Ear Pain? Call the Chiropractor!

If you have a young child you have probably been woken up in the night to find your wee one tugging on his ear. He hurts and you call your pediatrician who gets you in the next morning and starts your child on a course of antibiotics. Within a week your child feels great and you think nothing of it until it happens again.

Many parents are unaware of the variety of options available for the treatment of ear infections, the standard 10 day course of amoxicillin is looking less and less appealing. There is the hassle of medication, the recurrence of the ear infection, and the pain until the antibiotics work. More parents are choosing to call their chiropractor first!

Why Chiropractic for Ear Infections?

Quite simply...It works and it's safe. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a watch-and-wait approach, because the evidence-based research about antibiotics is showing that not only are they ineffective at treating ear infections, but they will actually lead to repeated ear infections in your child. In fact a new study published by the American Medical Association showed that antibiotics have little impact on child ear infections.

How Does It Work?

The chiropractic adjustment works by relaxing the neck muscles which allows the Eustachian tubes to drain properly. It rarely takes more than 1 visit. Studies have shown that regular chiropractic care can keep away recurring ear infections. Many children who have been told they needed tubes in their ears are able to avoid surgery, by visiting the chiropractor.

Is It Safe?

It is very safe. In fact, antibiotics have more serious side effects than the chiropractic adjustment including rashes, thrush, stomach aches, etc.

Aren't Antibiotics Just Easier?

Many would say they are (if you can get your child to take them and you remember every single day). However, most ear infections are viral, not bacterial which means that antibiotics won't help and can cause a lot of harm.

If antibiotics are used to treat viral infections such as colds, flu, etc; you body can become conditioned to the antibiotics and then they are less effective at treating bacteria later. Also, you run the risk of creating antibiotic resistant bacteria when you don't take the prescribed course of antibiotics. However, thousands of people die each year from antibiotic-resistant infections.

So next time, you are woken up in the middle of the night, speed dial your chiropractor instead of your pediatrician.