St. Louis Family Chiropractor

"Off label" means that the drug is being used for a purpose which it was not designed. The safety and efficacy of these drugs has not been studied in regard to these "off label" uses. Many of the drugs we give our children have never been tested for children. Children are NOT merely little adults! Over the counter (OTC) cough medicine, which many parents believe to be safe, has been shown to be ineffective and even harmful!

Two recent examples:

1. Risperdal - An antipsychotic used "off label" in children with ADD/ADHD symptoms.  This was never studied in children, and has resulted in some young boys acquiring gynecomastia. There are few drugs that have been tested on the pediatric population , though parents, and some doctors, are unaware of this fact. I know I don't want my kids to be the Guinea Pigs for the Pharmaceutical companies.
2. Adderall - This Central Nervous System stimulant is approved to help those with an ADD/ADHD diagnosis concentrate more easily. This drug is also used for those with depression. Adderall is most often used "off label" and illegally by college students as a study aid to cram for exams. This is often looked as OK by both parents and doctors, though the physiological and neurological effects of this drug are indisputable, and we do not know the long term outcomes of this sort of off label use.

Prescription drug abuse is growing to be a larger problem than "illegal" drug use in the United States. This does not surprise me too much, as our society often tells kids that any problem they have can be fixed with a drug. There is a poster in my office showing a mischievous looking child that states "We tell our kids it is OK to take a drug for anything that comes along...then we wonder where drug addiction begins."

We need to be careful with how we use drugs in this society. The idea that a drug is a problem solver is a dangerous idea that is perpetuated by pharmaceutical companies, the medical community, and even parents who truly want what is best for their children, but don't know another way.

Health is not found in a pill. There are other options. There is hope for our children. THAT is what this blog is about!

This is Part II of an article about Sensory Processing Disorder and how specific pediatric chiropractic care can be beneficial. This part focuses on treatment possibilities. The article was taken from the September issue of the ICPA magazine Pathways.


Treatment for Children with SPD

Refined sugar should be avoided (and definitely not a staple for these children!) It is helpful for parents to begin “label reading” and become aware of the amount of sugar in their child’s favorite food. Every four grams of sugar in a product is equivalent to one teaspoon of sugar (e.g. 8 ounces of Welch’s Grape Juice = 40 grams of sugar = 10 teaspoons of sugar).

Food preservatives and food colorings are considered neurotoxins—substances that are considered toxic to the nervous system. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a report supporting the use of preservative-free, food coloring-free diets as an intervention for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Omega-3 fatty acids are good “brain food” and can be found in cold water fish such as salmon, tuna, and trout. They are also found in dark green leafy vegetables and flaxseed oil. It can also be helpful to supplement children with a good brand of omega-3 fish oil which is available in capsule, chewable, and liquid forms.

Dairy-free and gluten-free diets may also be beneficial in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. These may be a little trick to initiate at first but the benefits are often worth it. There are a number of great books available to help parents on initiating such a diet and many grocery stores and health food stores now carry dairy-free and gluten-free products.

Exercise their brains! Our brains learn and retain information by moving through three-dimensional space. In today’s world, infants are spending more time in car seats, walkers, and other restrictive devices that impair proper neuropathway development. As children get older, the increase use of computers, video games, and text messaging limit critical movement necessary to continue and maintain proper neuropathway development. Children need a daily dose of “brain food” such as running, skipping, jumping, climbing, swinging, and crawling. In addition, children need activities that involve movement of both sides of the body. When they are young, expose them to a variety of different textures, especially on their hands, feet and face. Get them moving and let them be kids!

Chiropractic care is an essential cornerstone of treatment for any child with a neurodevelopmental disorder. Children with SPD are said to have a “disconnect” between the brain and the body. Properly functioning vestibular and proprioceptive sensory systems are the two key components in developing and maintaining a healthy sensory processing system. Because these two sensory systems have a large part of their function housed in the spine, it is essential that children with signs of SPD be evaluated by a chiropractor for vertebral subluxations (misalignments) of the spine that may cause interference within the brain and sensory systems.

In children with SPD there is often a history of a traumatic or difficult birth, c-section, or breach birth; all of which can cause injury and subluxations to the spine. Additional causes of subluxations include falls; when children are learning to walk, they are constantly falling face first or backwards. Then there are the falls out of cribs, off couches, beds, chairs; off playground equipment or bicycles, etc. Car accidents can cause spinal trauma, even if the child is restrained in a car seat or has a seat belt on. School-aged children carrying backpacks, children playing recreational or school-related sports are all prone to spinal injuries.

The International Chiropractic Pediatrics Association (ICPA) publishes the magazine Pathways quarterly. This magazine contains articles regarding natural approaches to health care and lifestyle with an emphasis on pediatrics and prenatal care. It is really an all around guide to natural living and parenting. Pathways contains articles about topics ranging from natural birthing to Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).

Here is the text of an article about SPD, titled "What is Sensory Processing Disorder" from the Pathways published this past September written by Monika Buerger, DC. It will be split into two parts due to its length.

What is often overlooked by standard therapy for SPD is the importance of the Upper Cervical spine and its neurological importance. Specific Chiropractic care specializes in normalizing this neurological function. This article does a fairly good job of discussing this point (mainly in Part II)

"What is Sensory Processing Disorder?"
Monika Buerger, DC
Pathways Issue19

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder resulting from the brain’s inability to integrate everyday sensory information received from the five senses: touch, vision, sound, smell, and taste.

In addition to the commonly known five senses are two additional senses that are rarely heard of: the vestibular
and proprioceptive systems. The vestibular system has functions located in the base of the brain (cerebellum), the
upper part of the neck (cervical spine) and the inner ear. It is the “chief regulator” of all incoming sensory information
and is considered the most important sensory system. The proprioceptive system is located throughout the spine as well as all other joints of the body.

Dysfunction within the sensory integration system can lead to problems with learning, motor skills, behavior, and social and emotional development. It is estimated that as many as 1 in 20 children suffer from SPD.

Some children with SPD are hypersensitive: they feel bombarded by sensory information. These children may appear to be withdrawn socially because they avoid activities that make their brain feel “uncomfortable.” On the other hand, children who are hyposensitive to sensory information may seek out intense sensory experiences in order to “feed” their brain. Complicating the diagnostic process are children who may have a mix of hypersensitive and hyposensitive sensory systems.

Some signs children may exhibit with Sensory Processing Disorder:

Touch
Children who have difficulties processing tactile sensory input may appear: anxious, controlling, or aggressive. They may avoid or crave touch, dislike messy play such as finger painting, appear irritated by certain clothing (e.g. tags in shirts) or food textures, appear irritated when someone is in close proximity, often are very active or fidgety, have difficulty manipulating small objects, use their hands to explore objects, or often put objects in their mouth.

Smell
These children may be susceptible to allergies, especially environmental allergies. They may exhibit an excessive need to smell toys, items, or people or they may not like new cloths, toys, or furniture because of the smell. Their behavior or health may deteriorate after cleaning house due to the toxic effect of the cleaning chemicals.

Taste
Children who have trouble processing taste stimuli may be “picky eaters.” They may also exhibit pica, the act of eating non-edible items such as chalk, crayons, dirt, etc.

Vision
Children with sensory processing disorder of the visual system may have difficulty going down stairs; poor hand-eye coordination; pain, watering, or discomfort when required to perform visual work; frequent headaches or stomachaches after visual work or school; or difficulty copying. These children may be unable to read without losing place or aloud. They may also rub their eyes after use.

Auditory
Children with auditory processing disorder may become upset with loud or unexpected noises; hum or sing to screen out unwanted noises; be easily distracted by loud noises; enjoy loud sounds and repeat them several times; have difficulty with clothes that make noise; notice or are bothered by environmental noises that most would screen out (e.g. refrigerator, air conditioner, ticking clocks); have difficulty with verbal prompts ; cover ears frequently; or speak in a loud voice to screen out incoming noise.

Vestibular
Children with vestibular processing disorder may have a history of repeated ear infections and/or ear tubes.
They may also display avoidance of movement, especially head movement; head banging; motion sickness; avoidance of merry-go-rounds or rollercoasters; excessive spinning or watching things spin; inability to read or write in cursive; dizziness or nausea caused by watching things move; hearing problems; inability to sustain listening without moving or rocking; problems with balance; difficulty walking on uneven surfaces; or the need to move fast.

Proprioception
Children with proprioceptive processing disorder may need to have physical contact with another person, i.e. clinging or the need to be held, swaddled, and snuggled. These children may exhibit hysteria over washing hair or pulling shirts over the head, avoid of eyes-closed activities, difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, sleep walking or falling out of bed, extreme restlessness while sleeping, need for heavy covers, clothing, or a backpack to feel grounded, or need to have light on to sleep. Some children avoid team sports, have an aversion to crowds, are clumsy, trip over their own feet, bump into things, have difficulty grasping mathematical concepts, or are unable to accept physical and social boundaries

Children with SPD can often be misdiagnosed as having ADD, ADHD, or various other neurodevelopmental disorders. This is because SPD often co-exists with ADD, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, and various learning disorders. Children with SPD are often misunderstood and labeled as aggressive, clumsy, inattentive, or “difficult.” The neurological disorganization resulting in SPD can occur three different ways: the brain does not receive messages due to a disconnection in the nerve cells; sensory messages are received inconsistently; or sensory messages are received consistently, but do not connect properly with other sensory messages.