Question
I had OMT done on my neck for headaches yesterday and last night i started getting a horrible ear ache with pain going down the side and front of my neck on the same side of the ear pain. The MD I work for looked at my ear but she said it looked fine. I am wondering if this pain is from the manipulation that i had when she cracked my neck. It feels like an ear ache and my neck hurts when i turn it, it also feels like its pulling on the muscles in my neck, it throbs. Is there something wrong?

Answer
Dear Sara,

It is impossible for me to know if there is "something wrong" in your case, but I can tell you that OMT is generally very safe and beneficial for headaches.  Your MD that you work for can help you to know if there are signs of any serious complications.  Most people do well with manipulation, although it is not uncommon to experience muscular tightness and inflammation following manipulation... so this is very likely what you experienced.

My only advise would be that you seek further manipulation therapy through a chiropractor and not a DO.  It is not that I dislike osteopaths. On the contrary, I know many DO doctors that are very capable physicians. The problem is that the profession, as a whole, typically does not practice manipulative therapeutic techniques as frequently as chiropractors do.  I, for example, perform thousands of joint manipulations every month, and my practice is quite typical.

I hope that this gives you some thoughts and ideas.

Keith Biggs, DC
http://www.eastmesachiropractor.com