The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 2006/06, 106(6):327-334. doi: 10.7556/jaoa.2006.106.6.327, type of study: ,cos,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Free full text   (https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.7556/jaoa.2006.106.6.327/html)

Keywords:

cohort study [90]
follow-up study [1]
pediatrics [573]
children [321]
OMT [3925]
osteopathic manipulative treatment [3946]
otitis media [39]
pilot study [216]
preschool child [3]

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment in routine pediatric care for children with recurrent acute otitis media. STUDY DESIGN: Pilot cohort study with 1-year posttreatment follow-up. At follow-up, subjects' parents or legal guardians and their referring and/or family physicians were contacted to determine recurrence of otitis media since intervention. SUBJECTS: A referred and volunteer sample of pediatric patients ranging in age from 7 months to 35 months with a history of recurrent otitis media (N=8). INTERVENTION: For 3 weeks, all subjects received weekly osteopathic structural examinations and osteopathic manipulative treatment. This intervention was performed concurrently with traditional medical management. RESULTS: Five (62.5%) subjects had no recurrence of symptoms. Of the three remaining subjects in this cohort, one had a bulging tympanic membrane, another had four episodes of otitis media, and the last underwent surgery after recurrence at 6 weeks posttreatment. Closer analysis of the posttreatment course of the last two subjects indicates that there may have been a clinically significant decrease in morbidity for a period of time after intervention. CONCLUSION: The present study indicates that osteopathic manipulative treatment may change the progression of recurrent otitis media, a finding that supports the need for additional research in this area.