Updated: August 8/14/2020
As you probably know, ADHD is a topic of ongoing clinical trials. One 2019 study found some evidence that chiropractic care helped participating children with ADHD. You can see it here. Specifically, this particular trial focused on seeing if chiropractor care helped these children improve their reading. Many kids with ADHD have reading problems due to their inability to focus.
Chiropractic care can soothe the nervous system. While that may seem unrelated to ADHD and reading, it’s not. According to the study, “ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is associated with significant alterations in brain development and function.”
So, by soothing the nervous system, the brain can send and receive messages easier. And when the brain communicates with the body well, this can enhance motor skills and focus.
ADHD, also known as attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity, mostly affects boys between the ages of 4 and 17. (Source.)
You’re probably familiar with medications like Adderall and Ritalin. You may even know these are stimulates that can affect your child’s sleep, mood, and even growth patterns. Yet, chiropractic care may be able to help naturally.
According to a study in Explore, children aged 9-13 diagnosed with ADHD, experienced relief with regular chiropractic care. The best part of this study is that these young children were able to not use psychotropic drugs on their developing brains.
Why would chiropractic care help kids with ADHD?
Here’s one theory. During your child’s birth, he or she suffers a spinal trauma. This happens to roughly 5% of children. These spinal injuries may not be noticed at the time because they aren’t obvious. This means the children grow up with a slight imbalance that can become more significant later in life.
The other thing that can happen is active kids may experience a spinal injury via a fall or rough play.
In either case, the spine is out of alignment. If the spine tilts to the left or the right (and it can be the tiniest bit “off”) this affects the head and neck alignment. That misalignment affects the Central Nervous System in that communications don’t flow as smoothly from the brain through the body because there is interference in the communications channel.
Chiropractors, as you may know, are specialists in the Central Nervous System. They do far more than relieving back pain. They align the entire body which takes the pressure off nerves and allows for improved communication between the brain and the body. Improving that communication can provide a world of healthy benefits.
One study dating all the way back to 1989 reported, “Following chiropractic care, 57% showed an improvement in chiropractic radiographic findings; 71.4% showed a reduction in overt behavior activity; 57% showed improvement in the level of autonomic activity, and 57% showed improvement in parental ratings of hyperactivity.”
Some parents have been able to reduce or end their reliance on medication that controls their child’s behavior. If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD and you’re in Doylestown, Pa, why not schedule a visit to McQuaite Chiropractic?
Side effects of chiropractic care include a stronger immune system and the potential to prevent injuries. Why not try a healthy, natural solution for ADHD?
