As a joint research project with Kobe University, we conducted a three-month study with 30 taxi drivers of Nihon Kotsu, a Japanese transportation company, on oral exercises that are effective in improving sleep apnea syndrome. This is the first time in Japan that a study with 30 taxi drivers has been conducted.
The participants performed oropharyngeal exercises to move their tongues, cheeks, and soft palates for a total of 10 minutes once a day for 12 weeks.
As a result, the AHI value improved significantly from an average of 20.9 times/hour to 16.9 times/hour in patients with a pre-exercise AHI of 5 to 30. The lip closure pressures tended to increase from a mean of 18.8 N to 20.7 N with oropharyngeal exercises.
The result of this study was published in Scientific Reports.
“Effect of 10-minute oropharyngeal exercise on the apnoea–hypopnoea index”
You can also view a documentary video of the three-month-long study.
https://youtu.be/PCLRqj6ydTM
A press release regarding the study with Nihon Kotsu was issued on January 17, 2025.
https://www.nihon-kotsu-taxi.jp/news/250117/
