Dear WDDTY:

I was interested to read the article by Harald Gaier in WDDTY vol 5 no 12 on childhood earache. The last paragraph reminded me of a patient I saw recently with chronic ear infections since age seven. In the past, he'd had antibiotics at least three times a year and an operation to insert grommets in both ears at the age of five. Neither had helped his condition.

On examination I found severely restricted movement in his cervical spine (neck). He was treated with upper back and neck massage, manipulation of his neck, and cranial osteopathy of his neck and temporary bones (the ear canal sits in this bone).

After one treatment, his ear pain had gone and he had normal movement in his neck. He came to see me four months after this because he had had a recurrence of ear pain, but no infection. Again, it was found that his neck movement had become restricted, and after a similar treatment to the previous one, his ear pain and neck stiffness had gone. Osteopathy and cranial osteopathy worked well with this child, and I am sure that others can benefit as well. Caroline Abrams, The WellBeing Clinic, Oxford......