What exactly is the Perfect Storm?

Later this month we are hosting one of our parenting workshops called the Perfect Storm.  In this workshop we talk about kids who have been diagnosed with ADHD and Sensory Processing disorders and how chiropractic can help deal with some of the challenges that come along with these diagnoses.  Part of our mission is to help families live connected and one of the things we find is that it is not just the child that is affected but really the whole family. Often, we hear that parents had no idea their child could be helped by chiropractic.  Your child does not have to be diagnosed for you to notice some signs of sensory issues. Let’s talk about some of the common symptoms we find in these children.  

1. Struggle to calm down.  These children are always “turned on” from the moment they wake up until they fall asleep at night.  They find it hard to sit still and can’t concentrate on the task in front of them. It is common for this to lead to frustration and anger.  
2. Regulation of emotions.  These kids feel emotions in a big way but don’t know how to cope with them or explain how they are feeling.  This will lead to epic temper tantrums, meltdowns for no apparent reason, and even a lack of empathy for other people that are dealing with emotions they may not understand.  
3. Poor focus.  This can mean issues at school where they can be disruptive in a classroom setting, trouble concentrating to do homework, or poor at following directions because they weren’t listening in the first place.  Common things like getting ready for school in the morning or doing homework after school can be a real nightmare for both the child and their parents.  
4. Bedwetting.  This may seem unrelated to the first three but it’s common in these kids and in fact it can be a reason why families find themselves in our office in the first place.  Generally, kids with sensory issues will have an extremely tight muscular system. They are wound up tight in their bodies and this causes excess pressure on their nervous system.  This tightness, often in their necks and low backs, can cause misinformation between the brain and the body. One of the systems that often gets affects in the urinary system and these kids finally relax when they go to bed.  When they relax bedwetting can occur.  
5. Sensitivities to the environment around them.  This could include certain types of clothing or fabric, certain sounds or lights, or being a really picky eater because the consistency of foods bother them.  Normally when we encounter something new in our environment, let’s use the example of putting on a shirt, we feel the fabric initially and then our brain stops paying attention to it.  However, for kids with sensory issues their brain doesn’t “shut off” that signal and keeps paying attention to all the things in their environment. As you can imagine this would be overwhelming to deal with all the input all the time.  

If your child is dealing with any of these symptoms listed above then we would love to invite you to our class which will be held on Wednesday, September 25 at Lolo’s in Hudson at 5:30pm.  Call the office (715-381-9965) or head over to our Facebook Page to RSVP. Appetizers and drinks will be provided! We will see you there and be ready to answer any of your questions about how we can help your child.