Autism and Chiropractic

CHIROPRACTIC AND AUTISM?
If you have a child with autism, the chiropractor is probably the last place you have thought to turn!

You may not be familiar with chiropractic care,
but you are most likely familiar with the term, "nervous system", from previous medical appointments.

What most parents don't know is that a chiropractor's main job is to restore balance to your child's nervous system.
But how does that work exactly? Let's dig in deeper!

The Nervous System

The nervous system can be broken down into two specific divisions: sympathetic and parasympathetic. When it comes to our health, these two divisions are important to understand. Each plays a distinct role in perceiving our environment and allowing for automatic functions of the human body.

The sympathetic nervous system controls the body during a perceived threat ("fight or flight" mode).
The parasympathetic nervous system controls the body at rest ("rest and digest" mode).

When someone is more sympathetic dominant, it is due to an overload of stress on their nervous system. Not just emotional stress, but other forms of stress as well. I.e. physical stressors (birth trauma being very common) and chemical stressors (processed foods, medications, chemical cleaning products, etc.). This sympathetic dominance is very common in individuals with autism, anxiety, ADHD, and more!

Dr. Tom likes to use the analogy that a person's brain in "fight-or-flight" mode is perceiving a lion in the corner at all times, when in reality it's just a teddy bear! 

In our office, we use non-invasive technology to assess the amount of stress impacting the health of your child's nervous system. To find out more, click HERE.

Pumping the Breaks through Chiropractic

Adjustments for children are gentle yet very effective. Each adjustment works to restore balance and remove stress on the nervous system. Children with autism are typically stuck in "fight-or-flight" mode, as discussed above. Their brains are locked in overdrive mode, and are unable to pump the breaks. This results in symptoms such as high anxiety, aggression, sensory challenges, and/or social issues. Other less obvious signs of being stuck in "fight-or-flight" mode include bowel issues (i.e. constipation and/or difficulty with potty training), poor sleep, and difficulty with communication. 

Adjustments work to "pump the breaks" and restore balance to both divisions of the nervous system:

Reducing sympathetic response ("fight or flight" mode of nervous system), helps to calm and reduce behavior related symptoms, anxiety, and sensory challenges.
Increasing parasympathetic response ("rest and digest" mode of the nervous system), helps aid in proper digestion and boost immune function.

Restoring Hope

We strive to bring hope to your family through chiropractic. It's time to achieve change you didn't think was possible for your child!

Below are just a few testimonials from the parents in our office. Potential has been unlocked, and these children are engaging in amazing ways! 

Will the next testimonial be yours?

"Everything started coming together & therapy plateaus began to progress again. We started moving forward again!"

"He is happier when asked to transition, and able to process change better. I have noticed far less aggressive responses- i.e. hitting and tantrums."

"Upon starting care, we started seeing the transformations within the first month. The results really showed through in the classroom. 
His teachers would come up to me saying that his speech especially had exploded."

"His participation really had evolved - kind of suddenly. And as the treatment progressed, he just overall calmed down."