Take Control of Chronic Childhood Ear Infections

Help! I Think My Child Has an Ear Infection

It's 2 am and the crying has only gotten progressively worse across the past hour. You are pacing the downstairs hallway trying anything to soothe your inconsolable 10-month old so that your 5 and 8 year old kids can get some sleep upstairs. Your plan is to call the doctor's office the moment they open — seven hours from now!

Although your infant cannot tell you what is wrong, your intuition says it is another middle ear infection. The statistics would suggest that your hunch is probably right.

Earaches are the #1 Reason for Visits to the Pediatrician's Office

As a parent, that probably comes as no surprise. But, you may be surprised to learn that both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Academy of Family Physicians recommend a 'watchful waiting' or 'wait and see' approach to acute ear infections.

Antibiotics for Ear Infections?

 
Research published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association  demonstrated that there was no difference in fever, otalgia (pain) or number of future visits between kids that were given an antibiotic prescription and those that were not. As it turns out, antibiotics only outperform the body's own immune system in a handful of cases.

No Side Effects and Low Recurrence Rate

At the same time, numerous studies of manipulative therapies including chiropractic care have shown remarkable results without the side effects of antibiotics. A groundbreaking 1997 study  of 332 kids ages 27 days to 5 years indicted a strong correlation between chiropractic adjustment and the resolution of otitis media (the technical term for a middle ear ache). Just to highlight one finding — there were 104 kids in the group classified as having 'chronic' otitis media. This group of kids got 5 chiropractic adjustments each. Across the next six months the recurrence rate among this group was only 16%!

Let's put that data into more human terms. That means that 84% of these kids classified as having chronic ear infections went six months without having another one after just 5 adjustments. A full half year devoid of screaming in the middle of the night, lost sleep and anguish of watching your child suffer for 84% of the parents.

Care and Prevention of Ear Infections

The prior study published in a chiropractic journal spurred further research into the uses of chiropractic care for acute and chronic ear infections. The critical questions was - how would chiropractic fare head-to-head with standard pediatric care? A 2003 study published in a pediatric medicine journal comparing children receiving manipulative therapy and those receiving standard pediatric care, found that those who received manipulative therapy had fewer episodes of Acute Otitis Media (AOM), fewer surgical procedures and had higher rates of normal tympanograms.

This amazing news for parents has been validated and confirmed numerous times since then. The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) even maintains a webpage of all the published research studies done on children's ear infections and the role of chiropractic care in treatment and prevention. The last time I looked there where 25 separate studies listed. You can view the full list at: Ear Infection (Otitis Media)

All this data and research is great, but at the end of the day what matters to parents is getting their own child out of pain and on a path to a success in school, sports and life without the constant interruption of ear infections. Donít spend another sleepless night pacing the halls with a screaming toddler in your arms. Call us now and make an appointment for a consultation.

Don't wait until another ear infection strikes. Prevention is always the better option. Besides, when your child is in pain, your anxiety level as a parent goes way up. We want you to be able to ask all your questions and get all the facts at your own pace and not feel pressured to make a decision or start treatment because your child is screaming. Of course, if your child does have current symptoms, we want to see both of you as soon as possible.


1. Spiro DM, Tay K, Arnold DH, et al. Wait-and-see prescription for the treatment of acute otitis media: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association 2006; 296(10): 1235-1241.

2. Fallon, JM.   Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics Vol 2, No. 2 1997 p.167-183.

3. Mills MV, Henley CE, Barnes LLB, Carreiro JE, Degenhardt BF. The use of osteopathic manipulative treatment as adjuvant therapy in children with recurrent acute otitis media. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 2003; 157(9): 861-866.

Some Surprising Statistics About Back Pain

Suffering from Back Pain? 

You are not alone. Back pain relief is just one component of chiropractic care, but it is often a patient's first introduction. Back pain is horribly debilitating affecting all aspects of work and personal life.

Surprising Facts about Back Pain:

     • Back pain is the number one disability for those under age 45.

     • In the United States of America alone, there is an expected 31 million people with lower back pain at any given time.

     • Back pain runs second, after only the common cold, as the top reason for visiting a healthcare provider in the United States.

     • Experts place the likelihood of any person to experience some type of back problem in their lifetime at about 80%. That's four out of every five people!

     • Over 50 billion dollars are spent per year in the pursuit of clearing up cases of back pain.

     • Around 30 to 40 percent of all workplace absences are due to back pain.

     • Approximately one quarter of U.S. adults reported having low back pain lasting at least one whole day in the past three months, and 7.6 percent reported at least one episode of severe acute low back pain within a one-year period.

     • One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.

     • Approximately 2 percent of the U.S. work force is compensated for back injuries each year.

     • Lower back pain accounts for two thirds of all back pain-related cases.

     • More than two-thirds of back strains are caused by lifting and other exertions like pulling and pushing.

     • Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic — meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer.

The key to proper treatment of back pain is to understand the cause. Remember, pain is always a sign that something else is wrong and if continually ignored may lead to more serious harm. Chiropractors are experts in assessing the root cause of your back pain and putting you on the right course to recovery.

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The Role of Antioxidants in Good Health

Immune System Support

Everyone has heard about the importance of a balanced diet for maintaining good health. Similarly, everyone knows that they should be getting exercise - or at the very least adding more activity into their days. Getting a good night's sleep is essential - without it, you'll find that your immune system starts to slack off a bit and you put yourself at a greater risk for catching a cold or coming down with the flu.

We all know what we should be doing, but let's be honest: very few of us eat a balanced diet all of the time. Many of us make the choice to take the elevator rather than the stairs and we try to find a parking place that's as close as possible to our destination rather than taking the opportunity to walk a little further. We also tend to let stress, work, social gatherings and more interfere with the amount of sleep that we're able to get each night.

When we don't go the extra mile to take care of ourselves, and when our immune systems start to falter because of it, we may not feel it right away. Soon, sluggishness starts creeping in. This sluggishness not only slows us down, it also ages us prematurely.

Fortunately, there's something that we can do to counteract some of these effects. We can maintain our vigor and reduce the risk of disease simply by adding antioxidants to our diet.

What are Antioxidants?

The simplest answer is that antioxidants are plant-derived compounds that help prevent and repair cellular damage. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, selenium, lycopene and resveratrol are all examples of antioxidants that are found in fruits and vegetables. By making an effort to add antioxidants to our diet, we can slow the cellular damage that leads to disease.

Antioxidants are, in effect, sponges that soak up the free radicals in our systems. Excess free radicals are generated by the less healthy foods that we eat, alcohol that we drink, smoke that we're exposed, and stress that we endure.

Free radicals damage our DNA and other cellular structures at the molecular level. Antioxidants roam around the body inactivating the free radicals and also assisting in damage repair. Damage that isn’t repaired can cause a cell to die, malfunction or replicate uncontrollably (such as in a tumor).

You can fight back against free radicals by adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet.

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How To Pick Good Running Shoes

The Right Pair of Running Shoes

Running is wonderful cardiovascular exercise and a popular workout choice for men and women. Just as a carpenter requires the right tools for his trade, the right pair of running shoes is essential for both the casual and the serious runner. There are some things to consider when purchasing a running shoe.

Running Shoes for Optimal Performance

How far and often will you be running? If you are a casual runner (less than ten miles per week), then a basic running shoe will be fine. If you are training for a marathon, consider making a true investment in your running shoes for optimal performance.
Consider the arch in your foot. Those with a high arch, need a running shoe with a curved shape. If you have an average arch, a semi-curved shoe might be the best fit. Those with a low arch or flat feet need a straight shape shoe.

What is Pronation?

Understand pronation, which is the rolling of the foot from heel to toe through the foot strike. A proper or neutral pronation is hitting the outside of the heel and up to ball of your foot evenly across the front. This is how your foot reduces the stress of impact. Underpronation means that the outside of your foot takes most of the shock instead of finishing in the neutral position. Overpronation is too much roll across from the outside to the inside of your foot.

To determine your level of pronation, look at the shoes you walk or run in. Most everyone will begin on the outside of the heel, the real indicator is the wear on the forefoot. If most of the shoe wear is:

     • On the medial (inside) side then you Overpronate
     • On the lateral (outside) side then you Underpronate
     • Uniform across the forefoot then you have a Neutral Stride

Where will you be running? Most people run on pavement or sidewalks, so most running shoes are designed with this in mind. However, if you are going to be running on uneven or softer surfaces (such as mountain trails or grass), look at shoes intended for those kinds of surfaces.

How to Get the Best Fit Running Shoes

Shop for running shoes late in the afternoon, as feet are at their peak size at this time of day. When trying on the shoe, make sure there is a full thumb width between the end of the longest toe and the end of the shoe. In a properly fit running shoe, the toe box will allow the toes to move freely. The heel should not slip or rub against the shoe and the sole should flex with ease where the foot flexes.

Go to a store that specializes in running shoes or at least to a sporting goods store. The sales associates will be able to help you make a decision on the best shoe for you.

If you run often, consider purchasing more than one pair of running shoes. This way, you can rotate them. If you run often, your shoes should be replaced every six months or so.

Do consider price so your budget isn’t blown, but don’t sacrifice comfort and durability in the process.

Runners have a wide selection of styles, colors and levels of comfort from which to choose when looking at running shoes. Remember, whether you are a casual runner or a serious runner, comfort and excellent support are essential for the best performance!

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