New Research Sheds Light on Ear Infections in Infants

Recent research reporting on improvement in an infant undergoing chiropractic care reveals that chiropractic may play an important role in managing children with ear infections. The research, reported in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic, includes a review of the literature supporting the role of chiropractic in children suffering from ear infections and calls for more research in this area. The girl in the study had already undergone several rounds of antibiotics that had failed to help her.

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“Numerous case studies and some clinical studies are revealing that there is a relationship between structural shifts in the spine, the nervous system and the various problems related to ear infections” stated Dr. Matthew McCoy, a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study. “These types of structural problems in the neck obstruct the nervous system and by removing the obstruction chiropractic helps improve nerve supply.” 

With everything we know about the spine and nervous system, chiropractic intervention makes perfect sense in the case of a child who has chronic ear infections. 

“In fact, chiropractic is the management of choice for dealing with the structural and neurological aspects of these types of problems” remarked McCoy, adding “This infant and her parents were experiencing significant disruption in quality of life as a result of her chronic infections and the medical interventions did not help. It wasn’t until the chiropractic intervention that the child improved dramatically and in a very short time.”  

The infant reported on in this study presented to the chiropractor with chronic, recurrent ear infections that were unresponsive to antibiotics. The ear infections interfered with the child’s sleep and caused extreme irritation in the child’s attitude. 

The child was examined which revealed muscle spasm, tenderness and structural spinal shifts in her upper neck and pelvis. These structural shifts can lead to obstruction of the nerves and it is this obstruction, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct. 

Following 9 chiropractic adjustments her ear infections resolved and over 6 months later they had not returned. The infant also had significant improvements in mental development, flexibility, sleep, and coordination. She has seen a decrease in frequency of cold and allergy symptoms, and her irritability has resolved. 

The authors call for more research on chiropractic in the co-management of children with ear infections. 

Contact Information: 

Matthew McCoy DC, MPH
Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic
http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.com
support@vertebralsubluxationresearch.com