Chiropractic and Otitis Media in Children: A Natural Approach
Chiropractic offers a natural and effective approach to the treatment of otitis media in children. Discover how chiropractic adjustments can improve children’s auditory health.
Chiropractic and Otitis Media
Objective:
To conduct an experimental study of Chiropractic care in cases of otitis in children using tympanography as an objective measure.
And to propose possible mechanisms by which subluxation may be implicated in the pathophysiology of otitis media.
Design: Case Series
Adjustment:Subjects presented in a private clinical practice in Rochelle, New York. The subjects were referred by various sources including pediatricians, other MDs, chiropractors, and parents.
Participants: 332 children who consecutively presented with previously diagnosed otitis media, aged 27 days to 5 years. Main outcome measures: A parent/guardian examination was used to determine historical data regarding previous episodes of otitis media. The age of onset of initial otitis media, feeding history, history of antimicrobial therapy, remission patterns, and birth history.
Otoscopy and tympanographic data were collected as well as data regarding the number of adjustments administered to achieve resolution of otitis media. Data regarding recurrence rates over six months were also collected.
Results:
The average number of adjustments administered by types of otitis media was as follows: acute otitis media (n=127) 4.0+/- 1.03, chronic/serous otitis media (n=104) 5.0 +/- 1.53, for the mixed type of bilateral otitis media (n=10) 5.3 +/- 1.35.
And where no otitis was initially detected in the otoscopic and tympanographic examination (but with a history of multiple episodes) (n=74) 5.88 +/- 1.87.
The number of days it took to normalize the otoscopic examination was for chronic/serous 6.67 +/- 1.9, acute 8.57 +/- 1.96, and mixed 8.3 +/- 1.00.
The number of days it took to normalize the tympanographic examination: 8.35 +/- 2.88, chronic/serous 10.18 +/- 3.39, and mixed 10.9 +/- 2.02. The overall recurrence rate over a six-month period from the initial presentation in the office was 11.02%, chronic/serous 16.34%, for the mixed type 30%, and for none the present 17.56%.
Conclusion:
To our knowledge, this is the first time that tympanography has been used as an objective tool regarding the efficacy of chiropractic adjustment in the treatment of children with otitis media.
Since tympanography has been extensively used in the medical management of children with otitis media, it also serves as a bridge through which the field of chiropractic and the medical field can begin to communicate regarding otitis media.
The results indicate that there is a strong correlation between chiropractic adjustment and the resolution of otitis media for children in this study.
This experimental study may now serve as a starting point from which the chiropractic profession can begin to examine its role in the treatment of children with otitis media.
Large-scale clinical trials need to be undertaken in the field using tympanography as an objective measure. Additionally, the role of occipital adjustment needs to be examined.
This study begins the process of examining the role of the craniovertebral complex of subluxation in the pathogenesis of otitis media, and the efficacy of chiropractic adjustment in its resolution.
Source: Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics 1997 (Oct); 2 (2)
Joan M. Fallon, C.C., F.I.C.C.P.
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