Otitis Media (Ear Infection)

Otitis media is an infection of the inner ear. It is estimated that over 70% of children suffer from otitis media at some point in their life. An earache can result when the eustachian tube – which connects the middle ear with the throat – enlarges and becomes inflamed. This inflammation prevents proper drainage.

The ear drum in a child is angled in a horizontal manner, whereas in an adult it is angled more inferior to allow proper drainage. Fluids can become trapped behind the eardrum, often putting painful pressure on the inner ear canal. A common treatment is the use of oral antibiotics. But, as most parents can attest and and some research shows, this treatment is often ineffective. In fact, the use of amoxicillin and other antibiotics can actually prolong the problem and increase its recurrence by creating drug-resistant germs. The most drastic treatment approach involves the placement of small tubes in the eardrum to drain the middle ear. This treatment carries the general risk of anesthesia. Results can be short-lived, may produce scar tissue, invite infection, and do not address the real cause of the problem.

Instead, more and more parents are seeking chiropractic care for their children. Chiropractors evaluate a child for spinal problems in the upper cervical area that could affect the nerve supply to the ears. Chiropractic adjustments can help restore the integrity of the nervous system by removing subluxations. A study in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic in Pediatrics evaluated three hundred children, most of whom had experienced several infections occurring less than six months apart. Children with mild infections were given three to five treatments to cervical vertebrae. The infections in these treated children cleared in an average of seven to nine days.

Most notable, however, is that six months after their initial visit, 80 percent of the children had not suffered a recurrence. During this time, some children received three to four maintenance adjustments, others required none (as determined by the practitioner). Chiropractors apply extremely light pressure, therefore your child should feel no discomfort during the spinal adjustments, Chiropractic care doesn’t treat earaches, but it often revives the body’s own inborn natural healing ability without drugs or surgery.