Staff Reporter
POOR sleep isn’t just a nuisance – it could signal a serious condition like obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a chronic disorder that remains undiagnosed in up to 80% of moderate and severe cases.
Now, a non-invasive alternative is gaining medical ground: exercising the muscles of the mouth and face.
Known as oropharyngeal myofunctional therapy, the treatment focuses on strengthening the upper airway muscles – particularly the tongue, soft palate, lips and pharynx – which can collapse during sleep due to weakness rather than physical obstruction.
This condition, known as the ‘hypotonic phenotype’, particularly benefits from such therapy, especially when patients have a normal BMI and no major anatomical abnormalities.
Dr Carlos O’Connor, co-head of the ENT department at Quirónsalud hospitals in Marbella and Campo de Gibraltar, is one of the leading figures behind this approach.
“Fifty percent of patients undergoing this therapy halve their apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI), 20% achieve clinical remission, and 30% show no improvement – a figure we are continuing to investigate to better refine patient selection,” he explains.
His research team’s findings have now been officially recognised by Spain’s Ministry of Health through a report published in collaboration with the Spanish Network of Health Technology Assessment Agencies and the Government of the Canary Islands.
It is the first time this form of therapy has been validated as an effective treatment – either as an alternative or a supplement to CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines.
“We’ve long argued that myofunctional therapy is a safe and effective tool. The Ministry’s endorsement validates years of scientific and clinical work and paves the way for its inclusion in official treatment guidelines,” says Dr O’Connor.
The ENT specialist was recently awarded the Quirónsalud Innovation in Technology Prize for developing a mobile app that ensures patients perform their exercises correctly and consistently. The app, Airway Gym, was created in Andalusia and helps users carry out therapy routines, tracks their progress, and offers professional support. More than 14,000 people worldwide have used it so far.
“Many patients arrive sceptical – they find it hard to believe that simply exercising the tongue or palate could improve their sleep. But once they start sleeping better, snoring less and feeling more energised, they see the value of sticking with it,” adds O’Connor.
Multidisciplinary Sleep Unit in Marbella
Dr O’Connor’s work takes place within the Multidisciplinary Sleep Unit at Quirónsalud Marbella, coordinated by pulmonologist Dr José Mª Ignacio. The unit brings together different departments to provide comprehensive diagnoses and treatments for patients suffering from snoring, insomnia, fragmented sleep, or suspected apnoea.
Using in-depth sleep studies, the unit is able to identify issues such as insomnia, daytime hypersomnia, or fragmented sleep, as well as abnormal events such as apnoeas – where breathing stops entirely – or conditions like narcolepsy, often treated in conjunction with the hospital’s neurology department.
The goal of the research is to open new, less invasive pathways for treating sleep apnoea. Current projects include developing personalised exercises based on muscle phenotype, integrating sleep-tracking devices, and gamifying routines to improve patient engagement.
For more information, please visit www.quironsalud.com/marbella or call
+34 952 774 200
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