EAR EQUALIZATION DISORDER
RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Divers who experience difficulty or inability to equalize their inner-ears suffer pain and possible injury known as barotrauma. We are researching the idea that specific vertebral manipulation has a positive effect in correcting inner-ear equalization disorders.

If you experience difficulty or inability to equalize the inner-ear during scuba diving descent, or you know someone who has this challenge, please contact Dr. Page Crow, research director.

Individuals encouraged to participate include divers who have a history of difficulty to ear equalize. Divers with previous history of barotrauma are also encouraged to participate in this study. Divers who experience pain in their middle or inner ear during diving descent qualify.

Research protocol shall include independent medical examination of the inner-ear to rule out anatomical causation. Subjective diver experience will be recorded. A licensed dive instructor will accompany the subject to confirm current inability to ear equalize. The experimental group will be examined by a licensed chiropractor for cervical spine vertebral subluxation complex. If VSC is determined to exist, chiropractic treatment will be administered and documented. A therapeutic trial treatment protocol of six chiropractic treatments (adjustments) will be delivered 2x\week for three weeks. The diver\patient will then be re-introduced into the water to determine if they can now ear equalize. A control group will be employed and double-blind placebo-controlled technique will be utilized.

Many people take up the hobby of scuba diving, but discontinue due to inability to ear equalize. Likewise, whole families give up the sport of diving when one family member cannot participate. The would-be diver misses out on the rich experience of underwater exploration. The negative economic impact to the dive industry and travel industry can be imagined.

Is it possible that chiropractic vertebral treatments represent a non-drug and non-surgical treatment for ear equalization disorders? Chiropractic adjustments are less expensive and less toxic than pharmaceutical drugs. Also, chiropractic treatments are less hazardous than invasive surgical techniques into the inner-ear.

Page Crow DC
August 1994