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How can chiropractic help ear infections?

Do you want an alternative treatment that works for your child’s ear infections?

Ear problems can be excruciatingly painful, especially in children. With 10 million new cases every year, ear infections (otitis media) are the most common illness affecting babies and young children and the number one reason for visits to the pediatrician—accounting for more than 35 percent of all pediatric visits.

60% of children will have at least 1 ear infection by age 3. And what you may not know is that 80% of ear infections improve with no treatment at all. Unfortunately, many children are put on antibiotics prematurely and this is proven to increase the likelihood of ear infection recurrence as well as the spontaneous development of antibiotic-resistant strains of organisms.

The chiropractic adjustment, along with cranial techniques, sinus/lymphatic stripping, oral sweeping, and homeopathic remedies are very helpful in the treatment of ear infections and have NO SIDE EFFECTS. Our St. Paul Chiropractors are able to use their large toolbox of techniques to both shorten the duration of ear infections and lessen the symptoms.

The following is an excerpt from the American Chiropractic Association website:

Dr. Joan Fallon, a chiropractor who practices in Yonkers, New York, has published research showing that, after receiving a series of chiropractic adjustments, nearly 80 percent of the children treated were free of ear infections for at least the six-month period following their initial visits (a period that also included maintenance treatments every four to six weeks).

“Chiropractic mobilizes drainage of the ear in children, and if they can continue to drain without a buildup of fluid and subsequent infection, they build up their own antibodies and recover more quickly,” explains Dr. Fallon. She’d like to see her pilot study used as a basis for larger-scale trials of chiropractic as a therapeutic modality for otitis media.

Dr. Fallon uses primarily upper-cervical manipulation on children with otitis media, focusing particularly on the occiput, or back of the skull, and atlas, or the first vertebra in the neck. “Adjusting the occiput, in particular, will get the middle ear to drain. Depending on how chronic it’s been and on where they are in their cycle of antibiotics, children generally need to get through one bout of fluid and fight it off themselves.” That means, for the average child, between six and eight treatments. If a child’s case is acute, Dr. Fallon will check the ear every day, using a tympanogram to measure the ear and track the movement of the eardrum to make sure that it’s draining. “I’ll do adjustments every day or every other day for a couple of days if they’re acute, and then decrease frequency over time.”

Dr. Fallon, whose research garnered her the acclaim of childrearing magazines like Parenting and Baby Talk, often sees great success when she treats a child with otitis media. “Once they fight it themselves, my kids tend to do very well and stay away from ear infections completely. Unless there are environmental factors like smoking in the house, an abnormally shaped Eustachian tube, or something like that, they do very well,” she says.

“I have two large pediatric groups that refer to me on a regular basis. In the winter, when otitis is most prevalent, I see five or six new children each week from each group,” says Dr. Fallon. “It’s safe and effective and something that parents should try, certainly before inserting tubes in their children’s ears.”

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Author

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Dr. Laura Dronen

Dr. Dronen graduated in 2001 from Northwestern Health Sciences University with a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree. She enjoys treating families including children of all ages, pregnant women and those suffering from injuries (car accidents, work injuries, or sports injuries).

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