What Pro2 is Up2

The benefits of using CPAP therapy to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have been proven: lessening or elimination of snoring; restoring restful sleep; lowering the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack, and stroke; and an improvement in overall quality of life.

But there may be one other benefit that is just coming to light: reduced sensitivity to pain.

In a study recently released, patients with severe OSA underwent a training session to see what their sensitivity to a radiant heat stimulus was. The next night, these patients were titrated on CPAP therapy. After six to eight weeks of using CPAP therapy, the patients returned to the laboratory to be tested again for sensitivity to the radiant heat stimulus.

Finally, the patients in the study were asked to stop using their CPAP for two nights and then return to the laboratory. The sensitivity testing was performed again. All of the sensitivity testing was compared and what the researchers found was that sensitivity to pain was reduced while on CPAP therapy, whether just for one night or for the consecutive 6-8 weeks of therapy.

You can read the entire study here.