8 replies to this topic

[TWC]

Ace!

Before y'all get all eye-rolling with the west coast hippie here, bear with me a minute.

When my son was 12-months-old or so he was taking swimming lessons regularly. He got his first ear infection (or several in a row) around that time, and it was a doozy, one of those ohmigodohmigodohmigod moments of parenting where you really have no idea what to do for your child they're in so much pain and discomfort. About a gallon of children's ibuprofen and a trip to the emergency pediatric clinic later, all three of us were in a better state. Once he recovered and was back at swimming lessons, his instructor mentioned that her son had had a difficult time as a kid due to severe ear infections, and she had started taking him to see a chiropractor for a neck adjustment at the first sign of a head cold.

The theory is that small misalignments in a your cervical vertebrae (or at the axis of your head/neck) can lead to tightness across the neck that can stress what may be genetically tight Eustachian tubes, restricting fluid flow when the child has a cold.

I'm not sure about Columbus, but out here there are many options for pediatric chiropractic care, and we're fortunate to have one a few blocks away. We've taken our son regularly now at the first sign of a cold for an adjustment for the last five years and while it hasn't prevented all ear infections, it's reduced the severity of the three or so he's had in the last 4-5 years to a much more manageable level (for us and for him).

I'm not sure what you level of comfort or familiarity is with chiropractic, but if you're at all curious, I'd recommend a visit. It's made my son's ears much better -- I just wish it fixed his selective hearing.

[Edgar]

Ace!

Before y'all get all eye-rolling with the west coast hippie here, bear with me a minute.

When my son was 12-months-old or so he was taking swimming lessons regularly. He got his first ear infection (or several in a row) around that time, and it was a doozy, one of those ohmigodohmigodohmigod moments of parenting where you really have no idea what to do for your child they're in so much pain and discomfort. About a gallon of children's ibuprofen and a trip to the emergency pediatric clinic later, all three of us were in a better state. Once he recovered and was back at swimming lessons, his instructor mentioned that her son had had a difficult time as a kid due to severe ear infections, and she had started taking him to see a chiropractor for a neck adjustment at the first sign of a head cold.

The theory is that small misalignments in a your cervical vertebrae (or at the axis of your head/neck) can lead to tightness across the neck that can stress what may be genetically tight Eustachian tubes, restricting fluid flow when the child has a cold.

I'm not sure about Columbus, but out here there are many options for pediatric chiropractic care, and we're fortunate to have one a few blocks away. We've taken our son regularly now at the first sign of a cold for an adjustment for the last five years and while it hasn't prevented all ear infections, it's reduced the severity of the three or so he's had in the last 4-5 years to a much more manageable level (for us and for him).

I'm not sure what you level of comfort or familiarity is with chiropractic, but if you're at all curious, I'd recommend a visit. It's made my son's ears much better -- I just wish it fixed his selective hearing.

by making the adjusment you deal with the kids equilibrium. your eardrum deals with equillibrium thats why when you an infection you feel dizzy.

[Crockett]

While only 99% discounting this approach, the reality is that as your child ages, his eustachian tubes become wider and increase their degree of pitch towards the nasal cavity. Also, you said your son developed an ear infection from swimming...was it an outer ear infection or middle ear infection (Otitis externa vs otitis media on the diagnostic chart)? Swimmer's ear or an outer ear infection has absolutely nothing to do with the eustachian tube at all, and swimming would have zero effect on a middle ear infection which does involve the eustachian tube. I feel like you have probably been given some crappy information.

(Full disclosure is that I'm an urgent Care PA with a background in orthopedics)

[MichiganGoat]

My daughter suffered heavily with ear infections during her first year, luckily after she started walking and winter ended she was fine and has had only one minor ear infection over the last three years, but I know some kids have issues and a friend of mind did use a chiropractor wither her two year old with great success.

[TWC]

Also, you said your son developed an ear infection from swimming...

No, I didn't. That was context, but perhaps it was obfuscating context.

I'm well aware that you don't get a middle ear infection from swimming, thanks. But after discussing this with our son's pediatrician, and understanding his level of comfort with chiropractic care, we're confident in our decision.

[Crockett]

No, I didn't. That was context, but perhaps it was obfuscating context.

I'm well aware that you don't get a middle ear infection from swimming, thanks. But after discussing this with our son's pediatrician, and understanding his level of comfort with chiropractic care, we're confident in our decision.

The inclusion of the swimming details were pointless then, no big deal. And I don't think chiropractic care is in any way a pointless endeavor, especially for musculoskeletal pain relief, but there are plenty of 'snake oil' salesmen and women in the chiropractic field.

[Brett]

Thanks for the thoughts, all. Always good to have more tools in your tool belt. It's a frustrating process, with her always being symptomatic or on antibiotics. We keep ruling things out, but ultimately, it seems like it's just her physiology. Her petite parents cursed her with a petite face, and ears slightly below her nose. Time and growth will help - I just hope she hasn't cultured all kinds of antibiotic-resistent bugs, had her hearing impaired, and had brain development impairment from a lack of regular sleep, by then.

[King Jeff]

I just hope she hasn't cultured all kinds of antibiotic-resistent bugs

And thus, the super bug that brought down mankind was born. Thanks Brett, you and your shoddy gene pool.

[Katie]

I had terrible ear infections when I was a kid. Had tubes twice. My son had ear problems as well to the point where he wasn't hearing well at school. Finally had his adenoids out and tubes put in and he's a new kid. In fact, the day of the surgery, once we got home, the fridge kicked on and he said "what was that noise?". He had lived in the house his whole life and never heard noises in the house that I took for granted. It made a huge difference in school too.