help relieve the stresses of sleep apnea.

How can we help?

Pillars of Wellness is a multidisciplinary clinic that aims to help people with different conditions going from orthopedic, digestive, woman’s health, men’s health, neurologic, mental health, and much more. With that in mind, the clinic provides a variety of therapies including naturopathy, acupuncture, physiotherapy, chiropractic, counseling, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and yoga therapy.

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