Omaha Chiropractor
Dr. Jack Belitz Specializes in Back Pain and Sciatica Relief
Call 402-333-4848 for Your Free consultation
Autism and Spectrum Disorders
Treating children with autism and other spectrum related disorders is very important to us. The chiropractic profession has made great strides in caring for these problems. However, the majority of the general public are unfamiliar with what we can do. The information on this page is an introduction to the possibilities of chiropractic care.
Warning – this is a very lengthy explanation, but I have found that people want to understand their options and how this all works!
How Can Chiropractic Help Autism?
People who have studied children with autism and the spectrum disorders realize that their nervous systems have problems. The nervous system is responsible for the communication in the body. Nervous system malfunctions can create symptoms of autism. Common problems include hyperactivity, attention issues, sleep challenges and behavior problems. Sensory processing problems and social issues also are common In addition, the nervous system controls the digestive and immune systems. Autistic children often have problems with these systems also. This can lead to things like autoimmune challenges, colic, and more.
How the Nervous System Is Injured
One of the first questions people have is “How can the nervous system get damaged?” Traumatic Birth Injury is the most common way that the nervous system is injured in children. Children who undergo this trauma have damage to their nervous systems from the beginning of life.
Anything that happens during the birth process other than a natural birth is called an intervention. The World Health Organization has deemed the levels of birth intervention in the US to be at “epidemic” levels. The worst example of this is the use of Cesarean delivery. The WHO states that C-section rates around 10% are normal and necessary. They state that anything above 15-20% “likely does more harm than good”. The C-section rate in US hospitals is usually between 33-50%. C-section rates are often the norm for many hospitals. I always thought that C-section births were less traumatic for the baby. However, I have learned this is not true. The doctor puts a tremendous force on the baby’s head and neck to pull the baby out. (as much as 90 lbs of force)
This is not the only trauma during births. Did you know that most of the mothers who decide to have a vaginal birth are now induced? A recent study in the Journal of Pediatrics showed an increase in autism rates for children who had an induced birth. This confirms what we’ve been talking about in pediatric chiropractic for a long, long time.
The Most Common Area Of Injury
The upper neck and skull area are most commonly injured during the birth process. The risk of injury to these areas goes up when the birth process involves C-sections, forceps, vacuum extraction, and prolonged pushing. All of these factors lead to greater risk of traumatic birth injury to the baby’s head and neck.
The birth injuries cause the bones of the spine and head to go out of place and put pressure on the brain stem and spinal cord. The spinal nerves in the area can also be affected. This pressure causes improper nerve function. The brain no longer receives proper communication causing all types of problems. Information going into and out of the brain becomes altered. It is believed that this challenge to the communication system is the primary reason so many children with autism have behavioral difficulty, sensory processing issues, and social interaction difficulties. The pressure puts the nervous system into a chronic state of stress. This is often referred to as the fight or flight response.
No one in the medical system is trained to check or address injuries to the nervous system. Most of the time they go completely unnoticed. The parents are not aware of the potential problems. It is hypothesized that if a pediatric chiropractor addressed these injuries early on. most of the neurological issues could be avoided.
Effects of Chronic Stress On the Nervous System
The fight or flight response is vital for short-term reactions to stress. This is a normal and healthy response. It diverts blood away from your stomach and intestines to your extremities. This gives you the energy to run away or fight but keeps your body from properly digesting food and other important functions. The flight or fight response is designed to be short term. In normal circumstances, the effects on the digestive system never get bad because it lasts only a short time.
A problem occurs when the body gets stuck in that fight or flight mode. This creates a state of constriction, cramping, and inflammation of the digestive tract. Most children with autism are stuck in a fight or flight response from their first moments of life. We see a high correlation in autism with infantile colic, ear infections, and digestive disorders. All of this happens because of the injury to the neck and head. Imagine what would happen to the rate of autism if every baby were checked after birth. It is likely that far fewer children would be suffering from autism and related disorders. Simply observe a child with autism and you can see the “stress and fear” in their eyes that they live in every minute. It is such a joy to see this look change as they progress through care.
Other Problems that Arise From Chronic Stress
The chronic state of stress that is created when the nervous system is traumatized from things like birth injuries greatly affects the immune and digestive systems as well. When you are in a high state of stress, both of these systems are downgraded so that the body can focus its energy on getting out of the stressful situation.
The digestive system does a very poor job of breaking down the food you eat during times of stress. This creates even more inflammation and irritation. This inflammation and irritation and will also affect the immune system function so you don’t fight off colds as easily. This leaves the child susceptible to allergies, asthma, eczema, and other inflammatory reactions. All of this leads to more and more inflammation and irritation.
Getting to the Root of the Problem
You can restore proper balance and alignment to the body by taking the pressure off of the nervous system. The result is proper function to the central nervous system. Depending on the severity and length of time these injuries have been present, it may take a number of visits to correct the imbalances. However fixing this problem can create positive change in a step-by-step process that leads to an improvement in behavior, digestion, immunity, learning, sleep, and more. The sooner we start, the better our chances of having success with this care.
In summary, most every child we see with spectrum disorders has one primary major challenge at the root of their issues: An overstressed nervous system that is in protection mode. Dr. Bruce Lipton summarizes the issue: “You can’t be in growth and protection modes at the same time.”
A traumatic birth injury puts a child’s nervous system in stress mode. This will stifle the growth/development/organization/healing mode that a child needs to mature and grow. A specifically trained pediatric chiropractor is the only provider on the planet trained to find and locate that type of problem. Once the problem is found, and then corrected, The nervous system will start working again. Then an environment of growth, relaxation, and healing is established.
How To Find Out If This Problem Affects You
Now you are probably wondering if any of the problems discussed above apply to you. Lucky for you, there is a very advanced computerized technology which can help us determine if any of these issues are causing problems in your life. This computerized assessment is very easy and simple. Call or message us right now to get your appointment. 402-333-4848
Getting Started
The first step in working for change is our initial meeting. We need to learn more about you or your loved ones struggles, challenges and goals. We will perform a set of computerized tests and depending on your case, may suggest other tests to provide us with the information to understand your unique situation. Once we assemble the information, we will take time and formulate a plan that best meets your needs. On our next meeting, we will present the findings and explain the plan we have developed. We will answer your questions and concerns so that you may make an informed decision on the options for treatment. Book an appointment now by calling 402-333-4848.
Autism and Other Spectrum Disorders
If someone in your life is troubled with Autism or another specturm disorder – there may be hope.
We have specialized diagnostic equipment which can help decide if you qualify for the care we offer in this office. The cost of the test and consultation is normally $245, but because we are developing this new website, if you mention you saw this here, you will receive these services for only $5.
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