An Earful: The Endonasal Technique

An Earful: The Endonasal Technique

Dr. Melanie Brown

Originally published in The Mountain Times on 08/02/22

Who would like to volunteer?

In the room full of chiropractic students, eyes were down. Dr. Lester Lamm had just explained the “endonasal technique.” Most students probably thought, “That sounds intense. No way!”

We had just heard the impactful account of how Dr. Lamm’s hearing and, subsequently, his academic career were saved by this technique. The story goes that Dr. Lamm was having trouble hearing his teachers in chiropractic school and, despite sitting in the front row, was so unable to understand his instructors that in frustration and defeat, he decided to withdraw from the program.

After administrators heard his reasoning, they sent him to Dr. Appa Anderson in the student health clinic. She performed the endonasal procedure on him, restoring his hearing and allowing him to continue with the program.

Later in his career, he had a clinic where people would come from all over to receive this treatment. When I was a student, he took time out of his duties as the college’s academic dean to teach it to us.

A brave volunteer steps forward

I hesitantly raised my hand. It was an excellent opportunity to experience and learn the treatment from one of the best.

I lay on the table in front of a circle of students and opened my mouth as wide as possible. Suddenly, I felt a gloved finger reach into the back of my mouth above my tonsils, sweep my eustachian tube, and then out again. I immediately teared up and turned my head back and forth, opening and closing my jaw, plugging my nose, and blowing. I could feel things moving and my ears popping. It was intense, but under the care of a skillful practitioner, it wasn’t too bad!

Indications for using the endonasal procedure

But why would we use this technique? Hearing can be affected by scar tissue or congestion in the eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the inside of the mouth and is instrumental in pressure and fluid release in the ear.

The eustachian tube can become partially blocked over time or after an upper respiratory infection. This blockage can cause the hearing to sound muffled — like you are underwater (rather than the volume being turned down). It can also cause problems with ears not popping with elevation and pressure changes when flying, driving, or swimming.

The endonasal technique produces results

Over years of practice, I have seen miraculous results from the endonasal technique. One patient brought her elderly mother to the office after she experienced sudden hearing loss after an illness. After undergoing this technique, I asked how she was feeling. She said, “OK,” and her daughter said, “You could hear that!?!”

The next time I saw the daughter, she told me that her mom was happy that she could listen to the radio again, and they could walk and talk without having to stop and turn to each other to understand.

Another patient, Immediately after treatment, exclaimed, “I can hear the ceiling fan and people speaking in the lobby!”

So, I am thankful for doctors like Dr. Anderson and Dr. Lamm, who taught the endonasal procedure to next-generation doctors. Even though they have both passed, their contributions live on!

Have you experienced unexplained hearing loss? We’d be happy to see if an endonasal procedure is appropriate for your case. Schedule an appointment today at PURE LIFE CLINIC and MOUNTAIN LIFE CLINIC.