Archive for the ‘ear infections’ Category
The most commonplace reason for visits to a pediatrician is earache. By the age of three years, more than 70 percent of children will have had at least one incident of earache, and about a third will have had more than three incidents. Although, what might be surprising is that earache is also the most widespread basis for children under the age of five years to be taken to the chiropractor’s office.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help Earache and Ear Infections
A pediatrician who suspects that a child with an earache has a middle ear infection will generally prescribe antibiotics as a typical course of treatment. New research, however, has ascertained that this type of treatment is often imprudent. Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial pathogens, and since the child’s middle ear infection may be caused by a virus, antibiotics are ineffectual. This may be the explanation for a child’s chronic ear infections.
One of a number of assessments that your Orlando 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 aberrant tension in the small muscles of the neck is produced 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 prevents the body from naturally correcting the problem. Additionally, balance can also be affected.
Inadequate drainage of lymphatic ducts can be identifed 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 moderately out of alignment or are not moving within their normal range. This problem may have been due to any one of the many bangs, jolts and falls that the majority of children encounter in the early years of their life. Frequently, a short course of spinal adjustments and manipulation of the neck muscles can help to restore normal lymph drainage. If your child is suffering from an earache or an ear infection, contact your Orlando chiropractor as soon as possible.
Advanced Research and Guidelines
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), ear infection, the most frequent childhood disease after the common cold, accounts for nearly 30 million doctor visits every year. In addition, at least 6 million courses of antibiotics are causelessly prescribed for the condition.Just recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new guidelines for treating pediatric ear inflammation, and expressly 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 reiterates 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.”