Conference moira::parenting_v3

    Would you take you car with engine problems to a tire dealer for
    repair?
    
    Chiropractic is the primarily the treatment of skeleto-muscular disorders
    and often they practice some forms of holistic medicine often through
    chiropractic manipulation.
    
    A well respected British doctor who has done much to bringing real
    medical issues to television, Dr Rob Buckman, examined some
    chiropractic and found little credibility in much of their treatment
    outside of what can be achieved by massage and manipulation.  He does
    not seem one to dismiss any form of medicine lightly, but even found
    some chiropractors claims for muscular manipulation far fetched such
    as balancing the load caused by different length legs.
    
    I would try many MDs for a problem like ear infections long before,
    if ever, I went to a chiropractor.
    
    Stuart

    For immediate treatment of the ear infections, I'd suggest your pedi.
    But I would consider chirpractic for prevention of future ear
    infections. Talk with your chirpractor and get him/her to explain how
    they adjust an infant. Then get a second opinion before deciding. There are
    chiropractors who specialize on families/children (I know of a woman in
    Worc. who does).
    
    Understand that much of the reason for ear infections is that the sinus
    cavity is horizontal in infants/toddlers and doesn't drain well. In
    some families, there is a hereditary propensity to getting infections.
    As children age and their facial bone structure changes, the sinus
    cavity is more at an angle, thus allowing drainage. This is a
    structural growth change that can't be adjust by an MD or chiropractor.
    
    FWIW, I did discuss this a couple years ago with my chiropractor and he
    felt that infants' bones are still so gelatinous (soft) that the need
    for adjustment is rare.
    
    best of luck,
    
    
    

    Mindset: In the early '60s, being driven back from skiing in NH, I saw
    a chiropractor's shingle and asked my parents what a chiropractor was. 
    They answered, basically, "it's an osteopath without a license and not
    permitted [at that time] to practice in Massachusetts."
    
    Reinforcement of mindset: In a spurt of open-mindedness prompted by a
    sprained back muscle, I had one office visit with a chiro [in Mass.,
    after they were legalized].  I sprinted out of there when he decided to
    start pushing on my pubic bone as an "accupressure treatment" for my
    back.  (Hah! Nice try.)
    
    I know there are probably lots of benign ones, but I'll never take the
    chance again.  There are holistic *doctors* out there, and if I need a
    back-cracker I'll go to an osteopath.
    
    Leslie 

    Here is another opinion:
    
    We have a close friend who we trust that is a chiropractor. 
    He gave my husband and I a great overview of chiropractics (what it is -
    how it got started - how it is used to help etc) when we first started
    seeing him.  He has seen many success stories in treatment of adults as
    well as children.  Also in children who were having chronic ear
    infections!  So there are people walking around that have had
    successful results with chiropractors!  I know though that not
    everybody responds to it, but you need to see for yourself if it will
    work for you. This friend is not charging us for our visits, so he's 
    not just trying to rope us into this, he is sincerely trying to help 
    us feel better.  If you visit a chiropractor (hopefully a good one) 
    he can give you literature to look at some of the studies that have 
    been done, even ones specifically about children and ear infections.
    In fact I am going on Wednesday and can bring some in and type it 
    in here if you want.
    
    He has adjusted our 18 mo old, but not on a regular basis, so I
    couldn't tell you if it is successful at preventing ear infections. 
    The adjustments themselves are very uneventful.  An instrument is used
    that has a rubber tip and it is placed at the spot he wants to adjust
    and it just makes a little clicking noise.  There are no big
    manipulations.  My son is oblivious to it.
    
    I was sceptical of chiropractics until I learned more about it.  I
    still think medical doctors are the best at treating ear infections.
    You couldn't go to a chiropractor for a quick fix, but I would choose 
    a chiropractor as a means to prevention!
    
    Barb
    

    One more thing:
    
    I just reread the base note and saw that your infant is 10 weeks old! 
    I think personally I would wait a few months!  But I'll ask about that
    too on Wednesday, and see what my Dr. says.            

    My short person went with me to my chiro at 2 weeks.  The Chiro
    preferred to check for birth trauma early, and found carrie to have no
    problems.  I didn't use her for ear infection prevention, but I do know
    that Joy Gardner had a writeup in her family health series on using
    acupressure points around the ears to keep them draining when an
    infection started.  I did use this while waiting for the Dr. to get
    antibiotics called in to the drugstore and while waiting for them to
    work.  It seemed to help Carrie be more comfortable, and let me feel I
    was doing something for her.
    
    Meg

    Trusting a chiropractor is like trusting any other doctor - 
    an allergist, or gyn, or whatever.  Chiropractors have to
    take more classroom training than an MD!  While most chiropractors
    (IMHO) will tell you that what they do is not a cure-all, there
    are lots of things they can help.  I am prone to sinus infections,
    and my chiropractor, through some massage, has opened up the sinus
    passages when even the antibiotics weren't working.  He did not
    CURE the sinus infection, but certainly improved the pace of
    healing.  He has also helped me with ear infections!
    
    I'm not sure whether one could help your baby, I think it depends
    on your opinion and trust of the chiropractor whether you decide
    to take your baby or not.  Talk to your pedi, your chiropractor,
    look at studies, get another opinion, then decide.  Ask the
    chiropractor HOW he/she can "cure" the ear infections; what
    they would to do to accomplish this.  
    
    Best of luck with this.  Ear infectins are no fun, especially
    for little ones.
    
    Val

    I'm back and I asked my Chiro at what age would he treat an infant and
    he said if his wife had just delivered a baby he would right then and
    there!  He showed me the results of some studies on ear infections as
    well as colic, but I'll just enter the ear infection ones here:
    
    A random group of 1250 babies were examined 5 days after birth.  211
    infants suffered from vomiting, hyperactivity and sleeplessness; spinal
    abnormalities were found in 95% of these infants.  Chiropractic spinal
    adjustments frequently resulted in immediate quieting, cessation of
    crying, muscular relaxation and sleepiness.  The authors stated that
    spinal nerve stress, "...causes many clinical features from central
    motor impairment to lower resistance to infections - especially ear,
    nose and throat infections".
    (This was taken from a book on german medical studies by Gutman, G.
    "Blocked Atlantal Nerve Syndrome in Babies and Infants", Manuelle
    Medizin (1987) 25:5-10. Gutman's colleague Frymann conducted the
    study.)
    
    Another study:
    
    A double-blind study of 171 children with acute otitis media (239
    affected ears), the children were placed into four groups.  One group
    was treated with myringotomy (surgically cutting the eardrum), another
    group was treated with antibiotics, in the third group, both
    myringotomy and antibiotics were given and in the forth group neither
    were given.  According to the authors, "There were no significant
    differences (in) pain, temperature, duration of discharge, otoscopic
    appearances, audiography, or recurrance rates between the four groups. 
    In other words, recovery time was about equal whether medical
    treatments were done or nothing was done.  
    (Taken from Van Buchem, Dunk and Van't Hof, Therapy of Acute Otitis
    Media: Myringotomy, Antibiotics, or Neither? The Lancet October 24,
    1981.)
    
    Chiropractors free the spine from spinal nerve stress with spinal
    adjustments.  The release of spinal nerve stress permits the body to
    function better.  A healthier and stronger spine enables the body to
    muster its powerful natural healing ability to overcome ear infections. 
    Research has shown that vertebral subluxations can directly affect the
    ears.  "Subluxations affecting these levels (C1 through C4) may be
    responsible for deranged function...resulting in the pathological
    response of otitis media.  Restoring the spine to its proper alignment
    through chiropractic care should result in the return of normal nerve
    supply.. and ultimately normal function.."
    (This taken from Hendricks, C.L., D.C. Thier,S.M., D.C. Otitis Media in
    Young Children, Chiropractic, The Journal of Chiropractic Research,
    Study and Clinical Investigation, Jan 1989 Vol 2 No 1 pp9-13.)
    
    I would tend to think then that a child that was under chiropractic
    care from a very young age would not tend to get ear infections!  I
    wonder if this has been proved?  The base noter can be our ginnie-pig! 
    Are you going to take your child in?
    
    

    Thanks for  your note.  I believe that the information you presented is
    also in a brochure in my chiro's office. My child is on her 3rd
    antibiotic (at 10 weeks old) and still is suffering from nasal
    congestion and ear infections.  I will try the chiro tomorrow and keep
    you posted on how she's doing.  
    
    Thanks for all the info!
    
    Anne

    My daughter is now 9 months old.  She has been seeing a chiropractor 
    since she was about 3 weeks old.  Her birth was very difficult, which
    resulted in her head always being to one side and caused one leg
    to be about a inch shorter than the other.  Since she has been seeing
    the chiropractor, she has had no headcolds, ear infections, colic, her
    head is straight and her legs are the same length.  She has been the 
    healthiest baby at day care.  She loves our chiropractor.  She now
    only goes every other month.  I live in Southern NH.  Let me know if
    you want a recommendation. 

    
    
    
    I would like to share my experience. . .
    
    When my daughter was 4-5 months old whe was constantly sick, upper
    respiratory infections, ear infections, constant diarrhea and so on. 
    She was constantly on anitbiotics (very stressful for all of us).  At
    one point she was on the verge of pnemonia- I took her to the
    pediatrician he wanted to put her back on the antibiotic and run
    further test on her.  My brother in-law is a Chiropractor and he
    recommended that I take her to a guy that specialized in children- I
    took her on the same day that we saw the ped.  The Chiropractor agreed
    with the ped that she was on the verge on pnemonia and he said that if
    she didn't show some improvement soon she should be in the hospital. 
    He adjusted her (and did some strange things).  To make a long story
    short she was fine in two days :-)) 
    While Chiropractic may not be for everyone, it was certainly for us!!   
    I continue to take both of my children  (ages 3 and 2) to my brother 
    in-law.  They also have a regular pediatrician.  
    
    Cindy