By Dr. Katie Greeley B.S., D.C.M

Childhood ear infections:

Ear infections seem to be a common part of childhood infections. The most common diagnosed ear infection is the otitis media or better known as a middle ear infection. There are many different ways to treat this condition, some more conservative than others. Most parents are aware of the medical approach with antibiotics but few are aware of the more natural approach to ear infections with chiropractic.

Otitis media, the most common childhood infectious disease:

Otitis media is one of the most common infectious diseases in childhood, with the incidence being the greatest in the age group of 6 to 36 months. In fact one third of the child population will have six or more episodes before the age of five.(2)

The diagnosis is usually made when a physician looks inside the child’s ear and sees an inflamed and bulging tympanic membrane. This membrane reaction could be due to bacteria, viral, or an allergic reaction.(1)

Since virus and allergies do not respond to antibiotics this would explain why some children seem to have recurrent ear infections. According to Dr. Lehnert he concluded in his study:

“Acute Otitis Media in Children: Role of antibiotic therapy,” that there was a “definite need for antibiotics in only five-to-ten percent of acute otitis media cases.”(1)

Chiropractic treatment of otitis media:

As a parent you may be asking yourself if antibiotics is not the solution then what can I do? There is another treatment to acute otitis media that has nothing to do with bacteria. That treatment is chiropractic care.

Chiropractic treatment of otitis media is based on the model that restricted lymphatic drainage from the middle ear plays a major part in recurrent otitis media. The lymphatic drainage of the ear runs from the cervical lymph system and that system depends on its flow from muscle activity.

For example if a child falls and causes a minor misalignment in one of the vertebrae in the neck the irritation of that misalignment may cause the neck muscles to develop a state of increased tension or spasm. That state could be the cause of restricted lymph drainage from the ear.

The lymph tissue carries the lymphocytes which allow our body to have acquired immunity. If the lymph tissue is restricted then our acquired immunity can not fight the viruses that enter our body effectively.

A fall is not the only way a vertebrae in the neck may become misaligned. During childbirth as the head pushes through the canal the cervical vertebrae especially at the base of the neck may become misaligned disrupting nerve function and lymphatic drainage which may cause fluid buildup in the middle ear.

A chiropractor will gently adjust the upper neck which can reduce the neck musculature and restore normal function to the lymphatic system.

The seven risk factors for otitis prone children:

David W. Teele M.D. a pediatrician at Boston University School of Medicine identified seven risk factors for otitis prone children:

1. Age – the child is at more of a risk if their first attack is before six months of age.
2. Sex- boys are more susceptible than girls.
3. Birth order – First-born children are less likely to have repeated infections then second or younger siblings
4. Family history – If other children have been affected by recurring infections then the child is three times as likely to be affected.
5. Feeding method – Studies suggest that breast-fed babies have fewer cases of otitis media.
6. Day care – Infants spending 90 days or more in day care had three times the risk of recurring infection by their first birthday.
7. Smoking – Children who live in homes with smokers are susceptible to ear and respiratory-tract infections.(4)

In a comparative study of the health status of children raised under the health care models of chiropractic and allopathic medicine:

“chiropractic children showed 69% no occurrence of otitis media while the medical children showed only 20% otitis media free.”

With antibiotics, in general 49% of chiropractic children never used them while only 11.8% of medical children where antibiotic free.(5)

So if your child has not had a spinal check-up you may want to consider this especially if your child has any of the above risk factors or if they have had any falls or trauma at birth. They concluded that:

“the success of (the chiropractic) adjustment overshadows every other type of (care).”(5)

1. Browning, G.G. Childhood Otalgia: Acute Otitis Media. Brit. Medical Journal. 300:1005 1990.

2. Kline, M.W. Otitis Media. In Oski, et al. Principals and Practice of Pediatrics, Philadelphia, Lippencott 1990 :900.

3. Lehnert, Thomas MD. CCFP, “Acute Otitis Media in Children: Role of Antibiotic Therapy.” May 1997 Heath Watch

4. Teele, David W. MD. ” Is your child Otitis Prone?” Pediatric Annuals 1991

5. Van Breda W.M. & Van Breda J. M. “A Comparative Study of the health status of children raised under the health care models of chiropractic and allopathic medicine.” CRJ. Summer 1989. pp.101-103.

About the author:

Dr. Katie Greeley is a board certified Doctor of Chiropractic and a mother of two living in Simi Valley, California. She has completed extended courses on pediatrics that go above and beyond the regular doctorate degree. Her office, United Family Chiropractic Center, is located in Wood Ranch at 1070 Country Club Drive West, Suite D in Simi Valley, CA. Dr. Greeley can be reached at (805) 522-2324.