Alternative therapies for obstructive sleep apnea

Patients are interested in alternative therapies and a common disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is approached by many as an opportunity to pursue these. The search for an alternative to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has produced some promising results. Some of these alternatives are effective in certain categories of OSA, although further tailoring and refining are required. These alternatives should be entertained in selected patients with OSA who are intolerant of CPAP because CPAP is likely to remain first-line therapy in the near future. We predict that alternatives to CPAP will become mainstream within 20 years.