How Can Functional Neurology Help with ADHD?
Do you get lost in daydreams? Do you have a hard time sitting still? Do you fidget a lot? Do you find it difficult to concentrate or pay attention?
Have you been diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
If so, you may be confused and concerned by the wide array of treatment options available, many of which are pharmaceutical and will ask you to put drugs in your body.
This can be especially true if your child is diagnosed with ADHD. Many parents and family members are understandably and rightly wary of both the short, and long-term effects of medication for ADHD.
No matter which member of your family is struggling with the symptoms related to ADHD, you will want to make sure to understand all your treatment options, and have the opportunity to choose a natural and holistic treatment plan that addresses the underlying, brain-based causes of the disorder.
At Norcal Brain Center, we will evaluate you or your child and develop a natural, non-surgical and non-pharmacological plan that helps your brain and nervous system recover and function more successfully. This will help both adult and child sufferers to achieve their fullest potential.
What are the Causes of ADHD?
Multiple brain-imaging studies have shown that people suffering from ADHD have differences in the way their brains are structured and wired. Children with ADHD often have areas of the brain that are behind in development, making their executive functions (the mental skills that help you get things done like managing time or paying attention) weak.
In adults, the frontal lobe, which is in charge of executive functions may simply not be working well, causing a variety of problems for people in their lives and work.
The brains of people with ADHD also have differences in how well particular parts of the brain work with and communicate with each other. ADHD sufferers have brains that don’t communicate efficiently or effectively, and this can create additional problems with focus, impulse control and motivation.
Experts don’t believe that parenting or child-rearing practices have anything to do with people developing ADHD. Rather, it’s in your DNA. ADHD is strongly hereditary, and runs in families. Someone with ADHD has a one-in-four chance of having at least one parent with ADHD.
What Are Some of the Symptoms of ADHD?
- Problems with motivation: ADHD isn’t just about attention. It’s also about motivation. Someone with the condition might be able to focus very intensely on something that is interesting to them (like a videogame or a sporting event) but have serious difficulty concentrating on a task that is boring or hard. ADHD sufferers also often have a hard time getting started on a task, or switching from one task to another.
- Unpredictable Changes in Mood: The inefficient functioning of the frontal lobe of your brain can also cause mood swings and irritability.
- Problems with Processing New Information: Many people with ADHD have problems taking in new information, relating it to previous information and creating something new.
- Problems with Memory: Because the ADHD brain has problems processing new information, this can lead to problems with memory and recall, since the brain is not holding on to the new data efficiently or effectively.
- Daydreaming: The inefficient functioning of the ADHD brain makes it very difficult for it to self-regulate. We all daydream from time to time, but for non-ADHD sufferers, it’s relatively easy to “snap out of it” and stop. For ADHD sufferers, daydreaming is intensified and it’s very hard to stop. If a person with ADHD is daydreaming, for example, you may need to stand directly in front of them or touch them physically to get their attention.
How Can Functional Neurology and Holistic Care at Norcal Brain Center Help with ADHD?
Assessment
Functional neurology is all about assessing and then treating the underlying issues in your brain and nervous system that are causing your disorder.
In addition, we will look at related contributing factors like your digestive system, inflammation, emotional issue or infectious agents to provide a holistic view of what is causing your brain (or your child’s brain) to work inefficiently, and provide a treatment plan to help.
Not all ADHD sufferers will have the same causes of their condition. We treat each patient as an individual and assess their personal situation. Functional neurologists are in the business of assessing your brain for functional weaknesses and applying a range of therapies to improve those functions. That’s what we do.
Treatment
We used to believe that the brain was hardwired and unable to change. Now we know that the brain is plastic, and can regenerate connections and be trained to function more effectively. Brain therapies, in conjunction with treatments for other, related causes of your ADHD will allow us to effectively increase your brain’s effectiveness.
At Norcal Brain Center, we offer a range of therapies and treatments to cover your whole self, and all the causes we identify of your condition. Among these are:
- Muscle strengthening exercises and balance rehabilitation
- Auditory integration training to improve sensory issues and hypersensitivity
- Nutrition recommendations based on food sensitivities
- Proprioceptive training for joints and motor reflexes
- Neurosensorimotor integration for retraining the brain and nervous system’
- Cognitive processing therapy to help train the brain to focus as well as to improve memory and attention
If you, your child or other family member are suffering from ADHD, make an appointment to be assessed by our team at Norcal Brain Center and see what kind of non-invasive and holistic plan of therapy we can offer you!
