Chiropractic Care for Ear Infections
One of the worst and most helpless feelings a parent can ever have is to hold their little boy or girl while they cry uncontrollably due to the severe pain of an ear infection. Unfortunately, most children will have one or more ear infections in their early years. Actually, they are the number one reason for children’s visits to a chiropractor.
What Are AND What Causes Ear Infections (Otitis Media)
Otitis Media is the buildup of fluids in the middle ear. This allows a perfect environment for bacteria and even viruses to thrive. Without proper drainage of these fluids, pressure builds against the eardrum causing a horrible pain in the ear.
Ear infections are most common in children up to the age of 6 and usually follow a head cold or stuffy nose. The primary reason these young ones are more at risk is due to their developing anatomy. The Eustachian Tube, the part of the ear that is responsible for draining fluids from the middle ear into the nasal cavity, is mostly horizontal in young children. As the child’s skull grows or elongates it forces the tubes into a more angled position thus allowing for easier drainage.
Fortunately, most ear infections are self limiting and short lived. However, many children suffer for years with chronic and reoccurring infections. Many parents want to know how to bring relief to their child’s ear infections naturally, without recurrent antibiotic intake or more invasive ear tubing procedures. “What can be done?” Chiropractic may be your answer.
An encouraging study published by Dr. Joan M. Fallon, D.C. in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics shows a positive correlation between chiropractic care and the resolution of ear infections. The study involved 332 children, up to age 5, with chronic and reoccurring ear infections. Each child in the study received regular chiropractic care for a period of six months. The results? Nearly 80% of the children not only recovered from their current ear infection but they also did not experience a recurrence with in the six month period of the trial.
How Does Chiropractic Treatment Help Ear Infections?
During normal childhood behavior, cervical vertebrae can and do become misaligned. This may cause a disruption or interference of proper nerve function to the child’s ear and surrounding musculature, which can affect the drainage of fluids that cause the pressure and pain. By correcting these misalignments, through the use of gentle spinal adjustments, nerve function is restored and the child’s body and its own immune system have the opportunity to function properly and heal itself.
The Chiropractors at Pro Chiropractic have seen evidence of chiropractic treatments providing relief and even long-term resolution of ear infection symptoms over and over again in many of their young patients through many years of experience. If your child suffers from chronic ear infections, you owe it to yourself and your child to give chiropractic care a try. We invite you to discuss Safe and Gentle Chiropractic treatments for Ear Infections with our Bozeman and Belgrade Chiropractic Doctors today!
Dr. William Bradley is the author of this blog, which is brought to you as an educational service of Pro Chiropractic. As a practicing Chiropractic Physician for nearly 25 years, Dr. Bradley has genuine compassion, a wealth of experience, and countless pleased patients in the local area. he wishesthe best in health and wellness for your family.