Intervention exercise arm for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (NOURMT-OSA Trial)

It is estimated that spinal cord injury (SCI) affects approximately 12,000 new individuals every year in the United States, with the majority are cervical and/or upper thoracic injuries. Despite this high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in chronic SCI population minority of patients are treated and are adherent to standard therapy (CPAP). This proposal addresses a new therapeutic intervention for OSA in SCI. The investigators hypothesized that combined oropharyngeal and respiratory muscle exercises improve respiratory symptoms and alleviate OSA in patients with chronic SCI. The investigators will perform a pilot randomized, sham-controlled study to examine the impact of combined daily exercises (\~30 min) for 1 and 3 months durations among Veterans with SCI. The investigators believe that this novel approach to treating OSA and will yield significant new knowledge that improves the health and quality of life of these patients.