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Many parents bring their children to chiropractors asking them to treat their ear infections. The purpose of chiropractic care is not the treatment of conditions or diseases; rather, it is the restoration of normal body function. Chiropractors work with the nervous system via gentle spinal adjustments. They reduce stress-related interference to the nervous system, thereby enhancing overall body function. All systems of the body—muscular, glandular, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, eliminatory, hormonal, and immunological—depend on the optimal function of the nervous system. With chiropractic, a focus on nerve system function helps to enhance all the body’s systems.
As parents, we have some choices to make. We can either treat the ear infection, or not—that’s our right as a parent. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a watch-and-wait approach, because the evidence-based research about antibiotics is showing that not only are they ineffective at treating ear infections, but they may actually lead to repeated episodes in your child.
As a parent, we can choose to treat or not to treat. If we do choose to treat, we again have some options. We can treat the ear infections allopathically (the typical medical/drug route) or naturally. If we choose to go to a pediatrician, she may take a watch-and-wait approach. More likely, she will prescribe an antibiotic.
If, however, we would prefer to treat the ear infections more naturally, there are several options to consider. A naturopath will explore herbs and nutrition; a homeopath will assess your child for a specific remedy; an acupuncturist will work with specific meridian points for healing.
It is so important that you as a parent realize you have choices, and the right to make these choices for your family.
Regardless of the choices you make, the chiropractic approach will improve your child’s inherent ability to function. Doesn’t it make sense to have your child functioning at an optimal level for healing no matter how (or if ) you choose to treat? Chiropractors will assess your child’s spine, make the necessary adjustments to improve nerve system function, and offer lifestyle suggestions to reduce nerve system stress for your child. They will also support any decision you make in your choices to treat the infection or not. This is your right as a parent, and we need practitioners who stand behind informed choices.
It is important that parents realize the role chiropractic plays in whole-body wellness. So, too, is it important for parents to know, when reading the following testimonials, that chiropractic adjustments have allowed these children to express a greater state of health and wholeness, and that their systems were able to overcome repeated episodes because neurological function was restored.
Chiropractic—The Best Thing We’ve Done!
I started taking my 2-year-old daughter to the chiropractor as a last resort. She had had monthly ear infections for about nine months. We had recently scheduled surgery for her to have tubes put in, but it just didn’t feel right to put her through surgery without exhausting all of our other options.
Taking her to a chiropractor was the best thing we could have done for her! We canceled her surgery, and she has not had one ear infection since we started going. It’s a miracle, especially since she has had a couple of colds that would have definitely turned into ear infections without chiropractic care. We took her to the chiropractor immediately after she came down with her last cold, and the cold was practically gone the next day. We have also seen an improvement in my daughter’s temperament since we started care. She gets sick less often, and seems more content overall. I recommend chiropractic for anyone wanting to improve his or her overall health and well-being.
Chiropractor: Debra Bell, D.C.
Location: Cary, North Carolina
Watching Her Innate Power at Work
Our chiropractors have educated us that the body’s innate ability to heal itself can only work when subluxations (nerve interferences) are not present. That is why when my 3-year-old daughter, Anna, woke up and couldn’t open her eyes, like they were glued shut, I knew what had to be done. We brought her in to our chiropractor and within a couple of hours after just one adjustment, her eyes had cleared completely. It was amazing to watch Anna’s innate power at work! That power needed to be turned on again the next day. She worked just fine, but later that day, she developed an excruciating earache. I drove her to our chiropractor for another adjustment, and her earache was gone just a short while later. The pain never returned.
And now? We return for regular adjustments and always will. If your family is sick, don’t feel pressured by society to give them Tylenol, Motrin, and antibiotics. Give them a gift from God…chiropractic.
Chiropractor: Felicity Keough, D.C.
Location: Englewood, Florida
—Jeanne Ohm, DC
Appearing in Pathways to Family Wellness Magazine Issues 23 & 69