More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles
Treating ADHD With Chinese Medicine
Most of our patients don't come into our clinic with ADD or ADHD as their primary motivation for seeking treatment. It is the sort of diagnosis that people bring up as an afterthought, when using acupuncture for other issues like pain or menopause for example.
But these days, it seems as though a significant percentage of our population is affected by ADD/ADHD, and not only kids. For most people, not being able to focus will severely impact their ability to function, not to mention, it could pose a safety hazard on the road and in other situations where focus is mandatory.
The verdict is still out on what causes ADD, who is more susceptible to it, and what can be done to prevent it from manifesting in the first place, but as with most ailments, it seems that decreasing stress and eating well play a very consequential role in its management.
As Chinese medical practitioners, we are able to directly impact stress levels via acupuncture, since acupuncture, by nature, is a sedative experience.
Using a small number of acupuncture needles placed methodically around the body, patients experience an increase in blood flow, and what I like to describe as a central nervous system reboot. Patients leave their appointments feeling both mentally and physically relaxed. Tension is released where it was previously trapped, breathing becomes less labored, and relaxation is thus more innate and not a forced endeavor.
Because of this, distractions are fewer, and those who suffer from ADD or ADHD are able to channel their thoughts with intention and productivity.
In general, to obtain optimal health, practitioners of Chinese medicine would advise you to eat a very clean diet, meaning cutting out the processed foods and increasing your intake of whole foods in order to ensure you are receiving optimal nutrients for your brain and body.
There is a lot more we could say about diet and the impact synthetic ingredients are likely to have on your ability to focus, though that could fill a novel itself.
For those who are interested in avoiding taking medications to treat focus disorders, and for those who would like to remember what it feels like to be relaxed naturally, acupuncture may be a great alternative to other forms of medicine currently used in the treatment of ADD and ADHD.
