Approaches to ADHD Treatment for Children

They are words that every parent dreads hearing from a doctor's mouth: Your child has attention deficit hyperactive disorder, a malady that affects the executive function of the brain causing inattentiveness, impulse control problems, behavioral issues, and troubles with normal activities like school, and as they mature, trouble maintaining personal relationships and achieving professional success.

No one in the medical community fully understands ADHD yet, but doctors have found that psycho-stimulants, a powerful class of drugs including Adderall, Ritalin and Dexedrine, have helped many sufferers seeking ADHD treatment. In most meta-analyses of studies conducted on the effectiveness of these medications, seven out of ten people with ADHD experienced a reduction of their symptoms.

However, using stimulants can be dangerous with side effects including racing pulse, hypertension, anxiety, unwanted weight loss, and headaches to name a few. For this reason, many psycho-stimulants are considered an unsafe ADHD treatment for children.

There are other drugs, like Strattera, Intuniv, and Kapvay, that have been approved for use in children but they come with side effects of their own, including potential suicidal idealizations in teenagers and the risk of liver damage that causes jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and eyes.

Because of the risks of using drugs for ADHD treatment, many people want to find a safe, effective alternative that doesn't involve medication. Luckily, there is a safe, non-invasive, non-drug therapy available on the market: Biofeedback.

Essentially, a child suffering from the symptoms of ADHD can be "hooked up" with electrodes to a machine that plays back their brainwaves on a screen. They can then learn, usually through a video game, how to control their physiological reactions to certain spikes or dips in their neurological activity associated with their disorder, thus giving them the ability to control their responses and their symptoms.

In many cases, biofeedback has been proven just as effective in managing ADHD symptoms as 30 mg per day of Ritalin, but with one important distinction: with biofeedback there are no side effects, and it is completely safe. The technology used is over one hundred years old, and it has helped thousands of children in the decades it has been in use with this application.

Biofeedback offers children with ADHD the same chance at living, working, and loving as their peers that were lucky enough not to develop the disorder. That's all any parent wants for their children, and now it's possible without powerful, potentially dangerous drugs.

If your child presents symptoms of this disorder, or has already been diagnosed, consider seeking biofeedback as a way to manage his or her ADHD. Talk to your child's pediatrician today.

NEUROFEEDBACK FOR ADHD

Understanding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Getting to know ADHD

 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is neurological disorder that is typically diagnosed in childhood. Children can grow out of the disorder, but it is possible that it can continue well into adulthood. Current best estimates place Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in approximately 5% of children in the United States. Not only to ADHD children display hyperactivity and impulsiveness, they also have heightened difficulty when it comes to attentiveness or focus, making both academics and home life extremely challenging.

Recognizing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder early on is an extremely valuable tool. The earlier you can begin treating a child, the easier time they will have adjusting to school, social life, and everyday situations. Here are some typical symptoms of an ADHD youngster:

·         Restlessness/Cannot sit still

·         Constantly in motion

·         Very easily distracted

·         Extreme disorganization

·         Displays habitual forgetfulness

·         Difficulty listening or staying engaged in a conversation

·         Inability to share with other children or wait their turn

·         Continually acts impulsively or whimsically

Living with the Disorder

Fortunately, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is highly treatable. Each case is incredibly unique, so devising a thoughtful and calculated treatment plan is absolutely essential to one day being able to manage ADHD. Generally, both children and adults with the disorder will be prescribed medication. In most cases, this is not enough, however. A rigorous regimen of psychotherapy and even behavioral training will greatly improve treatment and enhance the sufferer’s chances at suppressing some of the more troublesome symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

For those of us seeking more forward-thinking approach to their Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, there are some fantastic alternative therapies out there that are aimed at approaching the problem systemically. One such therapy is called neurofeedback. Neurofeedback is largely based upon the theory of homeostasis, which states that systems, especially the human body, wish to function as an efficient whole. The therapy itself is completely noninvasive, and consists of a doctor reading your brainwaves to locate patterns that have gotten “out of whack." Once these patterns are isolated, the patient is guided through a series of mental exercises in which the brain, in all its wonder, will self-correct. The really great part about this therapy is that it is designed to provide patients with a lasting solution to their problem by solving it innately, not keep them coming back for more when the bottle runs out.

NEUROFEEDBACK FOR ADHD

Weighing Alternative Treatments for ADHD

Sifting Through the ADHD Treatment Muck

With medication and therapy coming at high costs – monetarily and health-wise – many people are wondering if alternative treatments for ADHD are viable options that can actually help treat and control the problem. Though many of these treatments have been written off as hokey or impractical, they have actually experienced some degree of success if administered correctly. At the very least, they are at least worth looking into and considering.

Dietary Changes Lack Proof

When speaking about alternative treatments for ADHD, one of the first things that comes to mind is dietary modification. Historically, there was always thought to be a link between ADHD and sugar intake. This hypothesis has been researched extensively over the last several decades, and it has never once been conclusively shown to be true. Alternatively, in recent years, the thinking has shifted to adding more high-fiber and whole foods into a child’s diet may subdue ADHD symptoms or defeat the disorder altogether. While promoting a healthy and balanced diet in the lives of our children is certainly of paramount important, unfortunately research has again debunked this as a worthwhile combatant for ADHD.

Is the Answer in Your Back?

One really interesting theory that has surfaced amongst alternative treatments for ADHD has been that the disorder can be controlled through chiropractic medicine. Doctors have utilized several methodologies, including the correction of spinal imbalances and the realigning of cranial bones. Where the first method might have a little validity (although research has been inconclusive), the second one has been laughed off by most doctors, who are quick to point out that cranial bones do not move and therefore cannot be realigned.

Neurofeedback: The Last Treatment Standing

While most of the alternative treatments for ADHD have been debunked both here and elsewhere, there are some interesting new methods that actually are backed up by scientific research. One such method is called neurofeedback, a painless and noninvasive process in which the brain is taught to regulate dysfunctional patterns that may in fact be at the root of ADHD and its symptoms. After a comprehensive assessment, patients are taken through a series of guided brain exercises over the course of their treatment sessions. These exercises slowly but surely retrain the brain to vigilantly police its own activity, and thereby quelling the more problematic symptoms of ADHD.

Now that you have sorted through the various alternative treatments for ADHD, it is time to embrace BrainCore’s dynamic and transformative neurofeedback therapy; to learn more click here today.

Five Alternative and Natural Remedies for ADD

Beyond Prescriptions and Therapy

Alternative and natural remedies for ADD have never been more important. Pharmaceuticals have gotten more and more complicated over the years, and now we hardly even know what is going into our bodies or those of our children. Taking a doctor’s word for it is usually fine, but in this case, even they probably don’t know the intricacies of each pill and what the long-term effects could be. Here are five alternative and natural remedies for ADD that, when administered properly, should subdue symptoms in just the same manner but without the inherent risks:

·         Massage: This may sound hokey or altogether unrealistic, but massage is one of the most effective natural remedies for ADD. The long and short of it is this: children and adults with ADD or ADHD tend to be extremely over-stimulated, and this is reflected throughout their bodies, especially in their nervous system and muscles. Massage has an obvious soothing effect on these systems, as well as helping divert pent up energy elsewhere within the body. This has been shown to directly correlate to more productive behavior. Nighttime massage immediately prior to bed has proven particularly effective, especially in children.

·         Vitamins/Supplements: Fish oil, zinc, melatonin, magnesium, B and C vitamins, and probiotics have all shown measured success as natural remedies for ADD. When it comes to finding the right vitamins for you and suppressing ADD symptoms, find what works best for you by trying a few. Do not despair, however, as all of these can be healthy parts of your diet even outside of treating the disorder.

·         Yoga/Meditation/Relaxation Exercises: Finding your center, learning how to calm yourself, and taking active control of your body are incredibly useful tools in combating inattentiveness and other symptoms of ADD – each of these exercises focuses on instilling these concepts.

·         Diet and Exercise Modifications: This is not so much among the natural remedies for ADD, but is more of an alternative approach. Keeping diet simple, free of complex additives, caffeine, and unnecessary sugar is of absolute utmost importance. We do not truly know how some of these ingredients affect mood, behavior, and long-term health, so the best approach is to steer clear. In terms of exercise, as noted above, people with ADD often have very over-charged systems. Expend that energy, and do it in a healthy way through daily exercise.

·         Neurofeedback: This is a really exciting alternative approach to ADD treatment. The greatest part about neurofeedback is that it is designed to set up patients for long-term symptom suppression – a life without the frustration of ADD. Doctors first will identify what brainwave patterns have gone awry, causing the loss of focus and concentration characterized by ADD. After this, they will develop a treatment plan unique for each patient. All done noninvasively and without poking or prodding, neurofeedback is the ultimately serves to your brain to self-regulate through guided brain exercises.

To find out more about alternative and natural remedies for ADD such as BrainCore’s awe-inspiring neurofeedback therapy; read on and click here today.