How Can Chiropractic Care Help Kids with
Sensory Processing Disorders?

By Dr. Katy Mooberry DC, C.A.C.C.P.

Did you know that 1 in 6 kids in the US has a neurodevelopmental disorder? In 2016, 1 in 18 3-year old children are diagnosed with autism? By 2022, 1 in 9 3-year old children will be diagnosed with autism? What is going on?

Today, children are under more stress than at any other time in history. They are exposed to physical, chemical, and emotional stressors. They are dealing with "processed foods and unprocessed emotions" and their bodies are under physical stress from poor posture and many physical traumas causing subluxations, which is when a spinal joint falls out of alignment. One subluxation at the base of the skull and the first cervical vertebra can put a lot of stress on the vagus nerve. Why is the vagus nerve important? It controls inflammation. When there is stress on this nerve, it does not perform properly and the inflammatory nerve pathway is not turned off. When inflammation runs high, the body is running in "emergency mode," which keeps the body in a cyclical inflammatory circle.

Sensory Processing Disorders and Chiropractic Care in Evergreen CO

However, a chiropractic adjustment in Evergreen will help remove the pressure on the vagus nerve and help the body re-balance itself. But if a child stays in this fight or flight mode, they can't handle everyday stressors and they continue to be overstimulated. Often, these children develop a sensory processing disorder because they have a disorganized response to sensory input. This means they have a traffic jam in their brain and they can't make sense of everything, so they shut down and seem "hypo-sensitive or slow" or go into fight or flight mode and seem "hypersensitive or hyperactive." Chiropractic care can help up-regulate or down-regulate the nervous system and help these children find a balance.

Through a careful history and examination, we can identify various imbalances in the spine and the eight sensory systems. Specific chiropractic adjustments can stimulate the nervous system and we perform and teach various sensory exercises that will help bring the child's sensory nervous system back into balance so that they will be in harmony with their surroundings. Chiropractic care is a drug-free and very successful approach to treating children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Please call Dr. Katy Mooberry, who is certified in pediatrics, as well as treating sensory processing disorders, today if you have any questions (303) 670-7777.