Local Charlotte Chiropractor helps with Sensory Processing Disorders

It is now estimated that roughly 5% of the worlds childhood population is affected by some kind of sensory processing disorder. Often times children with sensory processing disorders also have some sort of learning disability and some level of ADD/ADHD. Many studies have shown a reduction of the secondary conditions associated with sensory processing disorders with a natural drug free approach by reducing the pressure on the nerves in the upper cervical region of the neck through specific Structural Chiropractic Care. ^(1,2,3) 

There are several reasons we have seen the large uptick in neuro-developmental disorders over the past several decades; including intestinal hyper-permeability issues do to the recent changes in the vaccine schedule, leading to gluten intolerance, as well as birth traumas which can cause upper cervical injuries all of this has been found to contributing factors in the increase of this growing epidemic.

In this article we will discuss each of these, and give you some important information that you can utilize to help those children you know with sensory developmental issues.

Birth Trauma And The Upper Cervical Spine

One of the most inherently physically difficult things that both mother and baby go through is the birth process.  Often as the child moves through the birth canal they get “stuck” requiring a traumatic forceps or vacuum distraction. The force in this process can be upwards of 80 lbs of pressure which puts a tremendous amount of tension in the upper cervical area which is a very delicate and vulnerable area of a young infant’s spine. This is important to note because this in not only the weakest area in an infant’s spine but it is also the most important part neurologically.

If there is any trauma during the birth that causes misalignment of the occiput or either one of the top two vertebrae in the spine it can affect the central nervous system. Misalignments of the first cervical vertebrae C-1 (Atlas) has shown in recent studies to decrease both the flow of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) to the brain as well as decrease the blood flow to the vertebral hemispheres. ⁴ These upper cervical misalignments (subluxations) have also been shown to be the cause of some of the conditions seen in sensory processing disorders, ADD/ADHD and other learning disabilities. ⁵

1 in 20 children’s daily lives is affected by Sensory Processing Disorder -Ahn, Miller, Milberger, McIntosh, 2004 Click To Tweet

Do You Know Someone Who Suffers With SPD?

We are a local Charlotte based Chiropractic office that specializes in the detection and correction of these upper cervical misalignments. We utilize several objective structural corrective tests including; infra-red spinal thermography, digital structural analysis, spinal leg balance, and precise structural corrective radiographs (if necessary) to determine if there is an irritation to the upper cervical neural structure causing functional issues. If a problem is detected, we will advise you on the necessary steps to correct the misalignment. When care is agreed upon we begin with a precise, gentle yet effective spinal correction (adjustment).  Our goal of the care is reposition the misaligned vertebrae to remove the pressure off of the spinal cord and other neural structures to allow the damaged tissue to heal from the injury. Once we have gotten the vertebrae into the correct position the body’s natural normal functions will begin to take place and the body will begin the heal itself, the longer we can get the body to hold this position the more healing capacity the body will have.

References:

1. http://icpa4kids.org/Chiropractic-Research/manual-therapy-in-children-proposals-for-an-etiologic-model.html
2. http://icpa4kids.org/Chiropractic-Research/developmental-delay-syndromes-and-chiropractic-a-case-report.html
3. http://icpa4kids.org/Chiropractic-Research/additional-chiropractic-case-studies.html
4. https://uprightdoctor.wordpress.com/2011/02/06/c1-c2-and-csf-flow
5. http://chiropracticpediatrics.sharepoint.com/Pages/2015_1353_neurodevROL.aspx
6. https://www.spdstar.org/sites/default/files/publications/prevalenceofparentperceptionsofSPDamongkindergartners.pdf