Chiropractic Care + ADHD: Managing Symptoms
With the turning of seasons and gearing up for school this month, changes can be tough on our kids. Some kids have an extra difficult time with focus, controlling impulsive behaviors, and being overly active. Sometimes, it gets to the point where it happens so frequently that it interferes with school, work, and other daily activities.
Parents typically seek answers as to why this is happening. A possible answer is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These are common symptoms of ADHD:
Impulsiveness
Disorganization and problems prioritizing
Poor time management skills
Problems focusing on a task
Trouble multitasking
Excessive activity or restlessness
Poor planning
Low frustration tolerance
Frequent mood swings
Problems following through and completing tasks
Hot temper
Trouble coping with stress
This answers the what but not the why. A lot of research has been done to find out the reason why. Traditionally, it was thought that a chemical imbalance within the body caused it. Newer research has shown that it is more so connected to stress before and after birth.
Here is a list of associated stressors:
Fertility challenges and interventions such as medications, IUI, and IVF
High amounts of stress, anxiety, emotions, or medications during pregnancy
Birth interventions and trauma such as forceps, vacuum assistance, induction, and C-section during labor and delivery
Infantile colic, difficulty latching and breastfeeding, reflux, and constipation
Frequent ear and other respiratory infections, along with frequent use of antibiotics
Delayed motor milestones and challenges with motor tone and coordination
Frequent challenges with sensory processing and integration, leading to challenges with transitions, sleeping, tantrums, and frequent meltdowns or behavior issues in the toddler and preschool stages of development
These highlight how stress for kids looks a lot different than for adults. Stress for kids can start before conception. It can happen throughout the pregnancy too. Then, birth, which is one of the single most stressful events in our lives. Once born, we hit the ground running with development. We go from just eating, sleeping, and pooping to learning to roll over, crawl, walk, communicate with facial expressions, fine motor skills, and the list keeps growing. Learning all these things is stressful in and of itself, but adding extra stress from the list above can cause a cascade of setbacks in development. If these aren’t addressed, they can manifest as ADHD or other sensory processing disorders.
What can we do to help with these issues? We’ve heard many stories of frustration about their primary care providers telling them, “They will grow out of it,” which is not the case. Another common story we hear is, “They want to put my kid on all these medications.” These can help with the symptoms but do not address the root cause. Plus, what are the long-term side effects of the medications? Chiropractic care is a great natural option for helping babies, kids, and adults handle stress at any stage in the game. Through chiropractic adjustments, correcting subluxation eases the stress load on our nervous systems.