Chiropractic and ear infections? Here’s a small collection of interesting research on ear infections (Otitis media).

From a Postgraduate Medicine, Oct. ’87, review article by Moshe Frenkel, M.D., Acute Otitis Media; Does Therapy Alter its Course?:

Eichenwald (1985): no bacterial cause can be identified in 1/3 of cases; spontaneous resolution in 60% within ten days of onset

Fry (1958): 85% of those not receiving antibiotics had complete resolution; no differences in recurrence or hearing loss.

Townsend (1980): study showed that a placebo-treated group had no greater incidence of recurrence, or of middle-ear effusion than an antibiotic-treated group.

Van Buchem (1981):  children with symptomatic treatment alone did as well as those treated with antibiotics and/or myringotomy (ear tubes); no differences were noted in effectiveness of pain reduction, hearing levels, or incidence of complications.

Van Buchem (1985):  in a large-scale study of 4,860 children, 90% recovered with “minimal” treatment (nose drops and analgesics)

OTHER SOURCES:

Dr. E. Cantekin did a study of amoxicillin treatment of otitis media and fund that it was not effective for secretory otitis media (fluid behind the eardrum.)  He also found that the antibiotics Pediazole and ceflaclor were not effective.  (JAMA, Dec.  1991)

A number of recent studies have shown that for earaches, 2, 4, 5, and 7-day courses of treatment with antibiotics were just as effective as the usual 10-day course, when effective at all. (Schmidt, Beyond Antibiotics, 1993, p. 29)

A 1974 study showed that children with acute otitis media receiving antibiotics within the first few days of the illness had up to 2.9 times more recurrence that those in whom antibiotic use was delayed or avoided.  (Diamant, Arch Otolayrngol, 1974)

A 1991 article in the AMA Journal stated that children with chronic earaches who received antibiotics experienced two to six times more recurrent middle ear fluid that those receiving placebo.  (Cantekin et al, JAMA, 1991, 266(23)

A two-year study of myringotomy (surgical incision of the tympanum) and tymapanostomy (ear tubes) found that they did not alter the long-term course of otitis media; eardrum scars and tympanum thickening were 3X more frequent in the group receiving tubes. (J Laryngol. Otol. 86:881-888, 1972)

Many chiropractors and natural health doctors experts feel that recurrent upper respiratory infections, including otitis media, may be the result of allergies, including food allergies and intolerance.  Cow’s milk is the most frequently-mentioned allergen.  An ENT specialist in Florida who exclusively does tympanostomies (ear tubes) first puts all patients referred to him on a diet free of dairy products.  As a result, he claims three-fourths of them never need the tubes.  (cited in Schmidt, Beyond Antibiotics,  1993, p. 76)

Below are some great books to help you understand more about your options in helping childhood ear infections.

If I hypothetically asked you to list the 3 most important things in your life, what would they be?

Wait, this shouldn’t be hypothetical, let’s play for real. What are they?

Write them down before you read on…

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Who wouldn’t want quick pain relief?

Sometimes pain relief can come in different forms.

I had a conversation lately that I think might be of help when you’ve put too much on your plate and you’re in pain.

Here’s the gist of the way the conversation went…

A mother of 3 young children had issues with intense upper back and neck pain, headaches and fatigue. She just plain felt that she was in her words, ‘getting old fast.’

Being pregnant, giving birth and all the post-partum duties of being a mom are very physically demanding. The adaptations and demands on the body during and after pregnancy can create changes which can lead to pain.

In this case it effected her not just physically, but hormonally and biochemically. Now throw on top of that a few other big life changes personally and professionally and you have a recipe for pain. The biggest point I helped her understand was this…

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