Ear Infections
Chiropractic adjustments for ear infections are safe and effective. One study has shown that 80 percent of children who received a series of adjustments for this disorder remained symptom-free for at least 6 months. Adults, who suffer from ear infections much more rarely, can also be successfully treated by chiropractors. Chiropractic adjustment of the upper cervical spine, focused primarily on the back of the skull, known as the occiput, and the first vertebra of the neck, known as the atlas, causes the middle ear to drain. Without medication, the patient's own immune system is mobilized and strengthened and the patient's own antibodies are built up, making fending off future infections more likely.
It may take six to eight sessions of chiropractic treatment for the ear infection to be completely cured. If the symptoms are acute, these treatments can take place every day, or every other day, and will usually begin to provide some relief immediately. Many chiropractors check the ears daily with a tympanogram to assure that the eardrum is moving properly and that infected fluid continues to drain. The frequency of treatment sessions decrease as the patient improves.
Advantages of Chiropractic Care for Ear Infections
Ear infections are a very common and very painful ailment in young children. Pediatricians frequently treat them with antibiotics. There are several reasons that this may not be wise: antibiotics are not appropriate if the infections are viral; patients may have serious allergies to antibiotics; even when an antibiotic cures a particular ear infection, the likelihood of recurrence is high; and the overuse of antibiotics results in the development of strains of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
When children experience repeated infections, surgery to implant drainage tubes is typically suggested. Surgery for young children, particularly when performed under general anesthesia, always carries an element of risk. Because of these drawbacks to conventional medical treatment, more and more parents are turning to chiropractic medicine to treat their children's ear infections.