The Postural Connection Between ADHD, ADD, Tourettes, Oppositional defiance disorder, Depression, Anxiety and Autism spectrum disorder.

Here in Longview, WA, our middle and high school students are presently (literally as I write this), sitting on their beds, or at the kitchen table, or on the couch, with their backs rounded, and their heads forward.

We hear of, and speak of the detrimental emotional and psychosocial ramifications this is having on our children but we don’t hear much about the weight (pun intended) this places on their posture.  Here is the shocking truth between posture and learning.

Posture is the window to the spine.  Being that the spine houses the spinal cord, our posture determines the level of function between brain and everything it connects to, including every organ, tissue and cell.  

Over the past year, we’ve been given ample information on how to retract, isolate and sanitize.  Our coaching has been entirely focused on the defensive part of the game…all while ignoring the qualities and importance of our offense.

Before Covid 19, the CDC reported that 1 in 6 children in the United States had a diagnosed neurodevelopment disorder, one in five were said to have a mental health disorder and approximately one-third of children were said to have a chronic health disorder.  

The CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, British Medical Journal, Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine have all published papers suggesting that our children are being subjected to detrimental social, emotional, developmental and neurological conditions as they continue to stay home.

The most important question right now should be…HOW CAN WE EMPOWER OUR KIDS TO SOAR AND EMERGE OUT THIS NOT ONLY INTACT, BUT ENRICHED?  

-By teaching them that they, individually are accountable and responsible for their own health outcomes and that health is an inside job.

-By teaching them that HEALTHY PEOPLE DON’T GET SICK.  This brings confidence and certainty.  When we’re afraid of the world around us, we immediately begin to retract, which causes for the body to slow down its healing mechanisms.

-By teaching them that their physical health is dependant on the lifestyle choices they make and on the quality of their environment. 

One of the best ways to have an impact on their brains, right now, as they sit on their beds slumped forward, is to 

-Teach them the connection between posture and their overall health.

Studies show that as our posture deteriorates, so does our brain.  The relationship between posture and brain function are directly proportional.  Our ability to problem solve, to delay gratification, to emotionally adapt and to feel a sense of security and contentment are all dependent on healthy posture.  

Here, with posture, I’m referring to they way we hold ourselves as a result of nervous system tone.  Our “tone” is responsible for how we interpret and interact with our environment.  

Increasing tone ALWAYS leads to healing.  In addition to healing the nervous system with chiropractic adjustments,  at Advantage Chiropractic we have a simple, effective and readily available protocol for children who have been diagnosed with ADHD, ADD, TOURETTES, OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANCE DISORDER, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY and AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER.  

We can immediately increase our “tone” and feed the part of our brain responsible for physical and neurological health by doing the following “BRAIN FOOD” exercises at home every day.

Instruct children to sleep on their stomachs (without a pillow) - This actually opens airways more than in any other position (also helps with ear infections, sleep apnea, enlarged tonsils and snoring).   Stomach sleeping provides us with the neurological input needed for healing.

Standing on uneven surfaces like wobble cushions.  Instruct them to do this multiple times per day, particularly while trying to learn difficult concepts.   https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_aps_sr_pg1_1?ie=UTF8&adId=A04798242N8ZJL5Z0WOUW&url=%2FTrideer-Inflated-Stability-Flexible-Classroom%2Fdp%2FB07CTCBM2S%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa%3Fcrid%3D3QHPKVML201UD%26dchild%3D1%26keywords%3Dwobble%2Bcushions%2Bfor%2Bkids%26qid%3D1613502354%26sprefix%3Dwobble%2Bfusion%252Caps%252C256%26sr%3D8-1-spons%26psc%3D1&qualifier=1613502354&id=5890051677858664&widgetName=sp_atf

Hand - eye coordination games like basketball, racket sports, ball throwing and catching.

Walking and/or running everyday - outside (at least 20 minutes per day).  Uneven paths are much better than pavement.

Instruct children to be barefoot as much as possible.

Daily jumping jacks and daily jumping on a rebounder.  (in our home, if our kids want to play video games, they must one standing on the rebounder to do so…)

Our kids, more than ever, need our guidance and our leadership to feel empowered.  They need our reassurance and certainty that they were born with everything they need to thrive and to exceed their potential.  They need to watch us implement and forge forward.  

Our kids will gain confidence because they’ll observe that healthy lifestyles don’t allow space for fear.  Our health outcomes depend (not on outside sources) but on trusting that our innate ability to heal is very much lifestyle and habit dependent and that they get to choose their outcomes, not the other way around.