How chiropractic Care Relates to Earache and Ear Infections

A pediatrician who determines that a child with an earache has a middle ear infection will normally prescribe antibiotics as a typical course of treatment. Advanced analysis, however, has ascertained that this is often imprudent. Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial pathogens, and because the child’s middle ear infection may be generated by a virus, antibiotics are ineffectual. This may be the explanation for a child’s chronic ear infections.

One of the many determinations that a Ventura chiropractor can make is whether the earache or ear infection is produced by irritation of the small nerves in the spine, called free nerve endings.

An abnormal tension in the small muscles of the neck is created when these nerve endings are irritated. Pressure created on the lymphatic drainage ducts as a result of muscle tension can prevent adequate drainage from inside the ear. This problem stops the body from naturally rectifying the problem. Additionally, balance can also be affected.

Inadequate drainage of lymphatic ducts can be discovered by a chiropractor if there is more tension in the neck and paraspinal muscles on the side with the earache. The chiropractor also looks for spinal vertebrae that are either marginally out of alignment or are not moving within their normal range. This problem may have been the result of any one of the many bangs, jolts and falls that almost all children undergo in the early years of their life. Restoration of normal lymph drainage is usually accomplished with a short regimen of treatments that include spinal adjustments and manipulation of the neck muscles. If your child is experiencing the pain of an earache or an ear infection, call your Ventura chiropractor as soon as possible.

Advanced Research and Guidelines

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), ear infection, the most prevalent childhood illness after 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) endorses the AAP on the guidelines and emphasizes that chiropractic management 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

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