When babies and young children complain of earaches it's often due to a condition doctors call otitis media. Pediatricians treat otitis media with antibiotics, or in some extreme cases, by surgically inserting tubes that drain the fluid. Left untreated, the condition can cause permanent hearing loss.
Chiropractors claim they can fight ear infections with neck manipulation.
A 1999 survey published in the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association examined what Canadian chiropractors treat children for. The survey ranks otitis media as the second most common ailment chiropractors dealt with in patients under two years old. It's not possible to determine what percentage of that money went to chiropractors treating ear problems, because chiropractors do not bill by ailment treated. The College did not return our call. That doesn't include the portion parents pay themselves.