There are an estimated 5 million children and 8 million adults with attention deficit disorder(s). ADD/ADHD can frequently be misdiagnosed and treated incorrectly. According to the United Nations statistics on psychotropic substances, the U.S. produces and consumes five times more Ritalin than the rest of the world combined.

Long Term Benefit or Risk?
Research has found that children who were no longer taking medication at the eight-year follow-up were generally functioning as well as children who were still medicated. A second study by the same group observed that long-term medication appeared to stunt children's growth, and limits normal weight gain. Children who had never taken stimulant drugs were an average of six pounds heavier and 3/4 inch taller than children of the same age who had taken the drugs for three years. These differences were permanent.2,3

A Natural, Drug-Free Approach
For the reasons described above concerned parents schedule an appointment in our office in search of a natural approach for their children. Our approach is complex in treatment, but yet simple in its explanation. As a Chiropractic Neurologist trained in ADD/ADHD and Autism the primary focus is to help strengthen and restore the normal communication of the brain. We have found that kids and adults suffering from ADD/ADHD often have imbalances or weaknesses when comparing one side of the brain to the other.

In his book "Disconnected Kids: The Groundbreaking Brain Balance Program for Children with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Neurological Disorders" my mentor, and leading expert on treatment of childhood development disorders, Dr. Robert Melillo describes children with right-side brain imbalances as often having bad posture and a poor body image, poor nonverbal skills, poor coordination, rhythm and balance. These children are picky eaters and have a hard time interpreting people and situations, which is a challenge for parents. The children tend to have poor attention, and to be impulsive, anxious and sometimes compulsive. Many, but not all, ADD/ADHD children suffer from right brain imbalances. The primary focus of the first visit it to determine where the brain imbalances lie, and if treatment can be effectively used.

Chiropractic Neurologists are on the forefront of non-drug treatments for patients with ADD and ADHD. Children develop best when they are consistently stimulated with different smells, tastes and sounds, varied colors, textures and shapes. Doctor's have proved that children with ADHD have significantly smaller cerebellums and frontal lobes than non-ADHD children.4 The brain is a muscle and when muscles are not used correctly, they get smaller. The cerebellum is the area of the brain that controls balance and coordination, and many ADHD children suffer from poor balance, terrible posture and awkward coordination. The frontal lobe is the master computer, responsible for all executive functions. It decides what to pay attention to and what to ignore. People with weakness in this part of the brain have difficulty making decisions and controlling where and what to focus on.

We also naturally address brain chemicals that can lead to symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin are chemicals, called neurotransmitters, that help the brain communicate its messages to the body. These neurotransmitters have been linked to behavioral and emotional conditions. While not the only cause, imbalances in dopamine and norepinephrine appear to play a major role in ADHD; studies have demonstrated that patients with ADHD have depleted levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in their brains.5 Medications used to treat ADD/ADHD focus on increasing levels of one or both of these chemicals in the brain. Ritalin^TM and Adderall^TM work by increasing levels of both dopamine and norepinephrine. Strattera^TM works by increasing norepinephrine.

Dopamine is associated with attention, impulse control, behavior, pleasure and movement, and insufficient dopamine levels can cause the three primary symptoms of ADHD: inattention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity. Excessively high levels of dopamine cause uncontrollable/subconscious movements like tapping, jerking and twitching. This can be seen in patients taking too much medication for their condition. There are natural chemical that may help to enhance these neurotransmitters.

Along with brain and neurotransmitter imbalances patients have can multiple issues that worsen symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Examples of these are blood sugar imbalance, infections, leaky gut, gluten and casein sensitivities, food allergies, gut infection, and many more. We have seen improvement in all areas of ADD/ADHD as concerns are corrected. Our goal is to find and address the cause(s) and not just address the symptoms.

1 U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/csa/812.htm
2 Hazel P. "8 Year Follow-up of the MTA Sample." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry May 2009 48(5):461-462.
3 Molina B et al. "MTA Cooperative Group. The MTA at 8 years: prospective follow-up of children treated for combined-type ADHD in a multisite study." J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, May 2009; 48(5):484-500.
4 Castellanos Fetal. "Developmental Trajectories of Brain Volume Abnormalities in Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder." JAMA. 2002;288 (14):1740-1748. Initial study: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1996;53(7):607-616.
5 Prince J. "Catecholamine dysfunction in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: an update." J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2008 Jun;28(3 Suppl 2):S39-45

Schedule a full brain, body, and/or laboratory evaluation today to find out if your child can be helped without the use of drugs or surgery.