Chiropractic helps ADHD

Click Here for Video
The word is out, and on the news now too! Check out this video supporting an adjustment to resolve ADHD!
Attention Deficit Disorder and Hyperactivity



Studies in Peer Reviewed Journals
Chiropractic for Children in the News

The following television interview on Health Watch shows the benefits of chiropractic care in children with ADHD symptoms. Dr. Marty Rosen, ICPA Certification instructor for SOT. View the news clip here: http://wbztv.com/video/?id=30936@wbz.dayport.com

Manual Therapy in Children: Proposals for an Etiologic Model
J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2005 (Mar); 28 (3): e1–e15 ~ FULL TEXT
Heiner Biedermann, M.D.

The effects of uppercervical adjustments on the child with learnign disorders is explored and shown clinically.
Article Excerpt: KISS-Induced Dyspraxy and Dysgnosy

Developmental Delay Syndromes and Chiropractic: A Case Report

Blum CL, Cuthbert S, Williams S, Developmental Delay Syndromes and Chiropractic: A Case Report. International Conference on Chiropractic Research. Vilamoura, Portugal - May 17-19, 2007: CM53.

Chiropractic treatment for developmental delay syndromes (DDS), while controversial to some, has growing support in the research literature. Yet at this time there is no conclusive information on the causation of DDS. This ultimately leads to some lack of clarity about treatment options, particularly for children sensitive to medication or who do not choose medication as an option.

Patients are actively seeking alternative care, and particularly care that offers low risk and measurable benefits should be brought to their attention. Since for many patients and their families the option of no treatment for DDS is not an "option," we need to explore which patients might best respond to conservative therapies such as chiropractic.

The current evidence supports the premise that some DDS may be secondary to trauma and related to the sensory-motor impairment syndrome known as dyspraxia. While the studies are inconclusive, there is an emerging evidence base that does show chiropractic care may be successfully employed in the treatment of patients with DDS such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, learning disabilities, and ADHD.


ADHD Helped With Chiropractic, A Case Study
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15510091

In the October 2004 issue of the peer-reviewed research publication, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT), comes a case study of a child with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), who was helped with chiropractic.
The case was of a 5 year old boy who had been diagnosed with ADHD at age 2. The child’s pediatrician prescribed methylphenidate (Ritalin), Adderall, and Haldol for the next 3 years. The combination of drugs was unsuccessful in helping the child.
At age 5 the child was brought to a chiropractor to see if chiropractic care would help. The history taken at that time noted that during the child’s birth, there were complications during his delivery process. The results of this trauma and complications resulted in a 4-day stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. The child’s mother reported no other incidence of trauma.
The chiropractic examination and x-rays showed noticeable spinal distortion including a reversal of the normal neck curve indicative of subluxations. Chiropractic care was begun and the child ’s progress was monitored.
According to his mother, positive changes in her son`s general behavior were noticed around the twelfth visit. By the 27th visit the patient had experienced considerable improvement.
The child was brought by the mother to the medical doctor for a follow up visit and questioned the usage of the Ritalin. The medical doctor reviewed and examined the child and based on that assessment and his clinical experience, the MD felt that the young boy was no longer exhibiting symptoms associated with ADHD. He then took the boy off the medications that he had been taking for 3 years.
The conclusion of the author of the JMPT case study noted, “The patient experienced significant reduction in symptoms. Additionally, the medical doctor concluded that the reduction in symptoms was significant enough to discontinue the medication.”



An evaluation of chiropractic manipulation as a treatment of hyperactivity in children. Giesen JM, Center DB, Leach RA J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1989 (Oct);12 (5):353-363

The principle aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of chiropractic manipulative therapy in the treatment of children with hyperactivity. Using blinds between investigators and a single subject research design, the investigators evaluated the effectiveness of the treatment for reducing activity levels of hyperactive children.

Data collection included independent evaluations of behavior using a unique wrist-watch type device to mechanically measure activity while the children completed tasks simulating school-work. Further evaluations included electrodermal tests to measure autonomic nervous system activity. Chiropractic clinical evaluations to measure improvement in spinal biomechanics were also completed. Placebo care was given prior to chiropractic intervention.

Data were analyzed visually and using nonparametric statistical methods. Five of seven children showed improvement in mean behavioral scores from placebo care to treatment. Four of seven showed improvement in arousal levels, and the improvement in the group as a whole was highly significant (p = 0.009). Agreement between tests was also high in this study.

For all seven children, three of the four principal tests used to detect improvement were in agreement either positively or negatively (parent ratings of activity, motion recorder scores, electrodermal measures, and X-rays of spinal distortions). While the behavioral improvement taken alone can only be considered suggestive, the strong interest agreement can be taken as more impressive evidence that the majority of the children in this study did, in fact, improve under specific chiropractic care.

The results of this study, then, are not conclusive, however, they do suggest that chiropractic manipulation has the potential to become an important nondrug intervention for children with hyperactivity. Further investigation in this area is certainly warranted.

Behavioral and Learning Changes Secondary to Chiropractic Care to Reduce Subluxations in a Child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Case Study

Lovett L, Blum CL Behavioral and Learning Changes Secondary to Chiropractic Care to Reduce Subluxations in a Child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Case Study Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, Oct 2006:1-6.

Objective: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is extremely subjective in both diagnosis and treatment. No single cause has yet been determined for this disorder nor has there been a single treatment plan that is effective in a majority of cases. This paper proposes a possible etiology for some cases of ADHD with respect to concentration and hyperactivity along with a possible positive association with chiropractic adjustments.

Conclusion: There are many causes to ADHD as well as other learning and behavioral disorders; therefore conclusions cannot be conclusively drawn by a single case study. A possible conclusion that can be drawn in this case is that adjusting spinal lesions (e.g., subluxations) appeared to reduce the child’s pain and discomfort, which allowed him the ability to concentrate, learn and “sit still.” Further studies with controls need to be conducted in this area to determine the effectiveness of chiropractic care in aiding the symptoms of children who are classified as ADHD.


The relationship of craniosacral examination findings in grade school children with developmental problems Upledger JE J Am Osteopath Assoc. 1978 Jun;77(10):760-776

This study examined grade school children and came up with a positive relationship between cranial motion restrictions and learning disabled children, as well as children with a history of an obstetrically complicated delivery.





Additional Chiropractic Case Studies:


1) Larry Webster, D.C. International Chiropractic Pediatric Association Newsletter. January 1996.

"After examining several diagnosed ADHD children, we find an upper cervical subluxation that can lead to neurotransmitter involvement."


A Mother's Testimonial. ICPA Newsletter. July/August 1998 (Dr. Angiolillo is in private practice in North Brunswick, NJ).

"When Kevin was 3 he was diagnosed as having ADHD. After trying diet changes, allergy testing and behavior modification techniques, we reluctantly agreed to put Kevin on Ritalin. The medication did its job as far as slowing him down a bit, but he suffered many side effects. In 2 years he grew only 2 inches and did not gain any weight at all. He cried easily, had trouble sleeping, no appetite, and would "zone out" quite often.

Finally at age 6 we made the decision to stop giving him Ritalin. He grew 6 inches in less than 1 year and gained nearly 15 pounds. His sleeping and eating patterns were still erratic, and the schoolwork was horrible…his writing was illegible and math made no sense to him.

We brought him to Dr. D'Angiolillo for chiropractic care, twice a week for 6 weeks. This past week when I went to his parent-teacher conference, the first thing the teacher asked me was had we put Kevin back on Ritalin. I said no, and she showed me samples of Kevin's work and showed me the sudden improvement…for the first time his writing is in the lines, it is easy to read and much more age appropriate.

Although he still tends to move around more than the average child does, he is able to concentrate, answer questions correctly and is reading better than most of his class!"