Ear problems can be excruciatingly painful, especially in children. With 10 million new US 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.

Almost half of all children will have at least one middle ear infection before they're a year old, and two-thirds of them will have had at least one such infection by age 3. The symptoms can include ear pain, fever, and irritability. Otitis media can be either bacterial or viral in origin, and frequently results from another illness such as a cold. For many children, it can become a chronic problem, requiring treatment year after year, and putting the child at risk of permanent hearing damage and associated speech and developmental problems.

Standard treatment for most cases of ear infection is with antibiotics, and painkillers,  however repeated doses of antibiotics can lead to drug-resistant bacteria that scoff at the drugs, while leaving the child screaming in
pain and with a weakened immune system.

A landmark study published in Pediatrics has shown that treating ear infections with antibiotics has no benefit when compared to doing nothing (McCormick 2005). This study of 233 children should finally prove that antibiotics are not necessary or beneficial in the management of nonsevere ear infections. Even when no treatment was utilized there was no significant difference in outcome.

Compare this to a Chiropractic study Froehle 1996) that found that with Chiropractic Care "93% of all episodes improved, 75% in 10 days or fewer and 43% with only one or two treatments". Interestingly, children with a history of past antibiotic use was associated with a less favorable outcome.

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

It's safe and effective and something that parents should try, definitely before inserting tubes in their children's ears.  Giving your child the chance to fight off infection for themselves will allow kids to stay away from recurrent infections in the future.

Here at Dynamic Family Chiropractic we can check your child's spine and help give them a head start in good health and all the benefits of a conservative, drugless approach to health care. A chiropractic exam during the first year of a child’s life is crucial!

(Froehle RM J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1996 (Mar-Apr); 19 (3): 169-177)

By Randall Neustaedter OMD, LAc, CCH | Published  08/11/2005 | Diseases and Conditions: Prevention and Treating |