Ear Infections

Ear infections may be common, but they’re not normal.

No wonder reoccurring ear infections (otitis media) account for a huge number of pediatrician visits. The traditional approaches include:

• Antibiotic therapy. This may be effective for acute bacterial infections, but many cases are viral, for which antibiotics are useless.

• Tubes in the ears. Surgical implantation of artificial drainage tubes require the administration of a risky anesthesia and then, they often come out!1

However, many parents are choosing a more conservative approach:

Chiropractic care. A thorough examination to locate, and adjustments to reduce, nerve disturbances that may make the ears prone to infection.

Our bodies have an incredible capacity to fight infection. When that ability is impaired, it means something else is going on. With our focus on the integrity of the nervous system, we start there.

Nerve Compromise

It surprises many to learn that some of the nerves that control, regulate and monitor the ear begin in the brain stem, continue down the spinal cord and exit out from between the bones of the spinal column.

Changes to the function of the bones in the upper neck may compromise the quality of the nerve signals to and from the brain. Obviously, this can affect the ability of any organ or tissue, in this case your child’s ear, to “defend itself” from infection.

Impaired Drainage

Nerve compromise is often accompanied by abnormal tension to the muscles that support the spine. Besides “protecting” the spine from further compromise, these muscle spasms can exert pressure on nearby lymphatic drainage ducts. This prevents natural drainage, further compounding the problem.

What We Do

Our approach is simple. Since chiropractic care isn’t a treatment for infections of any type, when parents bring their child for us to check, we look specifically for distortions in the upper spine. If nerve tension is detected, we gently reduce it with safe and natural chiropractic adjustments. This helps restore nervous system integrity. For a child or infant, this usually requires little more than a light touch with our fingertip at just the right place and direction.

1 Kalcioglu MT, et.al. Follow-up of 366 ears after tympanostomy tube insertion Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2003 Apr;128(4):560-4