Snoring is a very common problem, affecting almost 50% of men and 30% percent of women. It can lead to poor sleep or sleep deprivation, which can heighten your stress response and affect your mental alertness.
But what causes snoring? Weakness and loss of tone in the muscular lining in the upper respiratory tract and neck can be a contributing factor. In addition, many of us spend hours slouched at a computer, which results in a ‘chin forward’ posture. This can cause the skull to be pushed back and the upper airways to be compressed even further, making snoring considerably worse over time.
Osteopathy can help alleviate the muscular tension and realign the bones and muscles, reducing sinus congestion. It is necessary to improve bad posture with muscle strengthening exercises and release the muscles at the front and side of the neck with manipulation. It is also important to release the diaphragm, ribs and upper thoracic area with manipulation. All of these manual adjustments will lessen the restriction in the upper airways, decrease snoring and improve your sleep!
