Klarinet Archive - Posting 000018.txt from 2002/01

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Somnoplasty
Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 19:08:14 -0500

On Fri, 28 Dec 2001 22:34:56 -0500, fbjacobo@-----.net said:

> I am considering having Somnoplasty done to treat a sleep disorder.
> This medical procedure consists of having various muscles in the
> throat forcibly relaxed (how's THAT for an oxymoron?) via electric
> stimulation, which eases any obstruction of the airway and thus allows
> the sleeper to breathe easier at night.
>
> However, being a wind player, I am cautious about anything being done
> to my throat. Has anyone experienced Somnoplasty? Does anyone know of
> any ill effects it could have on clarinet playng? Any recommendations
> of places to contact to get these kind of answers? TIA all.

If I look up 'somnoplasty' on the web, I see that it's a treatment that
I've recently read may develop into a cure for obstructive sleep apnoea.

However, www.somnoplasty.net says in part:

> Those who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea have often been treated
> with continuous positive-airway pressure (CPAP). CPAP has a
> disturbingly low compliance rate (25% to 50%)...

Well, what that means is that sometimes it doesn't work. But in common
with others here, I can attest that it works in my case, and I might
even say that the persistence required to be a clarinet player probably
means that the compliance rate among clarinet players would be higher
than the figures quoted.

> ...and is only a palliative treatment.

Yeah, well. You sleep. You use the device when you sleep. You don't
need to use it when you're not sleeping. So what does 'palliative'
mean, in this context?

I suppose it might cramp the style of a certain type of Don Juan.

> Developed by Storytellers

That's at the bottom of the webpage:-)

My recommendation is to use the 'palliative' total cure until something
really reliable comes along. As my nurse said, "in the end, probably
there'll be a cure, and we won't need to do this. But we haven't seen
it yet."

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
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