Is Chiropractic Care the Answer to Your Child’s Chronic Ear Infections?
Is Chiropractic Care the Answer to Your Child’s Chronic Ear Infections?
“Mom, it hurts. It hurts!”
Parents of children suffering from ear infections are all too familiar with this cry. Tugging at their ears, crying, and trouble sleeping are all signs of an ear infection in your little one.
Children are more susceptible to ear infections than adults because of their smaller Eustachian tubes, and their less effective immune systems. Unfortunately, chronic ear infections can quickly become a painful, ongoing problem.
Parents have a variety of options at their disposal to treat their child’s ear infections. Drops, antibiotics, and ventilation tubes placed by surgical procedure are all commonly used treatments for chronic infections. Chiropractic care is another option available and is rapidly gaining acceptance and popularity for the effective treatment of ear infections.
According to HealthyChild.com, ear infections are the reason for 35% of pediatrician visits, and ear pain is the number one reason a child visits a chiropractor. Children who suffer from recurring ear infections benefit from chiropractic care in several ways that are not available through other, more traditional forms of treatment.
Here are a few of the benefits chiropractic care offer for ear infections are:
It is non-invasive
Unlike the surgical procedure that is often used to combat ear infections by inserting tubes in the child’s ears, chiropractic adjustments provide a non-invasive form of treatment.
This treatment option works well because a little one’s spine may be moved out of alignment from the birthing process, or from any number of spills he or she makes learning to walk, run, or navigate stairs. An experienced chiropractor can map out a treatment plan that includes gentle adjustments of the child’s neck and spine. The goal is to decrease fluid build up within the ear canals that bring on ear infections and pain.
It is a painless option of treatment
The last thing parents want in any medical treatment is to cause their child more pain. A negative experience at a doctor’s office can create a fear that lasts for years to come.
Children with ear infections have nothing to fear from visiting a chiropractor. During a chiropractic visit, the child will participate in adjustments that are pain free. The treatments will be able to reduce the pain in a short amount of time in many instances, and reduce the chance of dealing with another ear infection down the road.
It treats the underlying cause
Other options of treatment may decrease the symptoms of an ear infection, but never get to the actual root issue. Chiropractic care strives to return the body in its entirety to its normal function.
This is the main building block concept for chiropractic in general. By re-aligning the spine, the body as a whole can be healthier and more resistant to infection and disease. Chiropractic care helps adjust the child’s body back to a normal state, thus providing a way for it to heal itself and fight off future ear (and other) infections better than simply using drops and antibiotics.
If your child is susceptible to ear infections, there are steps you can take to minimize the chances of an occurrence in the first place. Frequent hand washing to prevent the spread of germs and avoiding cigarette smoke are two simple ways to combat ear infections.
Chiropractic treatment continues to show promise in treating the underlying issues that cause a child to suffer from ear infections. If you are looking for a treatment that is pain free, not intimidating to the child, and an alternative to invasive surgery, enlisting the help of a chiropractor is a fantastic option.
So if your child is experiencing chronic ear infections, give us a call. Our Doctor of Chiropractic is here to help!
