"You may wonder what accounts for the recent explosive increase in the rates of A.D.H.D. diagnosis and its treatment through medication. The lifetime prevalence in children has increased to 11 percent in 2011 from 7.8 percent in 2003 — a whopping 41 percent increase — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And 6.1 percent of young people were taking some A.D.H.D. medication in 2011, a 28 percent increase since 2007.
Most alarmingly, more than 10,000 toddlers at ages 2 and 3 were found to be taking these drugs, far outside any established pediatric guidelines. Some of the rising prevalence of A.D.H.D. is doubtless driven by the pharmaceutical industry whose profitable drugs are the mainstay of treatment.”
4. Journal of Pediatrics article describes, "We do not know what the long-term effects of psychotropic medication are on the developing brains and bodies of little kids," said a CDC official in a news release. "What we do know is that behavioral therapy is safe and can have long-term positive impacts on how a child with ADHD functions at home, in school, and with friends.”
Most respected authorities agree that ADHD is reaching frightening proportions and most also agree that medication may not be the best first line of treatment for ADHD.
Then what is?
I propose if The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is correct and ADHD is a "neurobehavioral disorder” then it sounds like the answer can be found in the neuro - behavioral relationship. In other words, I believe if we can take stress off of the child’s nervous system…naturally, then we can positively affect his behavior. I feel if we try to influence the effect (behavior) without addressing the probable cause (nervous tension) then the treatment is doomed to failure!
Here is the story of Oliver (Ollie). He was 8 years old when he was diagnosed with ADHD. He was medicated but drugs were not the answer. His parents brought him to The Applied Kinesiology Center of New York for natural therapy.
In Applied Kinesiology we address a phenomenon known as “Neurological Disorganization.” You are probably familiar with signs of this. It represents a neurological overload due to stress that manifests itself in behavior such as turning left when you meant to go right; brain fog, confusion, mood swings or the jumbling of words. Athletes who go “ into a slump” are usually suffering from this.
Children who are experiencing this functional problem with processing information will often be diagnosed as dyslexic, hyperactive or ADHD. In Ollie’s case, besides his diagnosis of ADHD a powerful clue that he was experiencing “neurological disorganization” is that when he came in on the first visit his pants were on backwards.
Treatment consisted of applied kinesiology therapy which included: chiropractic adjustments, cranial mobilization, percussor therapy, kinesiological muscle techniques, diet and specific exercises. (Power Kinetics®)
Ollie's teachers talk about the difference they saw in him here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld-5-Um-TEw
As you can see Ollie is showing great improvement. I feel that the greatest testament to what natural healing can do is best exemplified by one his teachers when she said that, “As a result he’s happier in school. He didn’t like coming to school before but now he runs into the room. He smiles and laughs and doesn’t feel like he is in crisis like he once did.”
This happened because the body wants to be healthy and as long as Ollie keeps the stress out of his nervous system through periodic kinesiological treatments, verbalizing his feelings and doing his exercises he will continue to do very well and live a life where he will realize his full potential.
