Research Supports a Safer Approach for Treating ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed psychological conditions in young people today, and the volume of sales of ADHD drugs continues to rise. The drugs being used to treat children with ADHD, however, have not been proven to be effective or safe for kids, according to a 2014 study in the journal PLoS ONE.

The authors of this study analyzed data from 32 clinical trials that had resulted in the approval of all ADHD medications by the FDA. It was discovered that half of the drugs approved for use in kids were tested on less than 100 research participants and that three quarters of the trials were conducted for less than 6 months. The median length of time of the trials to gain approval was only 4 weeks. In the last decade the studies have been longer, but only for a median 8 weeks, still far short of the 12-month recommendation by the International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use which none of the approved medications met.

According to the senior author Kenneth Mandl, MD, MPH, professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, "There is a disconnect between the way these drugs are approved in that they are tested in small numbers of patients over short periods of time versus the way the drugs are used, which is in large numbers of patients for many years," says.

Investigators also discovered that 7 of the ADHD drugs had gained approval from the FDA without submitting any data from their respective clinical trials supporting use of the medication for treating ADHD in pediatric cases. These 7 drugs had only been approved for use in treating other conditions.

"A natural approach for kids with ADHD is important since the pharmaceuticals being used are not adequately tested for safety nor effectiveness," explains Dr. Tymothy L. Flory from Atlas Spinal Care. Dr. Flory specializes in a form of pediatric chiropractic care that has been shown to be safe for children. Additionally, it has been proven to be effective for children who have been diagnosed with ADHD.

Dr. Flory points out that the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA) procedure has been found to be safe and highly effective for improving symptoms of ADHD. A case study recently published in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research demonstrates that this type of chiropractic helped an 11-year-old boy improve both academic performance and overall concentration. While the NUCCA treatment is not designed specifically for ADHD, it addresses cervical spine injuries, which are known to also affect function of the central nervous system. The procedure is also extremely gentle, using low velocity, high amplitude structral correction of the head and neck junction. This makes it safe for your children. It is because of this that the NUCCA Chiropractic and ADHD treatment can be used without the need for drugs.

Since the drugs being used to treat children with ADHD have not been proven to be effective or safe for kids, Dr. Flory recommends working with a pediatric chiropractor as a safe and effective alternative. He also wants to draw attention to the fact that injuries in the neck, and particularly the C1 and C2 vertebrae, are surprisingly common. In fact, these injuries can be caused during labor, and they are particularly common in children who have ADHD, where the two vertebrae are often misaligned. In many cases, this does not cause any pain, but it does mean that the spinal cord and the brain stem are not able to function properly, leading to mental and physical distress, including ADHD.

ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed psychological conditions in young people today, and the volume of sales of ADHD drugs continues to rise. Dr. Flory wants to encourage parents of children with ADHD to consider pedicatric chiropractic care instead. There is a strong chance that their child actually has an injury to the C1 and C2 vertebrae and that this is at the heart of their problem. This also means that a natural treatment, that has none of the negative side effects of drugs, may be available.