Does Your Child Suffer from Swimmer’s Ear?

Is your son or daughter having recurring ear infections that won’t go away? Why are they so common and is there anything that can be done to help prevent them? Chiropractic is one of the best kept secrets in health care and is a great alternative for improvement in your child’s health, especially when it comes to nerve interference that may be playing a role with your child’s otitis media (also known as ear infections). Sometimes the neck becomes misaligned during the birthing process, or during the early years of life, which puts stress and strain on the neck,^1,2 causing subtle nerve dysfunction. This is a very under-publicized problem in today’s society and in a study by Gutmann,³ up to 80% of all newborns had nerve dysfunction, which can affect the health and function of the newborn. As a result, this can put mechanical tension in the upper neck region,¹ decrease blood flow to the brain, and compromise the eustachian tubes, becoming fertile ground for ear infections. As an infant/young child, the eustachian tubes are more horizontal and do not allow our inner ears to drain as well. As we grow older, our eustachian tubes slant downwards, allowing our ears to drain more easily. Kids are more susceptible to these misalignments in their spine because their bones are not fully formed and fall on average 2,500 times just learning how to walk.⁴  This is important because our nervous system controls and coordinates all other functions in our body, and 65% of our neurological development occurs in our first year of life.⁵ An eighteen-year study of 4,600 cases of upper respiratory infections in a core group of 100 families found that when spinal motion was restricted in the upper neck area, ear infections occurred. When spinal motion was restored, further complications did not occur/develop.⁶

How exactly do we treat infants and children with subluxations in their spine? First, we have to determine if they have a subluxation or not with a noninvasive exam. If they do, we apply very light, gentle pressures to realign the spine. Adjusting infants and kids varies greatly from adjusting adults. At Spineology Chiropractic, we never twist or crack anyone’s spine, we use a gentle approach to achieve spinal correction so you and your family can achieve healthier lives.

Resources:

1. Biedermann H. Kinematic Imbalances Due to Suboccipital Strain in Newborns. Manuelle Medizin. 1992;6:151-6
2. Towbin A. Latent Spinal Cord and Brain Stem Injury in Newborn Infants. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1969;11:54-68.
3. Gutmann G. Blocked Atlantal nerve syndrome in Babies and Infants. Manuelle Medizin. 1987;25:5-10
4. Del Rosso J. (2004). Boosting Immunity through Chiropractic. Online. Available: http://bizmonthly.com/61998focus/delrosso.html. [2005]
5. Chestnut J DC. the 14 Foundational Premises for Scientific and Philosophical Validation of Chiropractic Wellness Paradigm. Canada: Chestnut Wellness and Chiropractic Corporation; 2003
6. Phillips N. Vertebral Subluxation and Otitis Media; a case study. J Chiro Research and Clin Investigation. 1992;8:38.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this information is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this newsletter. As a chiropractor we do not treat otitis media, we treat subluxations in the spine to help the body function better and heal faster.