Chiropractic Care for Children Receives More Press

Two recent news articles feature chiropractic care for general wellness and for children. One article from the August 28, 2003 Press & Sun Bulletin from Binghamton NY, starts off by featuring 5-year-old Michael Smolinsky as he receives his chiropractic adjustment. Michael’s mother Joanne, noted that her son started seeing Dr. McAulliffe three years ago because, after nine months of chronic ear infections, she didn’t know where to turn. All of the pediatricians and ear, nose and throat doctors she took her son to couldn’t figure out what was wrong and just kept prescribing medication that didn’t seem to help.

“It concerned me,” Joanne Smolinsky said. “How much medicine can you put into a 2-year-old child?” She then recalled that doctors suggested putting tubes in Michael’s ears to drain excess fluids. The idea of putting her son under anesthesia scared her, and after talking to her chiropractor she decided to give chiropractic a shot. Her medical doctors didn’t support the idea, so she couldn’t get a referral for insurance purposes. After receiving chiropractic every six weeks for three years, Michael has had only one ear infection in that time. He also experienced the same good results with dizzy spells that he had been previously having.

Another article featured in the August 18, 2003 Star Online News of North Carolina, starts off by saying, “In recent years, chiropractors nationwide have been increasingly successful in beating the “back-pain only” rap with statistics and growing testimonials about chiropractic care’s benefits, for everything from stress and fatigue to sinus trouble and asthma. And whether young or old, folks in Southeastern North Carolina, too, are making use of what’s renewing itself as one of the hottest trends in healthcare.”

This story highlighted 3-year-old Christian Kent of Leland. When Christian was a mere 6 months old, he developed recurring ear infections. These ear infections would clear up with medicine, but they would always return. After a year and numerous trips to an ear, nose and throat specialist, it was determined that at a year and a half old, he needed tubes in his ears. Cindy Kent, Christian’s mother remembers her initial reaction, “I thought, ‘Oh no’.” she then continued. “Instead, we brought him to the chiropractor and after six adjustments, the ear infection was gone.”

“People should be focused on correcting the root of the problem,” said Dr. Reese, a chiropractor interviewed for the article. “This is not an alternative, but its own distinct form of health care. People should have a chiropractor, just like they should have a doctor, a dentist or a mechanic.”