Jennifer Matthews: The sounds of childhood were often missed by 5 year-old Joshua.
Allergies and recurrent ear infections affected his hearing. Standard treatments didn't help.
Elaine Banks: The tubes would fall out, and then they'd have to have more surgery, have more tubes placed, and you were on a downward spiral of surgery and tubes, and the child still had the allergies, and the allergies were not treated.
Jennifer Matthews: His mom, Elaine, was not willing to let Joshua miss out on his childhood. He needed verbal and social skills to thrive, so she enrolled him in a study at Oklahoma State University.
Doctor Miriam Mills performs a series of osteopathic manipulations on Josh that start at the hip and work their way up to the head.
Miriam Mills: Part of why he has problems with draining is that the base of his skull, where the venous drainage all drains out, is compressed and irritated and tight.
Jennifer Matthews: Joshua showed improvement after the very first treatment. He no longer needs antibiotics. Doctor Mills credits this hands-on approach.
Miriam Mills: I think my criteria for using antibiotics or for sending somebody for surgery are the same as they always were. It's just that I just don't seem to have the same need to do these things.
Jennifer Matthews: They're results that are exciting for parents, too.
Elaine Banks: I have a child that can communicate, that has his whole demeanor has changed. He's happy. He doesn't have that frustration.
Jennifer Matthews: And Joshua no longer dreads his doctor's appointments. This is Jennifer Matthews reporting.
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