Attention Deficit Disorder is a problem that affects many people, adults and children alike. The wide variety of frustrating symptoms can hinder multiple aspects of your everyday life, from relationships and conversations to homework and careers. Officially, ADD / ADHD stands for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. It is a neurobiologically-based developmental disability, in which evidence suggests that it results from a chemical imbalance or deficiency in certain neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that help the brain regulate behavior. Some symptoms associated with ADD or ADHD include inattention, hyperactivity, easily distractedness, constant movement, impulsivity, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. People diagnosed with ADD/ADHD also frequently have learning disabilities and speech or hearing deficits. Exactly what causes ADD hasn’t been identified, but it’s certainly a complicated and frustrating disability for many children and adults.
While there are many prescriptions that help subdue some symptoms associated with ADD/ADHD, many people have trouble accepting these as good treatment options. Prescriptions more often than not have unnecessary and unpleasant side effects that go along with them. Stimulant drugs like Adderall and Ritalin are some common prescriptive drug treatments for ADD/ADHD, but their negative side effects include insomnia, painful headaches and even depression. And then you have to wonder: are those side effects really worth it?
Natural Remedies for ADD/ADHD
Nutritional Supplements
There are many vitamins and nutritional supplements that may help improve ADHD symptoms. These are natural remedies for ADD, which serve as alternative treatment options to medications. Some studies suggest that children with ADD/ADHD have lower levels of zinc in their bodies, therefore zinc supplements, along with traditional ADHD treatment, helped improve symptoms. High levels of zinc can be found in foods like oysters, red meat, poultry, nuts, beans and whole grains. Fish oil is another active ingredient in alleviating some ADHD symptoms because it contains omega-3 fatty acids. Some findings suggest that fish oil supplementation can improve mental abilities, especially hyperactivity, inattentiveness and inability to think clearly. Some fish that have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids are salmon, albacore tuna, herring, trout and sardines.
Change of Diet
Begin making nutritional and lifestyle changes. It’s important to rule out environmental factors that may be causing or igniting certain ADHD symptoms. A change of diet includes:
- Removing food dyes, preservatives and additives from diet
- Eating organic, raw or natural foods grown without pesticides or herbicides
- Determining if an allergy is involved (dairy, gluten)
- Eliminating all sugars and artificial sweeteners
- Reducing use of cleaning agents (detergents, fabric softeners and other chemicals)
Chiropractic Care
We also often find that many symptoms of ADHD are due to nervous system disruption, or spinal disruptions in the upper neck. The link between the spine, brain stem dysfunction, and ADD/ADHD is actually common. After we perform a thorough chiropractic examination, we’ll be able to see any noticeable spinal and or cranial distortion. If anything is found, a safe and effective chiropractic adjustment can help reduce nervous system tension and irritation.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback, also called neurofeedback, is not a treatment for ADD/ADHD, but it is a truly amazing technology that we can use to reduce nervous system disturbances. Since ADHD appears as a neurological disorder, we can use biofeedback as a natural, drugless, and non-invasive solution. We can look at the nervous system disturbances in brain waves and dysregulation, and we often find the right brain waves at the wrong times. With biofeedback brain training, we can simply retrain when brain waves are released resulting in increased calm behavior, better focus and sleeping, and improved productivity. With biofeedback, surface electrodes are placed on the scalp, and brain wave activity transmits onto the computer. Auditory and visual feedback is shown instantaneously, so you can see and hear representations of your brain in real-time, allowing you to observe this feedback and allow the nervous system to reset itself based on the feedback. As your nervous system reorganizes itself, patterns begin to normalize. After about 10 to 20 training sessions, neuroplastic modifications can result in permanent alleviation of symptoms. Biofeedback training is also used to help people with:
- Migraines or headaches
- Learning disorders
- Memory loss
- Insomnia
- Chronic pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
These natural remedies for ADD/ADHD are all great alternatives to prescription drugs and medications that sometimes couple with unpleasant side effects. The conventional stimulant medications for treating ADHD are Ritalin, Dexedrine, Desoxyn, Vyvanse, or Cylert, which are usually derived from the same family as cocaine. Drugs may provide short-term benefits for people suffering from ADD/ADHD, but the answer may be to start at the beginning. Start turning to natural treatment options that have much less risk of negative effects. If you or your child need a different answer to treating ADD/ADHD symptoms, contact Parkside Health & Wellness today. Come in for a free BrainCore consultation to see if this revolutionary treatment option can help you.