Ear Pain/Infections
Chiropractic adjustments do not treat or cure conditions or diseases rather, it is the reestablishment of normal body function by performing gentle spinal adjustments. These adjustments reduce stress related interference to the nervous system, thereby enhancing overall body function. Many parents seek chiropractic care for their children who suffer from chronic ear infections and ear pain. All systems of the body—muscular, glandular, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, intestinal, hormonal and immunological—depend on the optimal function of the nervous system. With chiropractic, we focus on nerve system function to enhance all the body’s systems.
Because many parents are unaware of the variety of options available for the treatment of ear infections it is important to know you have some options when your child comes down with ear pain or an ear infection. You can either treat the ear infection, or not—that’s your right as a parent. We are happy to report that even the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a watch-and-wait approach, because the evidence-based research about antibiotics is showing that not only are they ineffective at treating ear infections, but they can actually lead to repeated ear infections in your child.
If you choose to go the usual route, to a Pediatrician, and after taking a watch-and-wait approach with no improvement in your child’s condition, it is more than likely your Pediatrician will prescribe an antibiotic. If, however, you would prefer to treat the ear infections more naturally, there are still several options for you to consider. A Chiropractor will restore proper nerve function so that your child’s glandular and respiratory systems can heal the condition. A Naturopath will explore herbs and nutrition; a Homeopath will assess your child for a specific remedy; an Acupuncturist will work with specific meridian points for healing.
“It is so important that you as a parent realize you have choices,” Anonymous source said. “The right to make these choices for your family.”
“Regardless of the choices you make, the chiropractic approach will improve your child’s inherent ability to function,” Anonymous source said. “Doesn’t it make sense to have your child function at an optimal level for healing no matter how or if you choose to treat? We will assess your child’s spine, make the necessary adjustments to improve the nerve system function and offer lifestyle suggestions to reduce nerve system stress for your child. We will also support any decision you make in your choice to treat the infection or not. This is your right as a parent, and we stand behind informed choice.”
It is important that parents realize the role chiropractic plays in whole-body wellness. So, too, is it important for parents to know, when reading the following testimonials, that chiropractic adjustments have allowed these children to express a greater state of health and wholeness, and that their systems were able to overcome repeated infections because neuro-immunology function was restored.
Chiropractic Testimonials—The Best Thing We’ve Done!
1) “I started taking my 2-year-old daughter to the chiropractor as a last resort. She had had monthly ear infections for about nine months. We had recently scheduled surgery for her to have tubes put in, but it just didn’t feel right to put her through surgery without exhausting all of our other options.
Taking her to a chiropractor was the best thing we could have done for her! We canceled her surgery, and she has not had one ear infection since we started going. It’s a miracle, especially since she has had a couple of colds that would have definitely turned into ear infections without chiropractic care. We took her to the chiropractor immediately after she came down with her last cold, and the cold was practically gone the next day. We have also seen an improvement in my daughter’s temperament since we started care. She gets sick less often, and seems more content overall. I recommend chiropractic for anyone wanting to improve his or her overall health and well-being.”
Anonymous Source
2) “Last February my son spiked a fever and I brought him in to see our medical doctor. It was decided that he had an ear infection. He was put on antibiotics for 10 days. We followed the prescription and the fever and any other symptoms went away. As soon as he was done with the antibiotic, he spiked a fever again. So again we went to see the doctor. The doctor agreed that the infection came back. We went through this cycle for 8 rounds of antibiotics!!! Our doctor finally said that there was nothing else he could do for him and it was time to see a specialist to get tubes put in my son’s ears. My son turned one last March. That last appointment with the doctor was in June!! In the meantime, I was talking to some people at work and they asked if we had ever tried a chiropractor. I had never been to a chiropractor and so hadn’t thought of it. I called 3 local chiropractors to ask if they work on children and if chiropractic could help children with ear infections. They all said they worked with children and that they all have had great success with helping ear infections. We chose one of those 3 chiropractors. The chiropractor we chose uses the Gonstead method. I talked to our Pediatrician to see if we could wait to schedule the appointment with the specialist for a month because I wanted to try the chiropractor. He was fully supportive and said yes! We started chiropractic care for my son on June 13th and by the end of July when we went back to see our “medical” doctor, he was amazed that both of my son’s ears looked PERFECT!! He said to keep going to the chiropractor and that we would wait to see what happened. He said that the real test would be to see how my son did in October/November when ear infections tend to return. I am happy to say that my son is a regular chiropractic patient and he has not had another ear infection since last June.”
Anonymous Source
We wish all Pediatricians like the one mentioned above saw the value that chiropractic can bring to the health and well being of their patients.
So how does a chiropractic adjustment help this condition? Ear pain can be caused by a build up of fluid behind the ear drum in the eustation tube of the inner ear. This fluid causes pressure, inflammation and pain. This fluid can also become infected with bacteria. Why does this fluid collect there? One reason could be from a kink in the eustation tube caused by a cervical vertebre being misaligned which causes the muscles to pull on the tube causing a kink. An adjustment to the cervical vertebra corrects this condition instantly and allows normal drainage to happen. Many times parents are told the only way to avoid chronic ear infections is to place tubes through the ear drums of their child. This will prevent fluid from collecting but will also open up the inner ear which is a protected environment. There are also reports of scar tissue formation on the ear drum which could diminish hearing from the insertion of the tubes.
It is important to weight the pros and cons when we make decisions for our children’s healthcare. Do your homework and be informed. We are here to help and would be happy to answer any questions you may have on how chiropractic can help you and your family live optimally.
