Earache is the most widespread basis for office visits to pediatricians. More than 70 percent of children will have had not less than one earache by the age of three, and almost one-third will have had three or more earache occurrences. Although, what might be surprising is that earache is also the most general basis for children under the age of five years to be escorted by parents to the chiropractor’s office.
How Chiropractic Care Relates to Earache and Ear Infections
When a child who has an earache is determined to have a middle ear infection by the pediatrician, the standard treatment involves a course of antibiotics. New study, 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 because antibiotics are only effective against bacterial pathogens, frequently there will be no positive response. This is because numerous cases of middle ear infection can be caused by a virus, and viruses do not respond to antibiotics. This may account for why children develop chronic ear infections.
One of the many determinations that a Honolulu chiropractor can make is whether the earache or ear infection is created by irritation of the small nerves in the spine, called free nerve endings.
An undue tension in the small muscles of the neck is caused when these nerve endings are inflammed. This muscle tension can produce pressure on the lymphatic drainage ducts resulting in inadequate drainage from inside the ear, hence preventing the body from its ability to naturally correct the problem. Additionally, balance can also be affected.
Inadequate drainage of lymphatic ducts can be discovered by a chiropractor if there is elevated tension in the neck and paraspinal muscles on the side with the earache. The chiropractor also checks for spinal vertebrae that are either moderately out of alignment or are not moving within their normal range. There are a variety of reasons for such acondition due to the many bangs, jolts, and falls almost all children undergo growing up. Restoration of normal lymph drainage is most often accomplished with a short series of treatments that include spinal adjustments and manipulation of the neck muscles. If your child is suffering from an earache or an ear infection, see your Honolulu chiropractor as soon as possible.
Advanced Research and Guidelines
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), ear infection, the most frequent childhood sickness second only to the common cold, accounts for nearly 30 million doctor visits every year. Furthermore, 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) commends the AAP on the guidelines and emphasizes that chiropractic treatment 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.”
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