In October 2007 a TV news station KDKA reported that something unusual was happening at a local pediatric office—the doctor was prescribing “chiropractic adjustments” to his patients suffering with chronic ear infections.
According to this pediatrician, when trying to clear up an ear infection, the use of antibiotics usually has little to no effect on the condition. Ear tubes, which require a local anesthesia and often fall out, were just an ineffective. So he started referring his troubled patients to the chiropractor.
Doctor of Chiropractic, Richard Rafferty, says that just 12 to 18 chiropractic adjustments in a period spanning one to two month should correct the problem and eliminate reoccurring ear infections. His adjustments have come with such success that the word has spread quickly among parents. On a weekly basis Dr. Rafferty now adjusts between 50 and 100 children suffering with chronic ear infections.
So what exactly is an ear infection, and how does chiropractic cure this condition?
When children (and adults) suffer from an ear infection, it is due to a misalignment in the vertebrae of the neck. These out-of-position vertebrae allow abnormal fluid drainage into the middle ear. That fluid is where bacteria grows, causing a painful infection. In order to cure the problem, chiropractors gently realign the vertebrae in the neck. They use a small instrument called an activator, which delivers a light tap, gently nudging misaligned vertebrae back into place, and thus curing the problem.
The full story can be seen on YouTube at: