ADD And Upper Neck Injury

ADD and ADHD affects 11 percent of children in the United States. This disorder makes school difficult, disrupts families, and if severe enough it affects all aspects of a child’s life. ADD also affects adults causing them to have difficulty staying on task, finishing projects, and they often times struggle in the workplace.

Our current health system is more interested in treating symptoms, rather than addressing underlying issues that may be causing ADD/ADHD. Later in this article, we will discuss a little-known procedure called Blair Upper Cervical Care and how it can help ADD.

ADD Is A Brain Disorder

Dr. Daniel Amen, an American psychiatrist, and brain disorder specialist has shown that people with ADD/ADHD have abnormal brain scans. Dr. Amen sub-categorized ADD into seven different categories. While there has been no definitive cause found for ADD, many alternative doctors have found treatments that help. Dr. Amen believes that many factors are involved in the increased prevalence of ADD:

  • Limited physical education in school
  • Excessive use of video games
  • Diets filled with processed foods
  • Exposure to environmental toxins (i.e. pesticides in the food)

While Dr. Amen clearly demonstrates his case, he is missing one key piece to the puzzle: How trauma to the upper cervical spine causes cord interference and can affect cerebral blood flow. In the next section, we will examine the role that neck trauma plays in the cause of ADD.

Blair Upper Cervical Care, Brain Function, and ADD Treatment

There is plenty of evidence that ADD has its roots in abnormal brain activity. The question is: What causes the abnormal brain activity? Upper Cervical Doctors have known for years that many ADD/ADHD patients drastically improve the following correction of the upper cervical spine. Research conducted by Michael Flannagan D.C. using upright MRI shows evidence that a misaligned Atlas (C-1) causes reduced CSF (Cerebrospinal fluid) flow and blood flow to the cerebral hemispheres. While this research is ongoing, it may shed light on an underlying cause for people with cognitive problems. Lack of blood flow to the cerebral hemispheres due to an atlas misalignment can be one underlying cause of ADD/ADHD symptoms.

What Does A Blair Upper Cervical Doctor Do?

We specialize in a specific upper neck technique in chiropractic called Blair.  Blair Upper Cervical is a health care procedure with the goal of locating and correcting spinal misalignments in the neck. There is mounting evidence that upper neck misalignments interfere with normal nervous system function. These interferences can present with various symptoms that many healthcare providers simply mask with medication.

When a patient visits our office a complete history is taken. The patient is then run through a series of objective tests that determine if the patient suffers from Upper Cervical Spine misalignment. These tests include numerous computerized spinal scanning instruments to identify the cause of the problem.  If the testing indicates there is nervous system interference, then a set of precise x-rays are taken (if clinically indicated). The x-rays visualize the joints between the head and neck to measure direction and magnitude of the misalignment. The information received from these tests help the doctor make a custom tailored correction. The goal of Blair Upper Cervical Care is for the correction to “hold” as long as possible. When the spinal segment returns to its normal position and “holds,” it allows the body to function better.

Many different conditions respond to Blair upper cervical care. The medical approach to many of these conditions is to just treat the symptoms. The Blair Upper Cervical approach relies on the fact that the body is self-healing and self-regulating. If neural interference is removed, then better function ensues. Nature needs no help, just no interference!

If you or someone you know suffers from ADD call our office for a consultation at 207-846-5100.