Hi , login or create a new account below

Earache is the most common reason that children visit their doctor, especially during the winter months.  By the age of three years, more than 70% of children will have had at least one episode of earache and about one third will have had more than three episodes.  In the U.S., statistics show that it is the most common reason for children under the age of five years to present to a chiropractor's office.

Childhood earaches may be due to problems that can include:

• Infection of the middle ear with either bacteria or virus

• Infection to the external earl canal

• Trauma to the external ear canal

• Allergic response within the middle ear

• Subluxation of the upper cervical spine

Otitis media is the general term which means inflammation of the middle ear.  The diagnosis is usually based upon the finding of an inflamed and bulging tympanic membrane.  Otitis media may be acute - which refers to a sudden onset with fever, fluid in the middle ear, pain and temporary conductive hearing loss; chronic - which refers to the middle ear effusion persisting for three months or longer, and serous - which is the accumulation of serous fluid in the middle ear, also known as "glue ear".

While the use of antibiotics is usually the most common treatment for a middle ear infection, the use of antibiotics is often not effective, especially if the infection is being caused by a virus.  Some children are susceptible to further infections every time they get an upper respiratory infection, which can be frequent in the under three year olds that are still developing an immune system.

The Chiropractor's Role

The chiropractor looks at the joints of the spine to ascertain if there is irritation to the nerves that exit between the spinal bones.  When these nerves are irritated, the muscles of the neck have abnormal tension placed upon them.  This muscle tension can place pressure on the lymphatic drainage of the ducts in the neck area and not allow the body to naturally correct the built up of fluid in the Eustachian tube of the ear.

If this problem is present there will be increased tension in the neck muscles, predominantly on the side of the ear infection.  The chiropractor will also look for subluxations in the spine, or bones that are not moving properly and causing irritation to the nerves.  These subluxations may have been caused by any one of the traumas that a young child has experiences in their short life, from the birth process to falls, knocks and tumbles.  If there are subluxations present in the spine the chiropractor will correct them, usually with a light force adjustment.

Chiropractic management of the young patient with earache involved a detailed and thorough examination, followed by a course of spinal adjustments to help restore the body's natural ability to drain the cervical lymph nodes and clear any fluid build up in the Eustachian tube.