Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a
relatively common condition that tends to emerge in
children during their early school years. The most
common signs of ADHD are:
•
Inattention
•
Hyperactivity
•
Impulsive Behavior
•
Difficulty Concentrating
It
is estimated that between 3 and 5 percent of
children have ADHD - approximately 2 million
children in the United States - and is much more
common in
boys than
girls.# This means that in a classroom of 25 to 30
children, it is likely that at least one will have
ADHD. However, because many normal children may show
some of these same behaviors as well, it is
important that a child receive a thorough
examination and appropriate diagnosis before any
treatment is considered. It is not entirely certain
what causes ADHD, but the current thought is that it
is a combination of an overactive nervous system,
coupled with a decrease in the brain's ability to
filter out extraneous sights, sounds, thoughts and
emotions. Although chiropractors don't directly
treat ADHD, there are a number of things that your
chiropractor can do to help eliminate things that
stress a child's nervous system, such as:
• Remove
spinal subluxations that irritate the nervous system
•
Suggest dietary changes to avoid common problem
foods
• Test
for allergies that may be stressing the nervous
system
• Suggest
changes to the home to help reduce exposure to toxic
chemicals
The
most common medical treatment is the use of the drug
methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin. Ritalin is
actually a stimulant drug that normally speeds up
the
activity
of the nervous system. But for reasons that are not
entirely clear, it tends to have a calming effect on
those who suffer from ADHD; possibly by increasing
the activity in the area of the brain responsible
for filtering out extraneous sensation. The problem
with taking Ritalin is that is does not do anything
to resolve the cause of the ADHD, it only masks the
symptoms. Continued use of Ritalin over long periods
of time has also been shown to have detrimental#
effects on the brain itself. It is important as a
parent to look at all treatment options before
placing your child on Ritalin and chiropractic care
is a great place to start. Contact us today!