letter to the editor Dear Editor, Between the ages of three months to one-year-old, my son Dylan had approximately 10 ear infections. Each time a new one occurred, we followed the same routine. His temperature would spike, followed by a trip to the pediatrician, a prescription for antibiotics, and a hope that after 10 days, his infection would clear up. It seemed that as soon as his ears began to clear, another runny nose would begin, al- most inevitably signaling another ear infection. This continued each month, and these bouts were complicated by Dylan’s unpredictable and sometimes severe reactions to various medicines prescribed by a doctor determined to “knock out the infection” once and for all, with stronger medications and dosages. His last ear infection was the most serious. Both ears where ex- tremely infected, and this time, the antibiotic wasn’t working. The pediatrician adjusted the strength and changed the brand, hoping the new combination would work. Unfortunately, it didn’t and, after a month of taking medicine, and weekly trips to the pediatrician, she fi- nally suggested we see an ear, nose, and throat specialist to have tubes put in my son’s ear. As a parent, I didn’t want to hear that. Luckily, I happened to vent my frustration to a retired chiropractor. She explained to me how going to a chiropractor might help him. I took her advice, and during a trip visiting family in Florida, my wife and I took him to a local chiropractor there. After just two adjust- ments, he was noticeably better. It has been more than a year since that last ear infection, and, with regular chiropractic adjustments, his health has been superb – obvi- ously, he did not get tubes in his ears! As thrilled as we were to finally break this distressing cycle of illness, I found that I was a little upset. You see, what got to me was that I’ve been going to a chiropractor for 20 years – since I was 15. I had a football coach that recommended I see a chiropractor even though I wasn’t in pain. I saw a chiroprac- tor regularly from 15 to 22 years of age. As I became older, I hurt my back multiple times, and of course I saw I chiropractors then. I’ve seen six chiropractors in three different states, and never has a chiropractor properly sat me down to explain all the benefi ts of chiropractic care – especially when it came to helping the entire family. My wife and I had a very allopathic mindset when it came to the health of our children. Our seven-year-old daughter, Brianna, sim- ilarly suffered through a spell of frequent ear infections during her toddler years, though this was never as chronic or severe as our son’s situation. Now, largely because of Dylan’s experiences, we are all regu- lar chiropractic patients. Dylan – at the age of three – loves to visit his chiropractor. As we walk into his offi ce, Dylan makes a bee-line for the adjusting room, climbing on the table, and lying face-down. Whenever Dylan shows any sign of illness, the chiropractor’s office is the fi rst place I take him. Brianna, who has been ice skating on a regular basis since the age of three, also sees our chiropractor. We have learned that her pelvis was out of alignment and was in dire need of an adjustment. What would have happened if this had gone undetected? How might her health have been affected 10, 20, or 25 years from now? Doctors of chiropractic, I am sharing this personal story because there are hun- dreds of patients who regularly come through your office that think they know what you do. But they don’t. What are you doing to ensure your patients are being properly educated on chiropractic care? D Fernandez, Brican Corporation [email protected] www.canadianchiropractor.ca SUBSCRIBE TODAY ! $2800 7 ISSUES only (GST $29.40; QST/HST $31.64) • US $35.00 (USD) • Foreign $50.00 (USD) Name: ___________________________ Clinic Name: ______________________ Address: _________________________ City: ____________________________ Prov: ____________________________ P.Code:___________________________ Tel: _____________________________ Fax: _____________________________ e-mail: ___________________________ PLEASE CHECK ONE: Doctor of Chiropractic Chiropractic or Student Educational or Research Inst. Other ______________________ Please Specify TYPE OF PRACTICE Solo Group Chiropractic Integrated Disciplines Other ______________________ Please Specify Not in Practice - Student ARE YOU? (SELECT ONE) Owner ❏ Assistant ❏ Other ______________________ ❏ Please Specify Associate ❏ Employee ❏ PAYMENT: Cheque - Payable to Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. 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Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor September 2008: Page 53
