Is Chiropractic Care The Answer To Your Child’s Ear Infection?

“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. A lot of parents seek a treatment of ear infections. Firstly, you should consult your family medical doctor to get an opinion and find out about medical options. 

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 an option available and in our office is rapidly gaining acceptance and popularity as people are educated about how the inner ear is related to the spine.

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 offers:

Advice and Care of Children with Ear Infections

Firstly, “Chiropractic is not a treatment for any specific condition, but the good news is that when the spine is an the proper alignment your child’s body can heal from a lot of things. I have helped many patients with ear related issues. I see a lot of children and families in our clinic. Families commonly will seek Chiropractic for treatment of a specific condition. The full body works better when your joints have motion and no interference to healing.” – Dr. Brock Van Dyke.

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 surgical form of care.

Your little one’s spine may be moved out of alignment from the birthing process, or from any number of spills he or she takes learning to walk, run, or navigate stairs. Dr. Brock Van Dyke, Chiropractor can map out a care plan that includes gentle adjustments of the child’s spine. 

Is it a painless option?

I hear that, 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 Dr. Brock. During a chiropractic visit, the child will participate in adjustments that in most circumstances are pain free. The adjustment force is very low. The amount of pressure you would use to test if a tomato is ripe is all the amount of pressure it takes to adjust and infants spine. I have seen, the adjustments will be able to reduce the pain in a short amount of time in many instances.

Does it treat 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. 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.

I have seen Chiropractic continue to show promise in caring for children. If you are looking for a option that, even our patients have reported, 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. Dr. Brock Van Dyke is here to help!