Snoring is thought by many comedy writers to be a funny topic, and in the abstract, maybe it is, but for the person (or the person’s sleeping partner) who is trying to figure out how to stop snoring, it can be a serious problem. Sometimes nighttime breathing problems can result in snoring. This degrades the quality of sleep, lowering oxygen intake, reducing REM sleep, and sometimes even leading to serious conditions like sleep apnea, which in rare cases can be fatal. There are a number of approaches to clearing out the nasal passages in an attempt to quell snoring, and these approaches may include antihistamines, but in some cases, natural remedies may work as well or better.
Acupuncture for snoring is based on the traditional Chinese medical practice acupuncture. Acupuncture involves sticking very tiny needles into specific points on the body. The procedure is said to rele ase “blocked energy” and rebalance the body’s chi, or life force. Unbalanced chi can cause poor health, and acupuncture has been used in China for thousands of years. It is only just now being used in the west, but its popularity is growing.
The first written documents that describe acupuncture were found to come from the 4,700 year old Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, or Huang Di Nei Jing, which some consider to be the oldest textbook in the world. This book is believed to be compiled from earlier theories of the father of Chinese medicine, Shen Nung. Shen Nung’s theories concerning the heart and circulation predate the Roman surgeon Galens by over two millennia and they predate European medical scientists by many more centuries.
Snoring as a symptom of general unhealthiness is sometimes treated with acupuncture, on the theory that some imbalance in life energy is causing the poor health of the snorer, and that rebalancing the life en ergy will result in relief from snoring. With acupuncture, the patient lies on a table. Depending on the areas of the body that need to be treated, the patient is undressed and draped with cloths. The needles are inserted at angles from 15 degrees (measuring from the plane of the skin) to 90 degrees. The needles may be manipulated in some way depending on what the practitioner is attempting to do.
Acupuncture for snoring may take several acupuncture sessions to eradicate. The needles, when inserted by a professional, do not hurt, and do not cause bleeding or bruising. The procedure is used to help people learn how to stop snoring, as well as to treat medical conditions like asthma, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Some parts of the world use acupuncture to treat substance abuse, stress, and allergies (which can lead to snoring).
When it comes to using acupuncture for snoring, studies suggest that acupun cture changes the flow of neurotransmitters in the body, and that acupuncture needles may stop a body’s reaction to a particular substance. For those whose snoring is caused by allergies, which lead to mouth breathing, and swollen tissues in the throat including the uvula, acupuncture can help address those allergies.
Many acupuncture specialists treating allergies or snoring often recommend steps like changing diet and exercise, and these are often the same steps that western medical practitioners prescribe. If the snoring is caused by obstructive nasal passages, acupuncture can help. Sometimes snoring is caused by edema, or swelling of the tissues in the back of the mouth, including the uvula, and acupuncture can dilate blood vessels, resulting in better circulation and hence tissue repair.
In addition, sometimes acupuncture is used as an aid to quitting smoking, and with the added benefit of better breathing and less irritation of the throat, sno ring may be reduced or stopped as well.
Other treatments that may be recommended in addition to acupuncture for snoring include warm water sinus washes, and diluted grapefruit seed extract infusion. Some practitioners recommend cutting out mucus producing foods like dairy products. But for people whose snoring is due to odd shaped sinuses, or tongue slippage into the back of the throat, acupuncture is not as effective.
For those people with recurrent upper respiratory infections, low immune function may be to blame. Acupuncture for snoring in this case may be helpful because it can improve circulation in nasal cavities, which will allow the immune system to heal upper respiratory infections quicker. This type of swelling is usually caused by two mechanisms: chi deficiency, or “wind invasion,” according to acupuncture specialists, who will then choose sites to tonify chi, clear heat, or dispel wind. They may also prescribe herbal formulas. In some cases acupuncture specialists and herbalists may work together to try to put an end to snoring.
The actual acupuncture for snoring process often focuses on points on the arms, legs, and stomach that are associated with production of mucus. The insertion of acupuncture needles at these chosen points is said to stimulate the body to release excessive phlegm. While double blind scientific studies of acupuncture’s effect on snoring are rare to non-existent, anecdotal evidence points to success with some people. Discussion forums on snoring will usually have at least a few people recommend acupuncture because of their good experience with it.
The problem with acupuncture for snoring is that designing a double blind scientific experiment is difficult when the treatment involves the use of acupuncture needles. It is possible that acupuncture needles could be placed in areas not known to be beneficial to snoring for a control group of snorers, but if this has been done, there’s no online record of it.
However, one alternative therapy for sleep disrupting breathing used along with acupuncture for snoring is known as Zhou’s Hypoxicology Therapy, or ZHT. It’s named after Jin Zhou, MD, DC, who developed the therapy. Mild hypoxia, or low oxygen intake, has recently been identified as a hidden cause of numerous medical conditions, including heart attacks and chronic diseases, and is believed to play an important part in sleep disorders like snoring and sleep apnea.
Dr. Zhou discovered, that something called trachea caudal downwards displacement, or TCD, is a main cause of mild hypoxia and the health problems it causes. The therapy is non-surgical and non-invasive and delivers results measurable on a pulse oximeter within 10 minutes. Though ZHT is not for those with severe hypoxia, it does provide quick relief for those with m ild hypoxia, which has been called by some the “hidden killer” due to its underlying so many chronic health problems such as snoring. It is used by some practitioners in conjunction with chiropractic therapy with reportedly significant positive results.
Another way that acupuncture can help snoring is by promoting weight loss. Weight loss is known to be one of the leading ways of relieving snoring, and some acupuncturists treat overweight or obese patients with acupuncture to regulate the flow of chi throughout the body. Acupuncture for weight loss and acupuncture for snoring do not have the bad side effects associated with constant yo-yo dieting (where weight fluctuates up and down more than just a few pounds). While acupuncture for weight loss is a slow process, it is starting to be taken seriously as an approach to weight loss, and one of the main positive side effects of weight loss is a decrease or halt in snoring.
In these cas es, the acupuncturist treats the mind and the body, addressing both the physical and psychological aspects of weight problems. A good acupuncture therapist will treat several aspects of weight problems: stimulating the digestive system, helping the spleen and stomach become more efficient, and increasing the body’s life energy. This is said to help the individual feel more fulfilled and be less likely to overeat. With weight loss comes relief from snoring, which can be beneficial not only to the snorer, but to those whose sleeping the snorer interrupts.
Acupuncture for snoring works best when it addresses multiple underlying causes, such as upper respiratory swelling, weight loss, and psychological problems. It is seen as a great breakthrough by some snorers and their families.
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