In the past decade, prescriptions for Ritalin, a stimulant
medication commonly used for attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), increased five-fold,
with 90 percent of all prescriptions worldwide consumed
in the United States. As many parents grow
leery of the traditional medical approach to ADHD,
doctors of chiropractic are offering promising results
with nondrug treatments that focus on postural muscles,
nutrition and lifestyle changes that affect brain
activity.
Some children may simply have difficulty learning certain
subjects, but the current system—in a sense—
prompts school officials to encourage their parents to
have the children diagnosed with ADHD, says Dr. Scott
Bautch, past president of the American Chiropractic
Association (ACA) Council on Occupational Health.
“The higher the number of disabled kids in the school,
the more funding the school can apply for,” says Dr.
Bautch.
Some teachers might also have difficulty with students
who have a different style of learning, according to Dr.
Bautch. If the child is a visual learner—and the teacher
is not—perhaps the child is not being taught in a way
he or she can learn. Before diagnosing the child with
ADHD, Dr. Bautch recommends doctors talk to the
child and the parents: “Is the child too active? Bored?
Has dyslexia or a different learning pattern? It can be a
behavior problem, problems at home, or frustrations
with the teacher’s style,” explains Dr. Bautch. “If we
went to a conference where the speakers taught in a
way we can’t learn, we would be frustrated and would
misbehave—we’d get up and leave or chat to the person
sitting next to us.”
The traditional medical model, however, seems to follow
the cookie-cutter principle. The diagnosis of ADHD
is based on a questionnaire. But this is not enough,
says Dr. Robert Melillo, a chiropractic neurologist.
“True ADHD patients have other signs —tics, tremors,
balance or postural problems, or unusual sensitivity to
touch, movement, sights, or sounds.” Unfortunately,
although medications can keep ADHD under control,
they don’t cure it. Eighty percent of patients have
ADHD features in adolescence, and up to 65 percent
maintain them in adulthood.
Doctors of chiropractic and chiropractic neurologists
offer a non-drug and non-invasive treatment alternative
for ADHD patients that targets the underlying problems,
not just symptoms. “Motor activity—especially
development of the postural muscles—is the baseline
function of brain activity. Anything affecting postural
muscles will influence brain development.
Musculoskeletal imbalance will create imbalance of
brain activity, and one part of the brain will develop
faster than the other, and that’s what’s happening in
ADHD patients,” says Dr. Melillo.
Chiropractic neurologists are trained to identify the
underfunctioning part of the brain and find treatments
to correct the problem, to help that hemisphere grow.
“On every patient, we perform a brain function exam,”
says Dr. Frederick Carrick, president of the ACA
Council on Neurology. “We test visual and auditory
reflexes through, for example, flashing light in the eye,
or asking patients to listen to music in one or the other
ear.”
When the problem is identified, patients are placed on
a treatment program—and most of the therapies can
be done at home. “Patients are asked to smell certain
things several times a day ... or wear special glasses,”
says Dr. Mark S. Smith, a chiropractic neurologist. “We
also focus on their individual problems. Some children,
for example, have difficulty with planning, organization,
and coordination—so they benefit from timing therapies.
They learn to clap or tap to the metronome, perform
spinning and balancing exercises.”
Although currently no studies comparing chiropractic
neurological and medical treatment for ADHD are available,
chiropractic neurologists are compiling the
data. “We test children before they start the treatment
and then every three months,” says Dr. Melillo. “Within
the first three months, the children get a twograde—
level increase on average—which is pretty dramatic.
With children on medications, the improvement in academic
performance is short term and lasts
only as long as they take the medication. Our programs
change the brain function and the improvement
doesn’t go away.”
If you or your loved one is diagnosed with ADHD or
has the symptoms, ask your doctor of chiropractic if
he or she has experience treating patients with the
condition. Doctors of chiropractic are trained to identify
neurological problems and find individual noninvasive
treatment modalities. They can also assess your
nutritional status and help you find the diet that will
help you manage your condition.
Natural Ways to Prevent ADHD
Many chiropractic neurologists recommend
nutrition and lifestyle changes that may help
correct or prevent biochemical imbalances that
cause ADHD. Parents are encouraged to:
• Remove as many food dyes, sugar,
preservatives, and additives from the diet
as possible.
• Focus on natural, mostly organic foods
with as few pesticides or herbicides as
possible.
• Determine if there is an allergy—usually
starting with dairy and gluten and try elimination
diets.
• Stop using pesticide sprays in the house.
• Avoid taking medications, nicotine, alcohol,
and other drugs in pregnancy that
may harm the fetus.
• Find ways to relax during pregnancy.
Stress on the job may affect the unborn
baby’s health, as well.
• Breastfeed. The first months and years of
a child’s life are critical to physical and
psychological development. Breastfeeding
mothers’ diets are important as well.
Natural Ways to Prevent ADHD
Many chiropractic neurologists recommend
nutrition and lifestyle changes that may help
correct or prevent biochemical imbalances that
cause ADHD. Parents are encouraged to:
• Remove as many food dyes, sugar,
preservatives, and additives from the diet
as possible.
• Focus on natural, mostly organic foods
with as few pesticides or herbicides as
possible.
• Determine if there is an allergy—usually
starting with dairy and gluten and try elimination
diets.
• Stop using pesticide sprays in the house.
• Avoid taking medications, nicotine, alcohol,
and other drugs in pregnancy that
may harm the fetus.
• Find ways to relax during pregnancy.
Stress on the job may affect the unborn
baby’s health, as well.
• Breastfeed. The first months and years of
a child’s life are critical to physical and
psychological development. Breastfeeding
mothers’ diets are important as well.
