In today’s current world there is a trend being seen with one in four kids growing up with neurodevelopmental disorders. These disorders are hard to diagnose due to the varying degree and severity of symptoms. Leading to many kids getting misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all.
Neurodevelopmental disorders are classified as sensory processing disorder. This is seen when the function of the nervous system is altered where the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses. This can present in a lot of different ways including delayed development, incorrect responses to tasks or questions, inability to focus or sit still, forgetfulness, tantrums, colic, digestion issues, asthma, allergies, ect.
Another category of the neurodevelopmental disorders is ADHD in which the body actually gets overstimulated and goes into exhaustion. Due to this, the body responds to all stimuli by overworking the musculoskeletal system as its defense mechanism. This can cause symptoms like attention difficulties, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.
The big issue with all these kids is dysregulation of the nervous system.
In our nervous system we have two different modes that we can live in; a parasympathetic mode aka the brake pedal and then a sympathetic model aka the gas pedal. Your body ideally should stay in the parasympathetic mode where the body promotes growing, digestion, and rest. While the sympathetic mode is only needed for when the body is put in danger and you get an adrenaline rush. A huge thing that we see with these kiddos is they can get overwhelmed and stuck into this gas pedal mode. This can take all their energy and put it towards excessive muscle movement and prevent them from actually getting to digest food, rest, and develop.
Chiropractors are specifically trained to detect any nervous system disruptions that are present in kiddos. The spine actually encases the spinal cord and nerves come out at every single level of the spine. Misalignments in the spine can alter how the nervous system functions in many ways. It can alter how a sensation is perceived, how then the sensation is processed, and can alter the body response to be different. Also having these issues in the spine will lead to being the stimulation of the fight or flight mode. Leading to dysfunction and miscommunication in the body. The main goal of chiropractic is to relieve any stress on the nervous system in order to process information better and have a higher overall function level in the body.
The leading cause of this dysfunction in the nervous system is stress. When looking at kiddos there are three forms of stress that affect their body which include physical, emotional, and chemical. Physical stress is the most commonly thought of when looking at kids. Normal kids as they grow and develop are running around and falling down 20 times a day, affects their spine and nervous system. Another physical stress that is not often thought about is birth trauma. The process can be beautiful and natural but can be a lot for a little baby’s body. Up to 60-120 pounds of traction is applied to the baby’s neck and spine during a natural vaginal birth with a doctor assisting head out. This causes trauma in the spine and in turn the nervous system. Emotional stress includes any family, school, or relationship issues. Kids may not be able to know exactly what is going on but can get worked up and put their bodies into a stressed and sympathetic mode. Lastly, chemical stress is anything that kids eat or put on their body, that the body in turn has to process.
For these kids it is important to get their nervous system checked allowing them the best environment in order to develop to their fullest potential and handle all the day to day stress. Get them out and exercising to help their body develop needed motor skills to allow full development. Good nutrition is always needed in order to fuel the body and grow new cells.
Wondering if chiropractic care is right for you child? Learn more about pediatric care at Impact Chiropractic.
