As a Wichita Chiropractor, Dr. Melody Shubert is happy to count a large number of children as patients in her chiropractic office. If you have children, you may already know that earache is the most prevalent basis for office visits to a pediatrician. By the age of three years, more than 70 percent of children will have had at least one episode of earache, and about a third will have had three or more occurrences. It may be surprising, however, that earache is also the most widespread reason for children under the age of five years to be escorted by parents to the chiropractor’s office. That’s right. Many parents prefer chiropractic treatment for their children’s earaches because it is natural, non-invasive, and drug-free. Here’s why chiropractic care is effective:

When a child with an earache is determined to have a middle ear infection by the pediatrician, the general treatment involves a course of antibiotics. Advanced research, however, has ascertained that this type of treatment is often imprudent. The basis for the child’s middle ear infection may not be due to bacteria, and since antibiotics are only effective against bacterial pathogens, quite often there will be no positive result. This is because numerous cases of middle ear infection can be generated by a virus, and viruses do not respond to antibiotics. This may explain why children develop chronic ear infections.

One of the intentions of Dr. Shubert is to determine whether or not the body’s inability to combat the earache or ear infection is due to inflamation of the small nerves in the spine (called free nerve endings). An aberrant tension in the small muscles of the neck is created when these nerve endings are irritated. This muscle tension can place pressure on the lymphatic drainage ducts resulting in inadequate drainage from inside the ear, thus preventing the body from being able to naturally fix the problem. Furthermore, balance can also be affected.

Inadequate drainage of lymphatic ducts can be identifed by a proficient chiropractor, like your Chiropractor in Wichita, if there is elevated tension in the neck and paraspinal muscles on the side with the earache. In addition, your chiropractor will palpate to see which spinal vertebrae are either moderately out of alignment or not moving within their normal range. This problem may have been the result of any one of the variety of bangs, jolts and falls that almost all children experience in the early years of their life. Frequently, a short series of spinal adjustments and manipulation of the neck muscles can help to restore normal lymph drainage.

Advanced Research and Guidelines

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), ear infection, the most prevalent childhood disease second only to the common cold, accounts for nearly 30 million doctor visits each year. In addition, at least 6 million courses of antibiotics are unnecessarily prescribed for the affliction.  Just recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new guidelines for treating pediatric ear inflammation, and specifically recommended a period of “watchful waiting” since, in many cases, infections clear up on their own, without medication.

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) applauds the AAP on the guidelines and emphasizes that chiropractic care is a “good first option” for treating ear infection conservatively. “Doctors of chiropractic have been treating children for decades with great success – helping them to avoid painful ear infections, antibiotic overuse and resistance, and ear tube surgery,” said ACA President Donald Krippendorf, DC. “Particularly when dealing with young children, drugs and surgery should be an absolute last resort.”

If your child is suffering from an earache or an ear infection, contact Dr. Melody Shubert, your Wichita Chiropractor, as soon as possible.

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