toddlers and chiropractors???????

[HALEY]

Ok i am willing to try anything, my friend told me to take Micah to a Chiropractor for his ear infections? Has anyone tried this before? Do you think i should??
Im ready to try anything at this point, i am so sick of the ear infections??

[DianaB]

Hmmm.......I've never heard of that for ear infections but it probably wouldn't hurt. Did your friend do this with her kids or does she know of someone that has done this? You could always call the chiropractor and talk to them about it and see what they think before you schedule an appointment.

[HALEY]

I just called my mothers chiropractor and got both of us an appointment for the 28th, she said her son even goes there for ear infections and that most of the toddlers go there to relieve the pressure from ear infections, Diana i am so desperate i'll try anything right now, i read a lot of articles at lunch time and im going to give it a shot. Plus im cutting down on his sugar intake and milk and get him a mult-vit. also..

[paula1961]

Haley I am so sorry that little Micah is having such bad ear problems. Bless his heart! I have never heard of using a chiropractor for ear problems but I certainly would give it a try. It couldn't hurt. Let us know what they say when you go. Thoughts and prayers headed your way for Micah

[Janet]

Haley...it just makes me so sad that so many children are suffering from ear infections nowadays. I don't understand it. Ear infections hurt so bad. Poor Micah...I hope and pray sweetie that it works...couldn't hurt I guess. Make sure you ask when he should go back so he won't get them..don't wait until he gets another one.

[gja1000]

I wonder if he has allergies??? Has he been tested?

A chiropractor cured my husbands stomach disorder when no MD could figure out what it was. My husband had pain and diarrhea for 6 months and after 2 visits the pain was gone - I kid you NOT! I went to a chiropractor with my rotator cuff injury after going to a regular doctor and 3 months of physical therapy. I had to go to the chiropractor for about 3 months, but my shoulder is completely healed now.

I say, give it a shot, you don't have anything to lose. Before we found the chiropractor for my husband's stomach problem, he asked if I'd look for an Indian Medicine Man - he was desperate and willing to do anything.

If the chiropractor doesn't work, I might look for a homeopathic doctor. There is some underlying cause of the infections that is not being addressed. The antibiotics are only treating the symptoms - not the cause.

[HALEY]

Gayle i know he has allergies, i asked the doctor to do an allergie test, but they will NOT test him until he is 4 years old. they said the test will not be accurate. He also gets sinus infections that trigger which cause the ear infections. The antibiotics aren't working that's why i called his ENT to do an ear culture there is something else growing in his ears and i need different medication. Also i'm going to get him silk milk and try that i heard dairy also triggers ear infections and to much sugar in his diet also might.. I'm going to try that also.. i'll copy the article about the chiroprator and paste it here..
Thanks for keeping Micah in your prayers, also still add my mother, she went back to her heart specialist and there is something wrong with her diphulator, she has the one that was recalled still in her, they bypassed a wire and turned it up some and took some xrays of it to send back to the company that makes them to see what else they can do, she is to sick for another operation right now so please also keep her in your prayers. Thank you!!!

[HALEY]

Chiropractic for Chronic Ear Infections
More and more parents are beginning to look to chiropractors to complement their children's health care. Chiropractic care involves diagnosing spinal misalignments and correcting them by adjusting the spine. A slight pressure is most commonly used with children rather than the more forceful manipulation sometimes used with adults. Chiropractors attempt to get to the root cause of a health problem rather than just treat the symptoms. Misalignments of the spine (also called subluxations) can occur during childbirth, from tumbles or falls, or from any other normal activity. Chiropractors maintain that misalignments left untreated can irritate the nerves and eventually disrupt the body's ability to function properly. The purpose of a chiropractic adjustment is to help to restore the normal functioning of the nervous system so the body can heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery.
Ear Infections and Chiropractic
Ear pain is the number one reason for child visits to chiropractors. Many chiropractors believe that there is a strong link between the birthing process and recurrent ear infection, also known as otitis media. During the birthing process, cervical (neck) vertebrae can become misaligned, disrupting nerve function, which can affect the eustachian tube. This may lead to fluid buildup in the middle ear and cause otitis media.

Ear infection or otitis media accounts for over 35% of all pediatrician visits in the United States. Antibiotics, the usual treatment, are not always effective and may even lead to a recurrence of ear infections. Many children are dealing with a continuing cycle of repeat ear infections, which lands them back at the pediatrician for more antibiotics. For nearly 100 years, the chiropractic profession has claimed that ear and other upper respiratory infections respond favorably to chiropractic adjustments, though there has been little research done to support this claim.

A promising study published in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics now indicates that there is a strong correlation between chiropractic adjustments and the resolution of ear infections. 332 children with chronic ear infections participated in the study. Each child, ranging in age from 27 days to 5 years, was given a series of chiropractic adjustments. The results show that close to 80% of the children did not experience another ear infection within the six-month period following their initial visits. The six-month period included maintenance treatments every four to six weeks. Joan M. Fallon, D.C., the author of the study and the chiropractor who treated the children in the study, states that this pilot study can serve as a starting point from which the chiropractic profession can begin to examine its role in the treatment of children with chronic ear infections. She asserts that large-scale clinical trials need to be undertaken in the field.
Side Effects of Chiropractic
Even though this study is not definitive and more scientific research needs to be done in this area, chiropractic treatment is a conservative, drugless approach to consider trying if your child has a history of chronic ear infections. Under normal circumstances, chiropractic adjustments are painless and will not hurt your child. There are no invasive procedures and chiropractors do not use drugs that can have harmful side effects.

Serious side effects from spinal adjustments appear to be rare. A recent article in Integrative Medicine reported the low risk of serious complications from neck and low back adjustments. According to the literature review, the estimated risk for serious complications from neck adjustments is 6.39 per 10 million adjustments. For low back adjustments, it is 1 per 100 million adjustments.

Pediatric Chiropractic Care
Some chiropractors belong to the International Chiropractors Association`s (ICA) pediatric council and take regular continuing post-graduate courses in pediatrics. ICA points out that chiropractic is meant to complement, not replace, traditional pediatric care and chiropractors are trained to make referrals to pediatricians when necessary. So in creating your child's holistic health care team, consider chiropractic as a safe, non-invasive addition.

[HALEY]

Here's the article, i have to try something, Micah is getting so far behind on his speech its really starting to scare me.. I'm just sooo desperate, this is really hurting me!!! To see him in such pain all the time.. He is such a happy kid too...
He's home today with my mother in law woke up this morning with a mild fever, which i knew was coming with the ear/sinus infection..

[HALEY]

Originally Posted by Janet

Haley...it just makes me so sad that so many children are suffering from ear infections nowadays. I don't understand it. Ear infections hurt so bad. Poor Micah...I hope and pray sweetie that it works...couldn't hurt I guess. Make sure you ask when he should go back so he won't get them..don't wait until he gets another one.

He's been living on tylenol an motrin to try and releave the pain Janet, they also have him on zertec once a day for his sinus / allergies. he's been getting alot of sinus infections lately i think that's what triggers the ear infections. I been washing his sheets twice a week and got a humidifier and air cleaner, but nothing is helping.. i'm a clean freak and still ear infections, daycare is really clean also.. so i just don't understand the problem, going to try and read more about it today at lunch see if i can find something else out that i can also try for him. Since the doctors just want to give me antibiotics all the time! I'm not going thru another year of this i just can't put him thru that again

[gja1000]

Dear Haley,
I looked at the academic literature and there are not a lot of studies of chiropractic care for ear infections in children, but there are some. I've included the references below. I got them from a review article that looked at the results of the studies below. The review article was in the THE JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE which is a respected journal that publishes good research. The conclusion was that, while the results are tentative because there is not very much research on the topic, the results are promising in that it helps. It's a sure bet that traditional medicine is not helping Micah.

So, bottom line, chiropractic care for ear infection in children is not quackery. It is an established protocol and I would definitely give it a shot with Micah. The problem is that insurance often will not cover chiropractic care and although, it is not expensive, it does add up. Money is really not the issue though, if it will help!

I've included the study citations here, just in case someone wants to look them up.

Peet J. Case study: Chiropractic results with a child with re-
curring otitis media accompanied by effusion. Chiropr Pedi-
atr 1996;2:8–10.

Phillips N. Vertebral subluxation and otitis media: A case
study. J Chiro Res Clin Inv 1992;8:38–39.

Thomas D. Irritable child with chronic ear effusion/infections
responds to chiropractic care. Chiropr Pediatr 1997;3:13–14.

Fallon JM. The role of the chiropractic adjustment in the care
and treatment of 332 children with otitis media. J Clin Chi-
ropr Pediatr 1997;2:167–183.

Froehle RM. Ear infection: A retrospective study examining
improvement from chiropractic care and analyzing for influ-
encing factors. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1996;19:169–177.

Fysh PN. Chronic recurrent otitis media: Case series of five
patients with recommendations for case management. J Clin
Chiropr Pediatr 1996;1:66–78.

Sawyer CE, Evans RL, Boline PD, et al. A feasibility study
of chiropractic spinal manipulation versus sham spinal ma-
nipulation for chronic otitis media with effusion in children.
J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999;22:292–298.81. Cronin P. Cervicogenic vertigo. Eur J Chiropr 1997;45:
65–69.

[HALEY]

Thanks Gayle im going to give it a shot, i checked with my insurance and were both covered for Chiropractic care, I guess paying 225.00 a month for health insurance is finally paying off !!!! Then the chiropractor also gave me a break, he said if we both get worked on at the same time, he will wave one co-pay, so i made both of us an appointment, I been going to a chiropractor since I was 16 for a back injury from a car wreck, been putting it off lately cause i just don't have the time to go.. so were both going the 28th at 5 pm ...


Plus my only two alternitives that i can see is getting his immune system checked which i will ask the doctor about Friday, or a new shot that came out in the year 2005 called Prevnar, is a series of shots that they give Micah, I'll put that one on the back burner, there are to many side effects that i don't like, like seizures, death, SID's in smaller children.. So that one is out for now...

[judy]

I would do it too Haley. It certainly can't hurt, and your insurance covers it. Jessie has a friend who has never taken her children to a medical doctor. She works for a chiropractor and he is their health specialist. I don't know what she does about vaccinations,etc., but it seems to be working out well for her children.

I have been going to a chiropractor for about 5 years. I have neck problems, which they keep under control. My chiropractor in Brooklyn was the best! She also treated me for several other health problems, and I never had to go to a medical doctor.

I hope that it works for Micah!

[HALEY]

Thanks Judy, i was off yesterday had an appointment with early intervention for Micah, i don't think i'm going to use them when Micah turns three, i think i'm getting a speech therapest for him. Like my sister always said, "Anything free from the government is no good" And i really don't think there therapist is doing anything for Micah, they have no real material to work with. Im just down about that also.. Hey if i have to pain out of my ass for a good one, than that's what i'm going to do..

I'll be leavng today at 11 am to run Micah down to Childrens Hospital for his culture, i'm also going to ask them if he can have his immune system checked. Maybe something going on there, a nurse told my sister to tell me to check into that.. Still don't know if he's old enough for that but, can't hurt to ask, like i said i will try anything at this point....