How Chiropractors Can Help Kids with ADHD
Six million children (aged between three and 17 years old) are diagnosed with ADHD in the United States, the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder. Many parents feel lost about how to care for their kids, as medication provides inadequate treatment for the condition and degrades a child’s academic and social abilities.
If your child is struggling with ADHD, consider bringing them to Restore Chiropractic in Maple Grove, Minnesota, for care. Our neurologically-focused chiropractors will give your child the specialized care and attention needed to improve on underlying issues you weren’t aware of.
Read our reviews and testimonials to hear from past patients and parents.
What Is ADHD?
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that typically starts showing in early childhood, causing hyperactivity, lack of focus, and impulsivity. ADHD can affect children in various ways, depending on the severity or whether the child is male or female.
Boys are three times as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD and are more likely to experience hyperactivity and impulsivity as side effects. Girls diagnosed with ADHD often have inattentiveness in school and seem withdrawn or anxious throughout the day.
ADHD Chiropractic Care Options
ADHD is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed neurological disorders because it has such a broad range of symptoms, and many of its symptoms are natural behavioral traits of young children. Many parents are wary of giving their young children pharmaceutical treatment – for good reason – and look for alternatives through chiropractic care.
While it is a hotly debated topic, it is widely proven that chiropractic adjustments have helped children manage symptoms of ADHD and begin living a more normal life.
Chiropractors work to improve the neural tension and communication pathways between a child’s brain, spinal cord, and other regions of the body, allowing the brain to heal and function as it should. Given that ADHD is a disorder located in multiple centers of the brain, chiropractic care works to catalyze normal brain functioning. Let’s look at the specific ways that chiropractic care can help children diagnosed with ADHD.
Balance the Autonomic Nervous System
The Autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts: the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest). Children with ADHD are often stuck in a state of sympathetic dominance, meaning their bodies are constantly “on edge,” leading to hyperactivity, impulsivity, and difficulty focusing.
Specific adjustments, particularly in the upper cervical spine, can help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. This promotes a calming effect on the brain. Spinal misalignments (subluxations) can also create persistent, low-level stress signals that keep the brain in a state of hyper-arousal. Correcting these allows the brain to transition into a more relaxed, attentive state.
Improve the Proprioception and Brain Function
Proprioception is the brain’s ability to sense the body’s position in space. It is vital for living and moving, and the brain dedicates a significant amount of activity to processing where the body is and how it's moving.
If the joints in the spine are restricted or misaligned, the brain receives poor-quality data about the body, which can lead to “brain fog” or difficulty with motor control.
Some studies suggest that spinal adjustments may influence the function of the prefrontal cortex–the area of the brain responsible for executive functions. These include decision-making, impulse control, and sustained attention. Improved spinal motion leads to better sensory input, which may help “wake up” these areas of the brain.
Reduce Physical Tension and Discomfort
Children diagnosed with ADHD often struggle with sensory processing and may be hypersensitive to physical discomfort that they cannot clearly articulate. Chiropractic care for children with ADHD can help improve sleep quality and relieve hidden stressors, such as headaches and muscle tension.
Benefits of ADHD Chiropractic Care
Many parents bring their children in for chiropractic care bi-weekly while weaning them off medication to see results. From our experience at Restore Chiropractic, children who receive regular chiropractic adjustments see improvements in school with better relationships with classmates, calmer behavior in the classroom, and improved grades.
Young children with ADHD experience a broad range of side effects from medication and stress due to their disorder. After a few months of chiropractic care, many children who once experienced nocturnal enuresis, poor posture, frequent headaches, seizures, and speech issues no longer have those symptoms or see their symptoms reduced significantly.
Schedule an Appointment With Restore Chiropractic Today
Contact the adolescent chiropractic care experts at Restore Chiropractic today for more information about how we can help your child with ADHD. Call us at 612-516-3090 or book an appointment online at our Maple Grove, MN office.