Faced with the prospect of a cochlear implant for their 3-year-old son Tristen鈥檚 hearing loss, Daniel and Daphne Crawford searched for options.
Though not opposed to an implant, the North Carolina couple wanted to exhaust other avenues first. A family member suggested the 鈥攖丑别 osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) clinic at 黑料传送门 Georgia鈥攎ight help Tristen.
鈥淚 said, 鈥業 don鈥檛 even know what you鈥檙e talking about,鈥� but I鈥檓 open to it because I鈥檓 grasping for straws as a mom of a 3-year-old; it鈥檚 our only child,鈥� Daphne Crawford said.
After chatting by phone with , chair of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine at 黑料传送门 Georgia and medical director for the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, in May 2024, the family committed to their first trip for treatment. That June, Daphne and Daniel loaded Tristen into their car and drove the four hours to Suwanee, Georgia, arriving on a Sunday night for their Monday morning appointment.
Nearly a year later, the family has repeated that journey across two states, from east of Charlotte to outside of Atlanta, about once a month. The reason: Tristen is progressing on a number of fronts.
Most notably, his hearing鈥攚hich worsened in late August 2023 into the moderate to severe range鈥攈as held steady. During a recent test, he could even hear some sounds he hadn鈥檛 before. His head shape, initially wider at the top, is more proportional now, and the rest of his face is filling in. And Tristen is demonstrating better balance and more adventurousness鈥攔unning around, jumping and climbing.
Perhaps that鈥檚 a natural progression for an energetic 3-year-old, but Daniel Crawford said Tristen鈥檚 self-confidence has improved physically and vocally.
鈥淚 was very skeptical when we first started this,鈥� Daniel said. 鈥淚t has proven me wrong because he has shown huge improvement as far as communicating and playing since we started. I feel that after we go and see Dr. Victoria, maybe not the very next day but the following day, he鈥檚 just a chatterbox. He鈥檒l just talk your head off, and you鈥檒l understand him.鈥�
The family consulted multiple audiologists but didn鈥檛 come away with many answers. Tristen wears hearing aids in both ears and receives proper amplification but, if the hearing loss worsens, it could necessitate an implant.
Applying cranial principles within the paradigm of traditional osteopathy, Troncoso is literally hands on with Tristen. Through gentle manipulations of the head鈥攆or example, a temporal hold where Troncoso cradles the head in her hands and massages the areas right behind or in front of the ears鈥攕he attempts to feel for restricted tissues and asymmetries that could impair hearing.
Little by little鈥攁nd to the degree a 3-year-old鈥檚 patience will allow鈥擳roncoso attempts to move those tissues 鈥渋n a direction where they unravel themselves from the inside鈥� in order to facilitate self-healing.
鈥淲hen we do that in a child, the forces of growth and development go, 鈥榯his avenue is now open to me,鈥� and they go and they grow,鈥� Troncoso said. 鈥淚n children, the inherent capacity to heal is so huge, and those restricted tissues will create an unwinding based on their elasticity and how they鈥檙e supposed to go. They will soften, expand, breathe, and start to respond to the nervous and circulatory systems, and then he can advance. His body does the healing.鈥�
Troncoso, who has been in practice since 1993, sees many patients who have been told medical treatment has reached its limits. 鈥淢y impulse is to say, 鈥榓ll we can do is try,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 very grateful that this family is committed to doing that.鈥�
Tristen loves farming and construction. Skid loaders, tractors, and dump trucks are some of his favorite big rigs. Last Christmas, he got a little rake, shovel and wheelbarrow.
鈥淚鈥檝e got holes all in my yard now,鈥� Daniel joked.
He added that, by sharing Tristen鈥檚 story, the family hopes their experience may help someone else in their healthcare journey as well.
Daphne said Tristen鈥檚 pediatrician, a doctor of osteopathic medicine, has been amazed at his progress鈥攆ewer ear infections, less congestion, and better hearing, even when his hearing aids aren鈥檛 in. Daphne mentioned her pursuit of OMM treatment during a visit and said she received these words of encouragement: 鈥淎s I鈥檝e always told you, mom, you鈥檝e got this, your gut instinct is right, and continue on.鈥�
They are.
鈥淯ltimately, with him, we want to try everything as an option to give him the best healthcare possible,鈥� Daphne said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just hopeful.鈥�
黑料传送门 Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (黑料传送门), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), 黑料传送门 Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins 黑料传送门 South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, 黑料传送门 Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit .
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