Among the elderly, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is present in 24% of people who live independently, 33% of those in acute care institutions, and 42% who are in nursing homes. It’s no wonder then, that there always will be questions raised about Medicare and sleep apnea devices. Of the some 85 recognized sleep disorders, sleep apnea is one of the most common, affecting over 12 million people in the United Sates alone. It is also one of the most deadly of the sleep disorders.

There are three types of sleep apnea, obstructive (OSA), central and mixed of which OSA is the most prevalent. Roughly two percent of women and four percent of men suffer from this sleep problem. It is characterized by intermittent interruption in breathing due to airway obstruction during sleep. This condition can be dangerous because the sufferer actually stops breathing while sleeping, which in turn can lead to further complications, such as high blood pressure and heart problems.

People with severe OSA can stop breathing as many as 120 times in a night! Moreover, because the sufferer wakes for at least a few seconds after each episode, they never reach the point of deep sleep required for normal daily functioning. In younger people, the causes of sleep apnea are well known – obesity, male sex and large neck circumference, for instance. But in older individuals, the underlying cause is not so well defined. Obesity, of course is still one of the risk factors in the elderly. (more…)

Alternative medicine is an all-purpose expression that describes a number of forms of treatment, cures and relief that are derived from sources other than established medicine. The therapies, medical approaches and philosophies that are contained in the term alternative medicine are too many to be acceptably discussed here.

There are a number of kinds of alternative medicine which are more extensively used and well recognized than others. Below are more common types of alternative medicine that have been accepted by many individuals and are commonly practiced.

Acupuncture

This type of alternative medicine is a sort of therapy which is practiced with the use of particular type of needles. These specially made needles are slender and lengthy which make it easier to introduce them into the human body. The filiform needles are inserted into certain points in the human body which are selected for pain relief or therapy.

This type of alternative medicine therapy originated in China. The Chinese developed a system of meridians from which energy is said to flow. Tapping into these meridians with the use of the acupuncture needles will assist to relieve various conditions and ailments that a person may be experiencing as well as help to relax and even lower weight.

There are so many different studies about acupuncture since this is one of the more accepted types of alternative medicine but the results are mostly open to doubt. There are a few health organizations that do acknowledge the helpful effects of acupuncture but established medicine does not.

Many established medical practitioners claim that while acupuncture may not be useful there is nothing to lose if the patient would really love to experiment with it. The employment of clean and sterile needles in addition to the application of the said practice by responsible and well taught specialist is a must for this type of alternative medicine. Whether it has a placebo effect of real effect on people may depend largely on how amenable the person may be to it.

Chiropractic

This kind of alternative medicine involves the treatment of disorders and other conditions through the application of pressure on the musculoskeletal system. In basic terms, the body, through realignment of the bones and pressure on the muscles is meant to regain its balance and be relieved or cured from some conditions and disorders. This alternative medicine kind of therapy uses the manipulation of the patients joints, spine and other soft tissues to encompass the general application of manual therapy. The manipulation and manual therapy is mostly done by the chiropractor but he can also assign a sequence of movements and related therapies which the patient can do on his own at home.

This alternative medicine therapy was founded in the late 1800s. This practice enjoys much popularity in large areas of the United states and as well as some areas of Asia. Chiropractic medicine is found to be successful in treating back pain and other problems related to the joints and bones. This alternative medicine therapy is acknowledge by many established medicine doctors as treatment for back pain but generally it is still thought of as therapy and not really medicine or cure. There is some controversy concerning the safety of the practice since there are some bogus chiropractors who have “accidents”

Naturopathy

Naturopathy is a type of relief or treatment which includes several forms of alternative medicine therapies and treatments. The notion of naturopathy is that the body can mend itself without the need of established medicine through the assorted kinds of natural medicine. The use of established Chinese medicine, acupuncture, reflexology, botanical medicine, homeopathy, nutrition and even the practice of good hygiene are said to be included in naturopathy. lots of people believe in this ideal and try to heal or treat themselves through the employment of natural types of alternative medicine.

Submitted by Richard Ealom creator of this article. To learn more of topics as Alternative and Natural Health treatments goto our web site at Alternative Medicine – Your Oourr Choice or Alternative Medicine – our Oourr Option NOTE article shown above may be circulated freely on web sites, so long as ALL article content and creator information remain UNCHANGED.