The underlying cause of ADHD resides in the brain.

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In the past decade, prescriptions for Ritalin, a stimulant medication commonly used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), increased five-fold, with 90% of all prescriptions worldwide consumed in the United States.  As many parents grow leery of the traditional medical approach to ADHD, chiropractors who use a neurological approach, such as Dr. Sullivan here in Cumberland County, Pa, are offering promising results with non drug treatments that focus on biomechanics, nutrition and lifestyle changes that affect brain activity.

Our ADHD philosophy at Dr. Sullivan’s office  is to TREAT THE CHILD NOT THE LABEL

Some childern many simply have difficulty learning certain subjects, but the current system, in a sense, prompts school officials to encourage their parents to have the children diagnosed with ADHD, says Dr. Scott Bautch, past president of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) Council on Occupational Health.  “The higher the number of disabled kids in the school, the more funding the school can apply for”, says Dr. Bautch.

Some teachers might also have difficulty with students who have a differernt style of learning, according to Dr. Bautch.  If the child is visual learner and the teacher is not perhaps the child is not being taught in a way he or she can learn optimally.  Before diagnosing the child with ADHD, Dr. Bautch recommends doctors talk to the child and the parents. “Is the child too active? Bored? Has dyslexia or a different learning pattern? It can be a behavior problem, problems at home, or frustrations with the teacher’s style,” explains Dr. Bautch.  “If we went to a conference where the speakers taught in a way we can’t learn,we would be frustrated and would misbehave, we’d get up and leave, or chat with the person sitting next to us”.

The traditional medical model, however,seems to follow the cookie-cutter principle. The diagnosis of ADHD is based on a questionaire.  But this is not enough, says Dr. Robert Melillo, chiropractic neruologist. True ADHD patients have other signs – tics, tremors, balance or postural problems, or unusual sensitivity to touch, movement, sights, sounds. Unfortunately, although medications can keep ADHD under contol, they don’t cure it. Of the children suffering from ADHD, 80%  will have ADHD features in adolescence, and 65% maintain them in aduthood.

Chiropractic Neurology offer a non-drug and non-invasive treatment for ADHD patients that targets the underlying problem, not the symtoms.  “Motor activity, especially developement of the postural muscles, is the baseline function of the brain. Anything affecting postural muscles (child not able to hold up his or her head,  rolling over too soon or too late, crawling or walking to0 soon or too late is a good example) all will influence brain development. Musculoskeletal imbalances will create imbalance of brain activity,  and one part of the brain will develope faster then the other, and that’s what’s happening with ADHD patients,”  says Dr. Melillo.

Chiropractic neurologists are trained to identify the underfunctioning part ot the brain and find treatments to correct the problem, to help that hemisphere grow.  “On every patient, we perform a BRAIN FUNCTION EXAM” says dr. Fred Carrick, president of the ACA  Council on Neurology.  “We test visual and auditory relexes through, for example flashing light in the eye, or asking patients to listen to music in one ear or the other”.

When the problem is identified, patients are placed on a treatment program and many of the therapies can be done at home. Patients are given home therapies that are designed to stimulate the brain in specific ways.  We also focus on their individual problems.  Some children, for example, have difficulty with plannng, organization, and coordination- so we help them gain the benefit form timing therapies.  They can learn to clap or tap to the interactive metronome (see side bar for information on the interactive metronome), and perform spinning and balancing exercises.

Our ADHD programs are designed to change the brain function so that the improvements are lasting.

Although currnetly no studies comparing chiropractic neurological and medical treatments for ADHD are available, chiropractic neurologists are compiling the data. We test chidren before they start the treatment and then every three months.  Within the the first three months it is not unusual for a child to get a two grade improvement on average, which is pretty dramatic.  With children on medications, the improvement is academic performances is short term and lasts only as long as they take the medication. If your child continues to suffer with ADHD, contact our office today and help them get back on track.

Click here to see all of the scientific research that supports our ADHD treatment methods