This article appeared in the UK magazine, “Here’s Health” in December 1998.

Tony Mathews was reported to be the first person to conduct research into the use of Osteopathy with glue ear.

At the time of publishing Tony had treated over 130 children and adults with the condition.

Since then, he has gone on to treat patients referred to him by speech therapists and Family Doctors. He has also treated overseas patients and taught the technique to other willing practitioners, in a bid to improve the quality of sufferers lives and in the hope of avoiding invasive surgery.

“Osteopathy cured my daughter’s

GLUE EAR”

           Kerry Dobson describes how her Osteopath’s pioneering treatment cleared up her daughter’s recurring ear infections.

“Joely Dobson is a bubbly seven-year-old, who announces, “My ears have all gone now!” She is referring to the ear infections that plagued her early childhood.

 “She was only a few months old,” says Joely's mum, Kerry, “when she got a streaming cold. She was crying constantly and couldn't sleep. My GP diagnosed an acute ear infection and prescribed antibiotics.”

 “Over the next four years Joely's life became a cycle of colds and antibiotics. Not a month went by when she wasn't ill - the sleepless nights exhausted our family and it was awful to see her suffering.”

 Joely remembers it all too well. “My ears felt really sore and I was very frightened. I wanted it to go away.”

 “Joely was pumped full of drugs - and my GP isn't one to dish them out lightly,” says Kerry. “As a result of the antibiotics she developed thrush. It was such a shame, because she is naturally happy.”

 Joely was diagnosed as having glue ear, a condition that affects up to 40 per cent of children in the UK at some time, but varies in severity. Left untreated, it may continue into adult life and cause deafness. The problem starts when the mucus-secreting lining of the middle ear produces excess amounts of sticky fluid.

Normally, this would drain into the back of the nose, but when the tube gets blocked, fluid accumulates in the ear cavity, which causes infection and pain and impairs hearing. Mild cases are treated with ear drops then antibiotics. Sometimes patients may have a myringotomy operation: a small hole is made in the eardrum, and grommets (small, plastic tubes) are inserted to drain off the fluid. It's an uncomfortable business that may need more operations and carries a risk of damage. Joely was referred to a hospital, who advised an operation. “It was very hit and miss,” says Kerry. “They couldn't tell me why she had this condition. There was no guarantee the grommets would work, and I was really reluctant to put my Joely through it. But there seemed to be no alternative.” Then Kerry read about Tony Mathews, an osteopath in nearby Heme Bay. They visited him in August 1995.

 Tony noticed how tired she looked. “She had a greyish look and seemed lethargic,” he says.

The left ear had 60 per cent fluid behind the eardrum - like being at the bottom of a pool.

“Tony gave us a thorough consultation, going back to Joely's difficult birth,” says Kerry [Tony has found there may be a link between stressful births and glue ear].

“The treatment was to consist of a series of manipulations designed to drain away fluid. He said he would teach me to treat her at home”

 “Joely lay on her back, relaxed and still, while Tony cleared her lungs by applying gentle pressure to her chest. He worked on her neck, stroking downwards from the ear and across her face, using circular movements. All the time, he explained what he was doing.”

 Kerry treated Joely every day for 15 minutes. “After 12 days we saw Tony again, and were amazed to find that the fluid had disappeared from her ears. She was sleeping more soundly, was brighter and generally looked a lot better. It was a relief for us all. He saw her three times in that first month and we decided not to go ahead with the operation.”

 “Tony suggested Joely avoid mucus-forming dairy products. We cut out yeast and broke “good” bacteria capsules into her food to combat the thrush.”

“Joely has only been ill a couple of times since we first saw Tony, but subsequent treatments have resolved it and we've managed to steer clear of the antibiotics. There's been an amazing improvement. Now, whenever one of the girls gets a cold, I carry out the treatment, and I recommend it to other parents. It's so simple, but we've proved that it works!””