Ear Infections
Chiropractic Approach to Ear Infections
 Ear
problems can be excruciatingly painful, especially in children.
With 10 million new 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 otitis media is with
antibiotics, which can be effective if the culprit is bacterial
(antibiotics, of course, do nothing to fight off viruses). But,
according to many research studies, antibiotics are often not
much more effective than the body's own immune system. And
repeated doses of antibiotics can lead to drug-resistant
bacteria that scoff at the drugs, while leaving the child
screaming in pain.
Frequent ear infections are also the second most common reason
for surgery in children under 2 (with circumcision being the
first). In severe cases &mbash; for example, when fluids from an ear
infection haven't cleared from the ear after several months, and
hearing is affected &mbash; specialists sometimes prescribe myringotomy
and tympanostomy, more commonly known as "ear tubes." During the
surgical procedure, a small opening is made in the eardrum to
place a tube inside. The tube relieves pressure in the ear and
prevents repeated fluid buildup with the continuous venting of
fresh air. In most cases, the membrane pushes the tube out after
a couple of months and the hole in the eardrum closes. Although
the treatment is effective, it has to be repeated in some 20 to
30 percent of cases. And this kind of surgery requires general
anesthesia, never a minor thing in a small child. If the
infection persists even after tube placement and removal,
children sometimes undergo adenoidectomy (surgical removal of
the adenoids) &mbash; an option that is effective mostly through the
first year after surgery.
Before yet another round of
"maybe-they'll-work-and-maybe-they-won't" antibiotics or the
drastic step of surgery, more parents are considering
chiropractic to help children with chronic ear infections. 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. She'd like to see
her pilot study used as a basis for larger-scale trials of
chiropractic as a therapeutic modality for otitis media.
Dr. Fallon uses primarily upper-cervical manipulation on
children with otitis media, focusing particularly on the occiput,
or back of the skull, and atlas, or the first vertebra in the
neck. " Adjusting the occiput, in particular, will get the
middle ear to drain. Depending on how chronic it's been and on
where they are in their cycle of antibiotics, children generally
need to get through one bout of fluid and fight it off
themselves." That means, for the average child, between six and
eight treatments. "I'll do adjustments every day or every other
day for a couple of days if they're acute, and then decrease
frequency over time."
Dr. Fallon, whose research garnered her the acclaim of
childrearing magazines like Parenting and Baby Talk, often sees
great success when she treats a child for otitis media. "Once
they fight it themselves, my kids tend to do very well and stay
away from ear infections completely. Unless there are
environmental factors like smoking in the house, an abnormally
shaped Eustachian tube, or something like that, they do very
well," she says.
"I have two large pediatric groups that refer to me on a regular
basis. In the winter, when otitis is most prevalent, I see five
or six new children each week from each group," says Dr. Fallon.
"It's safe and effective and something that parents should try,
certainly before inserting tubes in their children's ears."
Chiropractic Care Can Help...
Talk to one of our doctors about your child's ear
infections. We are licensed and trained to diagnose and treat
patients of all ages and will use a gentler type of treatment
for children (see Pro-Adjuster under the
Services section). In addition, doctors of chiropractic can
also prescribe exercises designed to help children develop
strong muscles, along with instruction in good nutrition,
posture and sleeping habits.
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