Otitis Media and Osteopathic Treatment

Eight children from ages seven to thirty-five months with a history of recurrent otitis media underwent osteopathic structural examination and three osteopathic manipulative treatments one week apart. This treatment for otitis media was performed independent of the medical Management of this disorder. For one year following this intervention, the child's guardian and physician were contacted to determine the number of episodes of otitis media the child experienced during that period.

Four children had no reoccurrences of otitis media, two children had one episode of otitis media, one had four and one underwent a tonsillectomy adenoidectomy and typanostomy with ventilation tube insertion. Closer analysis of post osteopathic manipulative treatment course of the last two children indicated a decrease in the morbidity of the child's condition for a period of time.

These results imply that osteopathic manipulative treatment can change the progression of recurrent otitis media when medication alone is unable to do so. This also supports the possibility of an underlying structural cause for the development of otitis media.
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Efficacy of osteopathic evaluation and manipulative treatment in reducing the morbidity of otitis media in children. BF Degenhardt, DO, et al. 38th Annual AOA Research Conference Abstracts, 1994