Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder while becoming more prevalent still evades a clear cause. Studies have already compared PET scans, SPECT scans, MRI, CAT scans and blood or urine tests of kids diagnosed with ADHD to those without and found no differences. Even without a clear diagnosis or cause, addictive drugs altering brain chemistry are the first choice of treatment in most cases. This study reports on a family who did not choose that route for fear of dangerous side effects and instead sought out safer alternative methods.

This study is on a 4 year old boy who was diagnosed with ADHD at 2 years old. He was extremely hyperactive to the point he was discharged from daycare for being too difficult to manage. In addition to the hyperactivity he also had a history of ear infections, 12 infections before he was 15 months old, leading to having tubes surgically inserted to help drainage after multiple courses of antibiotics for the repeated infections. After the tubes were inserted he still had two cases of ear infections. This child was also diagnosed with asthma at 2 years of age and put on a nebulizer and had a persistent cough for which he was also taking regular medications. The parents commented that he did not have good sleep patterns never sleeping more than 6 hours per night and did not eat normal amounts of food, frequently eating very little. Since the parents choose to not go the medication route they brought their son to a Chiropractor to see if they could help.

The Chiropractor preformed a detailed examination of his spine to check for Subluxations or misalignments in his spine that could be affecting how his nervous system is functioning. The Chiropractor found Subluxations in his upper and lower neck. The x-ray examination revealed changes to his spinal structure. The normal structure of the spine when viewed from the side is for it to have 3 smooth curves. It curves forward in the neck, backwards in the mid back where the ribcage is, and forward again in the lower back. This child’s curve in his neck was bent the opposite direction and curved backwards! Due to the findings he was placed on a corrective treatment plan to improve his spine. He was seen 3 times per week for a total of 2 ½ months. After 12 days of care his parents noted he was regaining a normal appetite. After 28 days the parents reported that his appetite was normal, his sleep patterns had improved, coughing had stopped, and he was less hyperactive. At the time of his final re-exam he had been removed from his asthma and coughing medications, his school work had improved to the point his behavior became a non-issue. The follow up x-ray examination showed the curve in his neck had returned to its normal forward curve. At this time his visit frequency was decreased. Unfortunately for the family they moved to another town and were not able to be seen regularly by the Chiropractor. They returned over one year later and reported that their son had started to regress and his hyperactivity was returning.

The link to Chiropractic care helping a child with hyperactivity issues lies in the way the misalignments in his neck were affecting his nervous system. As the forward curve in the neck straightens, or in this case bends the wrong way, it puts tension on the spinal cord. This tension on the spinal cord is like a dam in a river restricting flow of nerve impulses from the brain to all other areas of the body. The change in neck curve also strains the muscles and joints in the neck. All of this information is constantly fed back to the brain letting our body know it is in trouble and needs to be fixed. This feedback can be overwhelming and cause nervous hyperactivity in some individuals. The stress on the spine and nervous system also affects the centers that control breathing which are located at the base of the brain were the spinal cord starts. The irritation of the breathing centers can be causing the asthma, and difficulty sleeping. If a child isn’t breathing or sleeping well it makes perfect sense that they would have trouble focusing. By restoring his spine to the normal structure it allowed his nervous system to function properly taking pressure off the breathing centers and normalizing the information flow of his muscles and joints to his brain. Take care of your spine so your nervous system can function properly it’s as simple as that!

J Vertebral Subluxation Res. April 20, 2009

By Dr Scott Szela