Everything is peaceful. You’ve just gone to bed. The little one is fast asleep. Then all of a sudden you hear a piercing cry coming from their room.

If you are like the majority of parents this scenario is all too common or waiting to occur as 75% of children will have at least one ear infection by the age of 3. In fact, ear infections are in the top 10 reasons for admittance to the emergency room in the U.S. with 1.6 million visits in 2006. Chronic recurring ear infections will affect 25% of children and become a huge problem for the child and family.

While the most common method of treating ear infections is the use of antibiotics, various pediatric guidelines recommend a watch and wait strategy as routine antibiotic use has been shown to be ineffective and potentially harmful.

For those parents looking to get to the root of the problem or prevent them in the first place, a trip to the chiropractor is one of the most common and effective methods.

According to Dr. Matthew McCoy, a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health, “With everything we know about the dangers of antibiotic abuse and the side effects of drug use in children, chiropractic intervention makes perfect sense in the case of childhood ear and viral infections. In fact, chiropractic is the treatment of choice for dealing with the structural and neurological aspects of ear infections.”

Chiropractors are specifically trained to locate and correct neurological stress known as vertebral subluxation. In the upper neck, delicate nerves supply the muscles that open and close the eustachian tube. When subluxation is present, altered function of these muscles can cause the tubes to not drain properly. Just like a stagnant pool of water that draws mosquitos, fluid trapped in the middle ear is ripe for bacteria and viruses to flourish.

Once the subluxation is corrected with gentle and safe chiropractic adjustments, normal function can return and the body is able to heal naturally.

Countless children and families have been helped with this natural, safe approach to health and well-being. To see if chiropractic can help your child and family, consult with a chiropractor specifically trained to care for children.

Dr. Steve Tullius is a pediatric and family chiropractor located in San Diego. He can be reached at (619) 363-5073.