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Ward Off Ear Infections Naturally This Year

Posted by: Dr. Jessica L. Caruso

According to a recent article in the Ladies Home Journal, 35% of ALL visits to the pediatrician in the United States are for reoccurring ear infections. Sometimes these ear infections are due to bacteria and other times they are due to viruses. Well, then why is the same course of treatment [antibiotics] used for both ‘causes’?

Research and statistics are showing an alarming overuse of antibiotics, leading to super -resistant bacteria which in turn leads to future infections and eventually…TUBES. This surgical approach to ‘treat’ reoccurring infections has miniscule long term results since the tubes placed in the child’s ear often come out and usually require the child to be put under general anesthesia in order to perform the surgery.

Ear pain is the number one reason for child visits to chiropractors. Many chiropractors believe that there is a strong link between the birthing process and recurrent ear infection, also known as otitis media. During the birthing process, cervical (neck) vertebrae can become misaligned, disrupting nerve function, which can affect the eustachian tube. This may lead to fluid buildup in the middle ear and cause otitis media. Misalignments left untreated can irritate the nerves and eventually disrupt the body’s ability to function properly. The purpose of a chiropractic adjustment is to help to restore the normal functioning of the nervous system so the body can heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery. (www.chiropracticresearch.org)

The article in the Ladies Home Journal states, “Chiropractic care is thought to prevent recurrent infections by correcting misalignments (called subluxations) and allowing normal fluid drainage from the middle ear.” What the article took special note of was that 6 months after the chiropractic care was given to the children in the study, 80 percent had not suffered a recurrence of ear infections.

Eighty (80%) percent sure sounds like a better alternative than putting a child under anesthesia for a surgical procedure that has little long term effects.

To learn more about how chiropractic care can help your child, please visit www.HealingHandsNH.com or call Dr. Jessica L. Caruso at 603-434-3456.

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Backpack Safety Tips

Posted by: Dr. Jessica L. Caruso

Think carrying a backpack is “no big deal”? Think again. The average child’s backpack weighs 12 pounds and gets lifted 10 times a day. That equals 120 pounds lifted each day. That works out to be about 21, 600 pounds lifted in a 180-day school year!!!

How exactly does carrying a backpack affect the spine? Common sense tells us that a heavy load distributed unevenly day after day causes stress to a growing spinal column. More than 50% of youths experience at least one low back pain episode by the end of their teen years. Repetitive activities such as hauling a heavy backpack over one shoulder each and every day can lead to serious postural misalignments and imbalances, creating subluxations of the spinal column. These subluxations may cause nerve interference, which can lead to a variety of symptoms and decrease a child’s immune response.

Carrying a heavy backpack in which weight is improperly distributed can result in poor posture; spinal column distortion; muscle strain; headaches; back, neck and arm pain; and nerve damage.

Proper lifting techniques are extremely important. The following is proper backpack lifting technique and should be demonstrated to your child:

Face the backpack before you lift it

Bend at the knees

Using both hands, check the weight of the pack

Lift with legs, NOT your back

Carefully slip on one shoulder strap at a time

NEVER sling the pack on one shoulder

Packing your child’s backpack properly can decrease strain on the spinal column:

Pack the heaviest objects close to the body

Place bumpy objects on the outside, away from the back

Having your child checked regularly by a chiropractor to remove subluxations and insure proper posture during the growing years is very important. Remember, “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.”