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Parents, if you have a child struggling with ADHD, whether they’re diagnosed or not, whether they’re on medication or not, please know that you are not alone. ADHD affects 6 million kids in the United States. Over 4 million of them are on medication that can have harmful short-term and long-term side effects.
So, we want to delve into the root causes of ADHD. Including the neurology, chemistry, and physiology behind it, in a way that is easy to understand. This is specifically for parents who do not want to use medications to help their child with ADHD challenges. We nickname our ADHD kiddos “Raging Bulls” because they have a lot of energy and drive, and we absolutely love their personalities. If you resonate with this, then this is perfect for you.
We’ll explore the causes of ADHD and how it can be turned into a superpower for your child. We’ll also talk about the struggles that come with ADHD, such as difficulty with sleep. However, the most important message is that you can turn your child’s ADHD into a superpower without medication.
We want to debunk the outdated medical theories surrounding ADHD and get to the root of the neurology that is causing it. It’s important for parents to understand that once you know what’s really behind ADHD, you can start working on drug-free solutions to balance your child’s nervous system and help them thrive.
The Genetic and Chemical Imbalance Theories
It’s alarming that there is no medical test for ADHD, and yet 6 million children have been diagnosed with it. 4 million are taking dangerous medications based on two scientific theories that both lack evidence. The first theory is the genetic theory, which suggests that ADHD is purely genetic. The second is the chemical imbalance theory. It proposes that certain chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and epinephrine are out of order, and medications are required for life to correct this imbalance.
This is where Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic comes in. Many people seek out chiropractic care for physical ailments, such as chronic neck or back pain. They may not even know they have ADHD, but will soon discover that a lot of times neurological challenges actually stem from these physical ailments.
Contrary to popular belief, the number one cause of ADHD is not bad genetics or bad chemistry. It’s actually imbalanced neurology.
The True Root Cause – Imbalanced Neurology
Our nervous system has two sides – the gas pedal fight or flight side and the brake pedal parasympathetic side. When the fight or flight side is overstimulated, it can lead to ADHD symptoms like impulsivity, hyperactivity, and emotional dysregulation. This is because ADHD is a subtype that is impulsive or hyperactive in nature.
However, the other side of the nervous system called the parasympathetic side, is also known as the “brake pedal.” This side of the nervous system is responsible for rest, relaxation, focus, following directions, and emotional control. Unfortunately, for children with ADHD, this side of the nervous system is underactive, and their gas pedal side is overactive.
Early Stressors Affect Neurology
So why does this happen? During the first few years of life, the brain is highly plastic and moldable. If a child experiences a lot of stress during this critical period, it can wreak havoc on the brainstem and nervous system. This stress can begin all the way back to pregnancy, labor, delivery, and birth interventions resulting in birth trauma. Furthermore, if a child experiences early-life stressors such as a lot of antibiotics or challenges, it can shift the neurology and hardwire the brain to be excessively in sympathetic overdrive.
When the nervous system is in this overdrive state, it creates an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are responsible for transmitting messages within the nervous system. This imbalance leads to the classic symptoms of ADHD.
We’ve discussed neurological differences between the gas and brake pedals of the brain with traditional medical doctors. This phenomenon is not merely a theory but a scientifically-backed explanation for ADHD, anxiety, sensory processing disorders, and other related conditions.
While chemical imbalances are present in these cases, they are not the root cause but rather a secondary effect. The chemicals involved are meant to regulate the nervous system, and respond to stimuli with either a fight or flight response. In the case of individuals with ADHD, their nervous system is wired to respond with an excessive urge to move, talk, or engage in risky behaviors. This is where the neurotransmitters come into play – responding to the nervous system’s signals.
Therefore, while the chemical imbalance theory is not inaccurate, it is incomplete as it fails to address the underlying neurological differences that lead to these behaviors.
Air Traffic Control – The Autonomic Nervous System
There is something deeper, the true root cause of these chemical imbalances in children lies in an imbalance in the central or autonomic nervous system. The root cause is often caused by early stressors a child experiences. While genetics may play a small role, the stressful and toxic environment we live in today affects our children earlier than ever before. Leading to what we call the Perfect Storm theory.
But here’s the good news: by rebalancing and restoring function to the nervous system, we can address the true root cause of these imbalances using neurologically-focused chiropractic care. By focusing on the central nervous system, we can reactivate and wake up the “brake pedal” side of the nervous system. The side that is responsible for calming and regulating the body.
We have trained using a unique set of care protocols for children with neurological challenges, regardless of their specific diagnosis. The interest is not simply in treating or curing ADHD; our focus is on addressing the cause of the symptoms. We do this by using an adjusting protocol system that activates the parasympathetic side of the nervous system. This helps with concentration and calming.
The length and frequency of our neurologically focused chiropractic care plan depends on the severity and duration of a child’s nervous system challenges. We work with each family to create a customized care plan to help achieve optimal nervous system function.
In order for your child’s brain and nervous system to calm down and function at their best, this care plan is necessary. It is commonly known as neurologically focused restoration chiropractic care. If your child is struggling in school with failing grades, a fried brain, and an inability to concentrate or sleep, and ADHD seems to be getting the better of them – there is HOPE. Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic care can turn their ADHD into a superpower.
We believe that every child with ADHD has so much potential. They possess a unique brain and drive that when properly harnessed, can be a superpower.
The world needs more raging bulls. But for those kids who are always on the go, it’s important that they have the ability to slow down and take corners more smoothly when needed.
Chiropractic care is a drug-free option that addresses the root cause of your child’s ADHD. By activating their brake pedal system, we can regulate their chemistry, physiology, and overall body function. It’s a transformative approach that can help children of any age and severity.
It’s frustrating that traditional medicine often lacks a complete understanding of the chemical theory behind ADHD. And doesn’t offer a test for it. At our offices, we believe in providing measurable results, and our ADHD test does just that.
If you’re ready to take the next step, please give our office a call! If you’re not local to our office, check out our directory and find a PX Doc local to you. Your child deserves to reach their full potential. This can be achieved without relying on medication and looking forward to a brighter future. We’re always here to support you and your child on their journey toward success.
We understand that there’s a lot to keep track of when it comes to taking care of our little ones. From the numerous items in the diaper bag to everything they need day to day, it can be extremely overwhelming. Then there is a whole other chart that isn’t in that diaper bag we need to be aware of as parents, and it’s called the Developmental Milestones Chart. These are things that your pediatrician or family doctor will check in with you on during your well-baby checks.
Often, motor development and developmental milestones are overlooked, dismissed, or missed altogether by pediatricians and standard doctors. So, in this blog, we are going to discuss gross motor development, referring to your baby’s larger muscles. Milestones tummy time, rolling over, sitting up, crawling, and walking. These are important movements that contribute to your child’s overall health and well-being.
As a parent, it can be challenging to navigate these issues without proper knowledge or expertise in neurodevelopment. That’s why we’re here to provide you with the answers and explanations you need. As pediatric chiropractors, neurodevelopment is our expertise.
If you’re concerned about your child’s motor milestones and aren’t receiving the answers you need from your pediatrician, this is for you. It’s also suitable for parents whose children have plateaued in physical therapy or other related therapies. Please share this information with other parents who may be experiencing similar struggles!
The missing link we’re about to discuss is not typically found in pediatrician’s offices. Or even evaluations by physical, occupational, or speech therapists. However, when neurologically-focused chiropractic is added in, it can yield excellent results.
PTs and pediatricians are simply not trained to look for this missing link, but it’s present in 80-90% of cases. If it is not found, it cannot be fixed. If it’s not identified and addressed, it can lead to weak core muscles and limbs, as well as low-tone challenges. We’ll also explore the cause of low tone and break that down in this blog.
The Connection Between Gross Motor Development and the Nervous System
So what is that missing link?
The key to understanding motor development lies in the nervous system. The developing muscles of your child’s body are under complete and total control of the nervous system.
The central nervous system is the absolute boss and controller of the muscular system.
When we look at motor delays or structural deformations, such as plagiocephaly and torticollis, we find that these gross motor and structural challenges have a neurological foundation. Stress can affect the central nervous system, causing it to be stressed out and wound up. The nervous system has two sides to it. The sympathetic fight or flight tension side and the parasympathetic calm and relaxation side. When the sympathetic nervous system is firing and overactive, the muscles become too tight and too wound up. This is what we find in many of our gross motor and neurodevelopmental cases.
You may be thinking, “That’s not my child’s problem. My child has low tone.” However, hypotonicity or low tone cannot exist in the core or limbs without first having excessive hyper-high tone in the neuro spinal and brain stem areas. The central nervous system comprises the brain, spinal cord, and motor and sensory nerves that control every tissue and cell of the body, especially the muscles. If the central nervous system is injured during birth trauma, from a fall or childhood physical trauma, it can cause misalignment, fixation, and tension, also known as subluxation.
Subluxation can take the central nervous system and wind up the fight-or-flight sympathetic nervous system. Especially in the neck, traps, and shoulders. If your child has low tone or coordination challenges, we need to assess their brainstem, neck, and spine to identify any subluxations that may be present. Pediatricians, PTs, and OTs are not trained to assess the nervous system in the same way that a trained, neurologically-focused pediatric chiropractor is.
Sequential Order of Gross Motor Development
It’s important to address gross motor delays, as gross motor development needs to occur in a complete, organized, and timely fashion to kick on fine motor and advanced neurodevelopment. Think of it like project management, where the gross motor system needs to develop first. The big muscles of the neck, spine, trunk, core, and limbs. And it’s not just the big muscles on the outside, but also the muscles on the inside that need to be functioning properly.
This neuro-gross motor system needs to be fully functional before the brain can focus on speech and socialization. As well as behavioral and emotional regulation. What we see all the time is that these gross motor delays are missed. Because it’s not a parent’s job to know how to spot them, and pediatricians are not trained to spot them.
As mentioned, birth trauma, such as a stressful pregnancy or an intervention during delivery, can lead to subluxation. Subluxation can cause tension and tightness in your child’s neck, traps, shoulders, and spine right from the start. This can result in weak core and limb muscles. In turn making it difficult for your child to develop their gross motor skills, which can then lead to developmental issues later on.
If your child exhibits signs such as being colicky, fussy, having torticollis or plagiocephaly, acid reflux, chronic ear infections, or difficulty sleeping, these may all be indications of subluxation in the central nervous system. Until this subluxation is found, fixed, and adjusted, your child may continue to experience challenges with gross motor development, which can hinder their overall development. Because everything not only has to ‘go on time’ as the charts say but more importantly, it’s supposed to go in the right order and sequence.
If you have tried everything, from tummy time to regular PT sessions, and are still struggling, or if you haven’t started yet, there is still hope and we’d love to help! Understanding this crucial piece of information can be the key to unlocking your child’s full potential.
If you suspect your child may be subluxated, please give us a call to schedule your exam and consultation. Our team can then conduct an INSiGHT scan. This scan measures neuromotor function and can determine if your child is subluxated and the severity of that subluxation. From there, you can get a customized care plan! This will help your child get back on track with their gross motor development and overall health.
Motor development and overall developmental milestones are crucial for the health and function of the brain later in life. If subluxation is the hidden challenge hindering your child’s development, it’s crucial to take action and address it sooner than later. We want to help you take the necessary steps to ensure your child reaches their full potential!
As parents ourselves, we know firsthand how distressing it is to hear your baby cry incessantly. When it’s just a little whimper, we want to jump right in and comfort them, but when it’s all day, every day, and they’re writhing in discomfort and can’t sleep, it’s excruciating to witness. This could be a sign of colic. Unfortunately, many pediatricians tend to dismiss colic as just normal crying and may tell you they’ll grow out of it. But if your gut is telling you that something isn’t right, it’s time to dig deeper.
Colic is a common catch-all term used to describe a baby who is crying excessively and is unable to sleep or eat comfortably. It affects about one in five babies, but we believe that number may even be higher. The challenge with colic is that it’s often dismissed as just normal baby behavior, leaving parents feeling helpless and frustrated.
We want to help parents understand the root causes of colic and what they can do to alleviate their baby’s discomfort. We’ll take a closer look at a case study of a baby who was helped named Nicholas. Nicholas was experiencing digestive issues, torticollis, and extreme discomfort. His mom knew that something more was going on and sought out chiropractic care.
The #1 Missing Link: The Nervous System
One contributor to colic can be nutrition. Certain foods may be more difficult for babies to digest, whether through formula or breastfeeding. However, the biggest missing link that many parents and pediatricians overlook is the nervous system.
The nervous system is the foundation for all other systems in the body, including digestion, immunity, and motor function.
The nervous system was certainly the missing link for Nicholas, as well as thousands of other babies with colic we’ve been able to take care of at our practice. We’re passionate about helping parents understand the root causes of colic and how they can help their babies find relief. Let’s dive deep into the science behind colic and provide some practical tips for parents.
Babies Do NOT Grow Out of Colic
We first want to address a common misconception about colic. It is not something that babies simply grow out of. If your parent gut is telling you that something is not right, you’re absolutely correct. There is something going on within your baby’s body that you CAN address.
Many times, parents are told to just let their babies cry it out or to make dietary changes. However, these solutions usually don’t work. In fact, they may be causing more stress for you as a parent. Breastfeeding mothers may feel like they have to give up certain foods in order to help their baby, which can be very stressful during a time when they need to focus on their own healing and nervous system.
What is so disheartening about this for so many families is that not only has their baby been crying nonstop, but they’ve tried everything. They’ve gone all in on diet changes and tried probiotics, gas drops, and herbal, natural, and nutritional remedies. After all that, their baby is still crying, arching, and uncomfortable. This is exactly what happened with Nicolas.
What Is Subluxation, and How Can INSiGHT Scans Help Detect It?
The reality is that there is something deeper going on, and that’s where subluxation comes in. Subluxation is simply a nerdy chiropractic word that means stress stuck on. When babies are colicky and inconsolable, it’s often because their nervous system is stuck in fight or flight mode. What we want is for them to spend more time in parasympathetic rest, digest, and poop mode.
Babies are supposed to eat, sleep, poop, and be cute. If they’re not doing these things and seem to be uncomfortable, then there is most likely subluxation present. I want to dive into Nicholas’s case and scans to explain this further.
These INSiGHT neurological scans are an incredible technology designed to detect and find stress on the nerves and muscles that control everything within your baby’s body. These scans are crucial because they help us understand how your baby’s nervous system is functioning and can identify subluxation.
The digestive system is the first thing that needs to develop for an infant. It’s controlled primarily through the parasympathetic nervous system, which means rest and digest. The number one nerve that controls the parasympathetic and digestive motility function is a nerve called the vagus nerve. This nerve branches from the upper cervical brainstem area.
Unfortunately, the vagus nerve is most easily subluxated either through a breach or abnormal positioning while the baby is still in utero or, most especially, through birth interventions such as forceps, vacuum, and C-sections where we twist, yank, and pull a baby out into the world. This subluxation causes misalignment in the upper cervical brainstem area, which is where the vagus nerve branches from.
The vagus nerve needs to make its way down through the cervical spine, thorax, and into the abdomen. It opens up the esophagus and activates the stomach and small intestine in our digesting processes. Any areas where there is a lot of green, blue, and red in the scans indicate areas of built-up stuck tension, which is caused by subluxation.
The built-up and stuck tension are levels of subluxation that interfere with the function of the gut, motor developmental system, ears, throat, and lungs. Children who end up with a lot of colic and torticollis may develop ear and respiratory infections later on.
For instance, Nicholas’s initial scans showed significant subluxation in multiple areas. This caused stress in his neuro-digestive function, leading to colic and torticollis. However, after receiving gentle, neurologically focused adjustments, we were able to release and unwind the tension from his nervous system. Nicholas started sleeping longer hours, and his neck and torticollis were resolved. His digestive system went from jammed up to kicking butt and pooping on the regular.
Chiropractic Care Can Help Your Colicky Baby
A pediatric chiropractor’s primary goal is to understand and address the root cause of colic in infants. We don’t treat or cure colic – we use thermal scans and other technologies to locate and quantify the subluxation and sympathetic stress that are causing the issue. With this information, we can develop a personalized care plan that includes gentle, safe adjustments to release the subluxation and reduce the stress on your child’s nervous system. That is what our office is trained to do. The result is a happy, relaxed baby who can eat, sleep, and poop like they’re supposed to.
Colic is a serious issue that can lead to chronic ear infections, behavioral challenges, and delays in gross motor, fine motor, and speech development. That’s why it’s important to address it as early as possible. When the nervous system is under stress, it interferes with the vagus nerve and gut function. By making gentle, effective neuro-tonal adjustments, we can help your child sleep better, poop better, and be more relaxed overall.
If you’re a new parent dealing with colic, we hope this is helpful to you. Please share this information with other parents who may be struggling with similar issues. If you think that your child is likely experiencing stress on their nervous system, we encourage you to give us a call to schedule an appointment so we can take a deeper look into your baby’s nervous system.
By identifying and addressing the root cause of colic, we can help your child thrive and reach their developmental milestones.
So don’t wait – take action today and give your child the best possible start in life.
Today we want to discuss a topic with you that may be unfamiliar but can make a significant difference in your child’s health – we call it subluxation. As parents, understanding what subluxation is and how it impacts our children’s health is absolutely crucial. Once you understand what subluxation is, you will be all in trying to find a way to get rid of it.
Subluxation is stress on the nervous system, which can lead to a range of issues. Including gut problems, sensory issues, emotional and behavioral challenges, and immune system issues. However, on the other side of subluxation is a healthy nervous system that regulates the gut, immune system, and motor system and gets everything in sync with your child’s brain or hard drive.
Subluxation is not something that you’ll typically hear about from a standard pediatrician or medical office. Unfortunately, the medical definition of subluxation is outdated and simplified, leading to a lack of understanding of its neurological component. This is where neurologically focused pediatric chiropractic comes in – this is our specialty.
As parents, you need to know the science and story behind subluxation. So let’s break it down visually. Subluxation is a significant issue that can be tackled by a trained neurologically focused pediatric chiropractor. By figuring out whether subluxation is the root cause of your child’s health problems, you can take steps to eliminate it and get your child’s health back on track.
The Three Parts of Subluxation
Subluxation is a three-part problem. The first part is a misalignment in the neuromotor system, which includes the musculoskeletal and neuro spinal systems. The spine, in particular, is the most influential motor system we have.
Misalignment in the spine leads to fixation, which is better described as tension or altered tone. If you’ve taken your child to a pediatric therapist, you’ve probably heard about proprioception, tone, coordination, and other motor-based challenges. These are the first parts of subluxation, affecting much more than just the musculoskeletal system.
The third element of subluxation is where the real challenge comes in because it causes neurological imbalance within the brain and nervous system. This leads to interference and imbalance in the central or autonomic nervous system, called Dysautonomia. When subluxation shifts the nervous system into sympathetic “fight or flight” dominance, it can negatively impact the thriving, growing, digesting, sleeping, resting, and immune function of your child. We need that gas pedal side of the nervous system for survival, but it is not where we thrive. It doesn’t help us grow, digest, sleep, or rest.
So when the spine and the neuro spinal structural system are under too much stress, this results in a stressed-out nervous system. This system is our access point to the central autonomic nervous system, which is how God designed us.
The central nervous system, or autonomic nervous system, is protected by the skull and spine. It includes the brainstem and the vagus nerve. Subluxation alters the function of the nervous system, and it is our job as chiropractors to make safe, gentle, natural drug-free adjustments to clear out the subluxation and reduce stress.
3 Main Systems Impacted by Subluxaiton
Subluxation impacts three main systems in your child’s body: the gut, immune, and motor systems. When subluxation is present, it shuts down gut motility and gut function, which can result in reflux, colic, and constipation. It also impacts the immune system, making your child more susceptible to ear infections, respiratory challenges, and autoimmune disorders.
Finally, subluxation affects the motor system and developmental milestones, which can impact your child’s ability to reach important milestones. If your child is having tantrums, sensory or behavioral challenges, and is not sleeping or developing appropriately, this could be a sign of too much stress stuck on the nervous system.
If you want to address subluxation and improve your child’s health, please give us a call at 507-424-0655. Our office will use INSiGHT scans to measure and find the stress on your child’s nervous system. We can measure and find exactly where that stress is located, how much there is, and how bad it is. This allows for the creation of a custom care plan that addresses the subluxation and reduces stress.
Getting rid of subluxation can lead to incredible natural, neurological healing, which improves the gut, immune, and motor systems. Your child will sleep better, regulate their emotions better, and overall function at a higher level.
Please share this and send it to a friend desperately trying to get their kid healthy. Subluxation may just be the answer they are searching for.
They Do NOT Grow Out Of It
Parents, this information may leave you a bit frustrated or upset, but I need to address a problem that’s been going on for far too long. Standard pediatricians have been telling parents that certain conditions are just a part of childhood and that their children will grow out of them. However, this is not the case.
If you have been up all night with your child who is experiencing colic, chronic constipation, reflux, or ear infection after ear infection, it’s essential to know that these issues will not simply go away on their own. If your child is struggling with tons of tantrums, meltdowns, developmental delays, and difficulty sleeping, don’t let anyone tell you that it’s just a phase.
I understand that as a parent, you know when something is not right with your child. You may have even been told to wait it out, but I want to assure you that there is more going on, just as your gut is telling you. The science behind these conditions is related to the central and autonomic nervous system, which is where pediatric chiropractic care comes in.
What Happens When There is Stress Built Up on the Nervous System?
Whether your child is two months old or fifteen years old, we have found that the neurology behind colic, sensory processing issues, autism, ADHD, anxiety, constipation, and chronic autoimmune challenges are the same.
It all comes down to the nervous system being subluxated, stressed, and stuck.
This is why it’s so important to look for the root cause of their challenges instead of just labeling it and sending you and your child off to different specialists. Pediatric chiropractors can help address the overactive and overstimulated sympathetic side of the nervous system in children with colic, sensory issues, and anxiety. The medical system does not understand functional neurology in the same way we do in our office.
If you’re only chasing symptoms, you’re not addressing the root cause. The nervous system controls everything from digestion to immune function, respiratory system, social-emotional regulation, and neurological development. By focusing on the nervous system, you can get everything else figured out.
Challenges you’ve been told your children will “grow out of,” like colic and chronic ear infections, can actually lead to chronic autoimmune challenges, allergies, and a compromised immune system that makes it easy to catch every cold that comes around.
Additionally, behavioral issues like tantrums, meltdowns, and hyperactivity are often dismissed as typical childhood behaviors. But these behaviors can be symptoms of larger issues related to neurological development, and they can cause anxiety, hyperactivity, and emotional challenges in school and later in life.
The Perfect Storm Pathway
Regardless of where you are in this perfect storm pathway, you deserve to know what’s really going on with your child. Keep learning about their health, and consider using advanced technology like our INSiGHT Scans to measure and locate the stress and subluxation in the nervous system.
Pediatric chiropractors who specialize in making adjustments that release stress and lower sympathetic tone can help your child get out of the “storm” caused by these challenges. Even older children can benefit from this kind of care, as the nervous system remains plastic and can be changed even after years of stress.
Our office is neurologically focused and uniquely equipped to address the common themes and threads behind all of these challenges. We provide drug-free action steps that can help your child and your family. If you aren’t local to us, check out our directory today to find a PX Doc near you.
If you or someone you know has been told to simply wait and see, please share this information and help spread the truth about the power of pediatric chiropractic care.
We are here to help you restore hope, find answers, and take action for the health and well-being of your child.
