LIFELINE Volume 3: Issue 8 , March 6, 2002 By Dr. Martha Collins clc@kingston.net Ear Infections A young boy came in yesterday with a heart- breaking history of ear infections, subsequent hearing loss, speech problems, many rounds of antibiotics and forthcoming tympanostomy surgery (tubes in the ears). This issue of Lifeline is dedicated to all children with ear infections so that their parents learn that there is an alternative available to stop their child's needless suffering. If there is any child you know who can benefit by reading this newsletter, please forward this information to their parents. As you well know, Chiropractic care does not cure any disease. The purpose of a Chiropractic adjustment is to allow the innate intelligence of the body to work at one hundred percent of its potential without interference. This enables every cell in the body to work in harmony, whether that cell resides in the leg, the stomach, the hand or the ear. There has been overwhelming medical evidence published over the last seven years in journals ranging from the British Medical Journal to the Journal of the American Medical Association to Pediatrics that have shown that antibiotics are not effective in the treatment of ear infections (otitis media). Nearly two thirds of children with ear infections (acute otitis media) recover from pain and fever within twenty-four hours of diagnosis without treatment with antibiotics. Eighty percent of these children recover totally within seven to ten days. We all need to be concerned with the overuse of antibiotics and the creation of "superbugs", bacteria that have genetically mutated to be immune to antibiotics. With our hospitals routinely testing for the presence of superbacteria, this is a very real and very dangerous threat to our health and well being. To better understand how Chiropractic can help children with otitis media, let's consider the anatomical structure of the middle ear. It is composed of the eardrum and three openings or windows. The round window and the oval window communicate with the inner ear and the third opening allows the Eustachian tube to provide a drainage route to the sinuses. The sinuses connect with the nasal cavity via the Eustachian tube. Because the middle ear cavity and the sinuses continually accumulate fluids, they require the Eustachian tube to work properly to allow drainage and gas exchange. If the tube is blocked by inflamed lymphatic tissue as it is with a cold, sore throat or sinusitis; fluid build-up, improper gas exchange, inflammation and/or infection will result. So, proper function of the Eustachian tube is essential. The Eustachian tube functions via the contraction of a small muscle called the tensor veli palatini, which is controlled by nerves that emanate off the spine from C1 to C4. These small nerves come together into the superior cervical ganglion, which provides nerve supply to the tensor veli palatini. When subluxated, the nerves are unable to send messages to the area to keep the Eustachian tube functioning properly and ear infections result. Chiropractic adjustments reduce the nerve interference to the middle ear, re-establishing proper function of the Eustachian tube via the tensor veli palatini muscle. So, the key to helping children with ear infections is to increase nerve supply during the acute episode and to adjust them during an infection, but also more importantly, ensure proper nerve function over time so that an infection will not result. That's one more reason why wellness care for children is so important--not just to avoid ear infections, but to help them stay healthy! If there are children in your life with ear infections, please pass on this information--we are here to offer adjustments, assistance and guidance. Right now we are doing our Spring Gift Certificates each certificate offers a complementary initial consultation and scan for your friends, co-workers, loved ones etc. and for each Certificate you give away you can enter our draw to win 10 FREE adjustments. Next time you're in, pick one up so we can show how Chiropractic care can help everyone lead a happier and healthier life. When I consider the wonderful changes we've seen in our office with children who were suffering needlessly, I know that your gesture will have a profound impact in their future health and make a big difference in their life. Permission is granted to reproduce or distribute this newsletter as long as this copyright notice and full informtion about contacting the author is attached. Dr. Martha Collins is a Family Chiropractor at the Chiropractic Life Centre in Kingston, Canada. It is her mission to spread the word of Chiropractic to help change the world one adjustment at a time. She can be reached at clc@kingston.net.