Aiden started having ear infections. He had one I believe last winter more or less right before the new year. And then The month of February he spent all but about five days on antibiotics. The first one, was a double one, and the doctor told me to hope that we caught it in time with an aggressive dose of amoxicillin that his ear wouldn't rupture. Gee thanks. Luckily, it didn't. Turn around a few days after his last dose of antibiotics and we are back in the doctor's office and sure enough another one. So another round of even bigger and badder antibiotics, and a referral to see the Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. This visit was scheduled for three days after his last dose of antibiotics. After looking in his ears for oh say 10 seconds, that's for them both not a piece, I was told that his right ear was clear, which was where the last infection was, but he couldn't tell me anything about his left. Say what? Yup, couldn't tell me anything. And then he spent more time telling me that the only thing they can do is put tubes in his ears. Which meant anesthesia and surgery, and anesthesia. And quite frankly that terrifies to even imagine either one of my kids in surgery, under anesthesia. Just not something I ever want to deal with.
A little back story now, on New year's Eve I hurt my back, like bad enough I went to the E.R. on New Year's Day. I ended up with a couple of shots and some ibuprofen. And was told to make a follow up with my doc. At the follow up, I received a referral for physical therapy because that's what our insurance does. In talking with the therapist about Aiden's ear issues, she recommends talking to the chiropractor about it. She had taken her oldest in and hardly had any problems when he was teething and his ears. So, I talk to the chiropractor, who by the way is just an awesome, doctor, and awesome human being, just awesome. Come to find out there is an adjustment that is used to help your eustachian tubes drain. They stimulate a nerve that causes your soft palate to relax, as it relaxes it is no longer constricting your tubes and they can drain. Wow. And he of course used a lot more latin words to describe the procedure and what parts of the body that are affected, however that's the basic laymen's version of what happens. This explanation made a lot more sense to why my son kept coming down with ear infections, then the specialist who told me that teething has nothing to do with it, and it is happening because in utero his tubes didn't develop all the way, but they weren't underdeveloped, and that it actually had more to do with his head not being big enough, and teething has nothing to do with it. Technically the specialist is right. Bacteria causes the infection. Bacteria that builds up from sitting in his ear because it's not draining down his tube like it's supposed to. Kind of makes sense if a muscle is so tense say from teething pain, that it is constricting the tube and it can't drain. I don't know, like I said I'm not a doctor, but I'd say that if that muscle was relaxed and his ears were draining then the fluid wouldn't be sitting for the bacteria to grow in. Just saying.
So I took my son to the chiropractor. We went in, and the second the doctor touched his neck, he went still. I mean like completely still. The only time I see him that still is at the chiropractors. Crazy. And according to the doctor, every baby has that reaction. Like they know not to move. So he laid him on the table, Aiden relaxed pretty easy, and after manipulating his neck with his pinkies, all of a sudden Aiden took a huge swallow. And then nearly fell asleep on the table. Darndest thing I have ever seen. And the reaction is either to be wired for sound to to go to sleep. Aiden does the latter. And all of this happened in about five minutes.
Please don't get me wrong, there are some cases that cannot be controlled by this alone, and even my chiropractor told me that it's not a cure, we're just helping his body work the way it's supposed to. It doesn't mean that he won't get ear infections. But hopefully tubes will be a last resort scenario, and so far, we have been blessed with our alternative treatment and the outcome.
Aiden isn't a severe case. My god daughter had to have tubes, and she ended up with some hearing loss. So I get it. I do. She had major issues hearing. Aiden never did, I just thought he was ignoring me, so I would raise my voice or make sure he was paying attention, he is a infant/toddler. Plus we use the Signing Time dvd's so I was also signing most things to him. In fact after the horrible visit with the specialist, we went out to dinner because it was late, and in leaving I had to say four or five times let's go home to him, into his left ear and I got nothing. However once I got his attention, I signed it, once, and in the middle of the second sign, he was headed for the door. Looking back a lot more little things made more sense. Loud noises didn't bother him, now they do. Also he doesn't turn the stereo up so loud or as often. And he is saying more sounds. He started on a Thursday with his adjustments, and by that weekend he was saying Ma. Which he hadn't said since before Christmas.
In the beginning he saw the Chiropractor pretty regularly, from a every other day, to twice a week to now it's I make an appointment when I think he needs one. Like I said I know that there are varying degrees of severity when it comes to this topic, and by far mine is pretty mild. But I was lucky and very graced, to be in the write time when I needed to be to learn of this alternative, and we have had wonderful results. I hope anyone who finds this and reads it that it gives you something to think about, and that if you decide to try it that it works for you like it worked for us.
