Ear Infection Care at Synergy Chiropractic & Wellness Center

There’s often many questions about how chiropractic care works to prevent ear infections as well as treat them. I wanted to give an in-depth explanation as to how chiropractic is effective and why children often get ear infections.

Why Children Often Get Ear Infections

First off, the majority of kids need to be adjusted because of injury or damage to their cranium or spinal column from in-utero constraint or traumatic birth injury. A few examples of research have shown that the first subluxation occurs either during the birth process or even before. This means these kids are starting off with compromised neurological systems and immune systems.

These two factors then lead to an alteration in the afferent firing pattern into the dorsal horn/cord and into the CNS (cord-brainstem-cerebellum-thalamus-higher brain centers and cortex.) Basically, the loss of positioning and movement leads to a loss of regular mechanoreception (touch, pain, pressure, temperature, etc.) and proprioception (awareness of balance, position, posture, etc.) and increases nociception (pain, stress.) This subluxation is often caused by the positioning required for even normal, natural, vaginal deliveries and is greatly magnified in its effect from breech positioning, long labor, suction/vacuum extraction, forceps, and Cesarean deliveries. All of these situations put an excessive amount of physical force on the head, neck, and spine and lead to subluxation (by altering structure and movement.) That in turn causes neurological sequelae through dysafferentation, dysautonomia,(abnormal function of the autonomic nervous system) and dysponensis (misdirected physical reactions to various stimuli). This subluxation complex also causes imbalances in the musculature of the upper cervical spine and surrounding tissues, greatly affecting the function and movement of the eustachian tubes, sinuses, adenoids, etc. Not only does it alter neurological function, it alters the flow of lymph, mucus, and other fluids in and out of the head and ENT-type structures. This fluid is then allowed to sit for too long in these areas, thus harboring opportunistic pathogens that can then take hold and replicate. This in turn causes infection, inflammation, and irritation. It is not that the eustachian tubes are horizontal at that age, that does not “help” the situation, but it is not the primary cause of ear infections at all. These children are then continually challenged when the antibiotic prescribed for the ear infection, eliminates and lessens the beneficial bacteria of the gut and colon, thus, causing dysregulation of the immune system and leaving them susceptible to recurrent infection.

Affecting the Digestive System

Not only does this affect their immune system, but also their digestive system as well. Now they cannot process and eliminate food stuff and toxins nearly as well, and this leads to a further “spilling over” effect of these into the bloodstream. This “spilling over” causes further immune reaction and inflammation and can begin an autoimmune cascade that may be linked to things such as allergies, asthma, eczema, and even ADHD later in life. What is more, the upper cervical subluxation greatly affects the neurological control of the central nervous system, especially brainstem and other centers that are important for neurological “info relay” and autonomic control of tissues, organs and glands. The subluxation, along with other factors, leaves their autonomic system in a highly sustained sympathetic state (fight/flight) which is associated with lowered immunity, hyperactivity, anxiety, social challenges, decreased GI function (reflux, dyspepsia, constipation), and more. Finally another major contributor to things such as otitis media, ADD/ADHD, colic, allergies, eczema, and asthma, is a diet high in grains and dairy. The proteins and sugars in these foods are very difficult to digest and again lead to a strained and inflamed GI system, which spills into the bloodstream and causes an autoimmune reaction. Cleaning up a kids diet and getting them on the right supplements goes a long way to treating, and most importantly, preventing these issues.

Ear Infection Care Greenville, Appleton and Hortonville WI | (920) 757-6440