Cardiff by the Sea & Encinitas Chiropractor Helps with ADHD

ADHD and RDS stand for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and Reward Deficiency Syndrome respectively. These two conditions are closely linked because they both have a genetic basis involving the dopamine receptor gene. This neurotransmitter, produced in the brain’s limbic system, is responsible for feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. People suffering from RDS do not produce normal amounts of dopamine, making it impossible for them to feel good. To compensate they resort to obsessive-compulsive behaviors, addictions to various pleasure-inducing substances or behaviors, and a constant quest for distraction and excitement. These symptoms commonly manifest themselves as ADHD.

Cardiff By The Sea & Encinitas Chiropractor studies Genetic & Immunological data

People with ADHD may also experience glitches in their biochemical reward system from non-genetic sources. The body’s own immune system, for instance, sends a continuous flow of electrical and chemical messages in a closed loop known as the “Safety Pin Cycle.” This flow also contains the same neuropeptides that control mood and emotion. So any health problem that impairs the immune system naturally affects mood as well.

Nutritional advice from the Chiropractor

Other ADHD sufferers pollute their brain chemistry with medications, foods and additives that send the attention span into a tailspin. Both artificial sweeteners and refined sugars can do this, along with caffeine, cow’s milk, pesticides, antibiotics, over-the-counter medications and the countless preservatives in modern food products. Antibiotics can allow intestinal yeast to run wild, making an existing case of ADHD even worse, while hypoglycemia or insufficient levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids can create symptoms that mimic or exaggerate the condition.

Neurological: Chiropractic Care can help

Finally, and perhaps most critically from the chiropractic standpoint, spinal misalignment can have a profound effect on ADHD. The brain’s limbic system actually extends downward through the spine through the spinal cord, so any disruption to the normal flow of signals throughout the spinal cord can interrupt the chemical messages that make up the “brain reward cascade.” The result? ADHD and RDS.

What is the answer? The traditional medical community seems to place its faith in the pharmaceutical industry. If you’re the parent of a child with ADHD, the prospect of pumping him or her full of psychiatric drugs probably holds all sorts of terrors for you, as well it should. And yet according to the American Journal of Public Health (9/99), 8 to 10 percent of all elementary-school students routinely take medication for ADHD.

ADHD and RDS made worse by subluxation, or spinal misalignment, can respond swiftly and significantly to chiropractic care. Chiropractic involves gentle manipulation of the spinal column to correct these misalignment's. Each skilled chiropractor at our facility can restore full functionality to the nerve pathways – without the need for Ritalin or other drugs. We also counsel our patients on good nutritional practices to keep their immune systems healthy and their bloodstreams free of unneeded chemicals.

Do the right thing for your child’s health. Contact our chiropractic facility at 760-944-0563 and let us help you and your loved ones beat ADHD and RDS!