Re-upload from July 10, 2017

What is Otitis Media?

Otitis media, commonly referred to as ear infections, is one of the most commonly diagnosed childhood diseases. According to the World Health Organization, ear infections are most prevalent in children under 6 years of age. Primary symptoms are typically pain and discomfort in the area surrounding the ear, fever, fluid draining, trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, and grumpy behavior.

An ear infection occurs when one of your eustachian tubes becomes swollen or blocked, causing fluid to build up in your middle ear. Eustachian tubes are small tubes that run from each ear directly to the back of the throat. The causes of eustachian tube blockage include: allergies, colds, sinus infections, excess mucus, swimming, smoking, infected or swollen adenoids (tissue near your tonsils that trap harmful bacteria and viruses), and changes in air pressure.

Otitis media is the most common reason for antibiotics to be prescribed in children under the age of 6, with typical treatment of ear infections including oral antibiotics, ear antibiotic drops, and in advanced (chronic) cases, tubes and surgery. Even though these treatments have shown some success, they also have some side effects. … Fortunately,  there is another simpler, safer way to treat ear infections. Here at Barefoot Chiropractic & Wellness, our philosophy is chiropractic first, medicine second, surgery last.

Chiropractic First

Medicine Second

Surgery Last

How can a chiropractic adjustment help an ear infection?

Chiropractic care is a proven method that will gently relieve pressure on the eardrums with a simple and safe chiropractic adjustment from Dr. Barefoot. This adjustment allows the fluid to drain away from the ear drum, relieving pressure and allowing the eardrum to function normally.

In the October 1998 issue of  Ladies Home Journal an article entitled, “Chiropractic Adjustments for Chronic Ear Infections, states, “Chiropractic care is thought to prevent recurrent infections by correcting misalignments (called subluxations) and allowing normal fluid drainage from the middle ear.” Although with conventional treatment the recurrence rate of ear infections is high, this article notes that 6 months after the chiropractic care was given to the children in the study, 80 percent had not suffered a recurrence of ear infections.

This study shows a strong correlation between chiropractic adjustments and the resolution of otitis media. Watch this video the hear what Dr. Barefoot has to say about ear infections and chiropractic care.

What do chiropractors do differently?

In an article published October 15, 2008, on www.healthychild.com, we learn:

“Chiropractors attempt to get to the root cause of a health problem rather than just treat the symptoms. Misalignments of the spine (also called subluxations) can occur during childbirth, from tumbles or falls, or from any other normal activity. Misalignments left untreated can irritate the nerves and eventually disrupt the body’s ability to function properly. The purpose of a chiropractic adjustment is to help to restore the normal functioning of the nervous system so the body can heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery.”

It is important to note that chiropractic philosophy dictates that a chiropractor does not treat any specific disease, rather they treat the cause of the disease by correcting the cause of the vertebral subluxation and allow the body to heal itself. All without the use of harmful drugs.

Feel free to ask Dr. Barefoot about how he can help with ear pain and infections at your next adjustment.