A case study from the June 2009 issue of the scientific periodical the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics documents the case of a six year old boy who was helped with ADHD through chiropractic care. In this case a young boy six years and 10 months old was previously diagnosed with ADHD by his pediatrician. As a result he was prescribed 30 mg of Ritalin per day.
The child was brought to a chiropractic facility for consultation and examination. The history from his mother noted that the her son’s main issues were excessive talking, inability to remain seated, and impulsivity as displayed by constantly interrupting other students in school. As reported by his mother, the case study also noted that the the child often displayed impulsive behavior, but that he was also considered to have above average intelligence. The case noted that he received good grades and his reading was at an advanced level. His mother attempted to enroll him into a behavioral program offered at his school while still in the 1st grade but was unable to do so.
The young boy began receiving chiropractic adjustments twice a week for two weeks and then once a week for four weeks. After six weeks of care a re-evaluation was performed at which time the boy’s mother reported that her son showed improved focus and compliance with directives. Shortly after the initial 6-week revaluation school started. The case report documented that the boy’s teachers and bus drivers noted marked improvement in behavior and his report card showed he was receiving good grades at the follow up visits. The results also stated, “Through this course of treatment, the child was able to discontinue use of the medication previously prescribed to control the symptoms of ADHD.”
In conclusion, the authors wrote, “This case study shows the positive improvements of one child’s symptoms of ADHD under the care of a chiropractor. As pharmaceutical research continues to be undertaken, so should the study of alternative, non pharmaceutical recourses such as chiropractic adjustments based on practice-based information of positive outcomes with few side effects.”