The story of Michael Phelps and his eight gold medal performance continues to rocket around the globe faster than a 50 meter “splash and dash” race in an Olympic pool. Following immediately on the heels of this record shattering effort is one of even more Herculean significance. Michael Phelps and his family – together -beat the symptoms of ADHD and gave him a drug-free handling.

This does not mean that teachers, psychologists and doctors did not push the drugging choice into Michael’s life. This highly energetic child who could not sit still or be quiet in school did get huge pressure to accept the drugging solution that is almost immediately pushed in our society today. Michael’s mom Debbie, an educator herself, was not happy with this solution and worked to pursue alternatives.

Yes, there was a period of time in Michael’s life where he and his family agreed to give the drugs a try. It ac­tually went on for almost two years prior to Michael’s teenage years. After awhile, Michael decided to say no to the drugs. He decided he could handle the situation without the medication and he did. Swimming provided a major outlet for his energy and certainly a focus for his attention that doctors and teachers, especially, said he’d never be able to achieve without drugs.

Michael’s performance in the Olympics and the way he and his family dealt with his problems is highly laudable and has drawn praise from many. This comment from the board president of the national organization Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) basically says it all.

“It’s important for people living with ADHD to pursue interests they enjoy and at which they excel,” said Marie Paxson, board president. “Phelps’ success demonstrates that being a part of a supportive family, setting goals, engaging in enjoyable activities and receiving positive feedback are all important in the building of self-esteem. Phelps is clearly an exceptionally talented athlete and a source of pride for millions of people affected by ADHD.”

Michael Phelps and his mom Debbie Phelps are to be commended for standing up against the pressures of the drugging industry and beating his symptoms of ADHD with family involvement, athletic activity (in his case) and lots of support. It is hoped that this one person’s ability to embrace a drug-free solution will be an in­spiration to many more youngsters and their families in handling their own ADHD solutions without drugs.

Eight gold medals in one Olympic Games is a truly magnificent performance. If this feat serves to enlighten a world that there are solutions to ADHD that reach beyond drugs, it will be the Olympic story for all times.

Source: Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Press Release. August 2008.
http://www.chadd.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Press_Releasesi&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7437

Research has shown that so-called conditions like “Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder” (ADHD), traumatic brain injuries, dementia and Parkinson’s disease all reduce con­centration. In the United States alone, between 1-6 percent of adults and 3-10 percent of chil­dren are said to suffer from “ADHD”. Additional problems with living have been known to happen as well, including higher rates of car accidents, increased substance abuse, greater risk of failing in school or on the job, increased likelihood of divorce and greater difficulty in man­aging money.

The recent study was performed at the Centre Wellness NeuroFit in Lausanne, Switzerland, under the guidance of Centre Director Dr. Yannick Pauli, DC. “In this pilot study, we used objective outcome measures to evaluate attention in nine adult patients before and after two months of wellness Chiropractic care. All patients experienced significant improvement in con­centration,” said Dr. Pauli, a chiropractor specializing in wellness neurology.

The connection between attention and Chiropractic is not readily obvious to most people since chiropractors work mainly with spinal manipulation. However, according to the researchers, there is a direct link between the spine and activity in the brain. “As a chiropractor specializing in wellness neurology, I understand that the spine is as much about neurology as it is about biomechanics,” said Dr. Pauli. The articulations and the muscles of the spine are rich sensors that send information to the nerve system. “Each time we work with the spine, we acti­vate neurological circuits in the direction of the brain and bring the nerve system into balance.”

Dr. Pauli also notes that chiropractors affect a small part at the back of the brain called the cerebellum. Studies have shown that this structure is involved in attention. “Higher parts of the brain are also dependent upon the proper balance and function in the cerebellum,” he said. “If the cerebellum does not function at par, the rest of the brain becomes somewhat clumsy. By activating the spinal receptors and balancing the cerebellum, we help the brain function better.”

“Although the results are preliminary and more research is needed,” said Dr. Pauli, “the outcome of the study suggests that patients suffering from “attention deficit” benefited from Chiropractic care.”

Source: The World Chiropractic Alliance. 2007. http://www.worldchiropracticalliance.org/media/add-study.htm

Case in point of this study involves a child of 6 years of age, a person of any age could suffer the same lack of concentration ability following an accident or a severe blow. This could occur through an auto mishap, a slip-and-fall injury, sports contact or even a work-related trauma that is part of daily life. While drugs are now frequently prescribed by the medical community to handle the ensuing “attention” problems, a Chiropractic adjustment may really be all that is necessary for normal function to return.

A case discussing the events that happened to this child who struck his head while on the playground was recently presented by an Australian-American Chiropractic group. The child was knocked unconscious by the impact and, in the months that followed, his teachers noted his concentration problems, inattentiveness and even disruptive behavior. The boy developed all of the classic symptoms so commonly labeled as ADHD. He was unable to sit still in the classroom and his grades began to plunge.

Drugs were a main part of the medical prescription for handling the boy. Unfortunately, but expectedly, these did not bring any lasting relief or help to the child. In spite of the powerful drugs, his headaches and neck pains persisted. Finally, 18 months after the accident, his mother brought him to a chiropractor.

It may seem remarkable, but the boy only required 3 visits to the chiropractor over a 3 week period to put him back on the road to good health and classroom success. The diagnosis was a subluxation, a partial dislo­cation of the vertebrae. He continued with regular checkups and after 9 months continued to do very well.

An accident or blow which involves the head, neck and back being in pain is increasingly being documented as a trigger or aggravating factor to ADHD. This evidence and case studies such as this one can be of great value in spreading the word that drugs are not the universal solution for the handling of ADHD as has become so common in the world today. When drugs are administered, the concentration problems that are not handled can even lead to further accidents and more subluxations. Thus, the drugging solution could lead to a vicious circle that includes more injuries, more subluxations and an continued worsening of the ADHD symptoms.

However, when the symptoms of ADHD are handled through Chiropractic, tremendous benefits frequently occur. First off, the pain and discomfort is either reduced or eliminated for the patient. Next, the relief provid­ed to the nervous system through the correction of the subluxation are also extremely beneficial. Concentration ability often returns quickly, and the person gets more enjoyment out of life while doing better at school or at work, whatever the case may be.

Chiropractic adjustments of the person suffering from, so called, ADHD can lead to a better overall state of health and increased productivity without drug intervention. Again, the simple motto for handling such ADHD issues should resound, “Say no to drug and say yes to Chiropractic!”

Source: Dynamic Chiropractic. “Pain Relief. Safe Behind the Wheel.” January 2008. http://www.chiroweb.corn/archives/26/02/15.htm1