Oropharyngeal and tongue exercises (myofunctional therapy) for snoring: a systematic review and meta-analysis

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology volume 275, pages849–855(2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

Oropharyngeal and tongue exercises (myofunctional therapy) have been shown to improve obstructive sleep apnea. However, to our knowledge, a systematic review has not been performed for snoring. The study objective is to perform a systematic review, with a meta-analysis, dedicated to snoring outcomes after myofunctional therapy.

Methods

PubMed/MEDLINE and three other databases were searched through November 25, 2017. Two authors independently searched the literature. Eligibility (1) patients: children or adults with snoring, (2) intervention: oropharyngeal and/or tongue exercises, (3) comparison: pre and post-treatment data for snoring, (4) outcomes: snoring frequency and snoring intensity, (5) study design: publications of all study designs.

Results

A total of 483 articles were screened, 56 were downloaded in their full text form, and nine studies reported outcomes related to snoring. There were a total of 211 patients (all adults) in these studies. The snoring intensity was reduced by 51% in 80 patients from pre-therapy to post-therapy visual analog scale values of 8.2 ± 2.1 (95% CI 7.7, 8.7) to 4.0 ± 3.7 (95% CI 3.2, 4.8). Berlin questionnaire snoring intensity reduced by 36% in 34 patients from 2.5 ± 1.0 (95% CI 2.2, 2.8) to 1.6 ± 0.8 (95% CI 1.3, 1.9). Finally, time spent snoring during sleep was reduced by 31% in 60 patients from 26.3 ± 18.7% (95% CI 21.6, 31.0) to 18.1 ± 20.5% (95% CI 12.9, 23.3) of total sleep time.

Conclusions

This systematic review demonstrated that myofunctional therapy has reduced snoring in adults based on both subjective questionnaires and objective sleep studies.

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Funding

No funding was received for this research.

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Affiliations

  1. Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tripler Army Medical Center, 1 Jarrett White Rd, Honolulu, HI, 96859, USA

    Macario Camacho, Justin M. Wei, Sungjin A. Song, Lauren K. Reckley & Camilo Fernandez-Salvador

  2. Sleep Medicine Division, Department of Psychiatry, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, 450 Broadway, Redwood City, CA, 94063, USA

    Christian Guilleminault

  3. School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA

    Michael W. Noller

  4. UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, Santa Monica, CA, 90404, USA

    Soroush Zaghi

Authors
  1. Macario Camacho
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  2. Christian Guilleminault
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  3. Justin M. Wei
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  4. Sungjin A. Song
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  5. Michael W. Noller
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  6. Lauren K. Reckley
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  7. Camilo Fernandez-Salvador
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  8. Soroush Zaghi
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Correspondence to Macario Camacho.

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All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria, educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge, or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

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Camacho, M., Guilleminault, C., Wei, J.M. et al. Oropharyngeal and tongue exercises (myofunctional therapy) for snoring: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 275, 849–855 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-017-4848-5

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Keywords

  • Snoring
  • Myofunctional therapy
  • Systematic review
  • Meta-analysis