Have you noticed a shift in your child’s behaviour around the August long weekend? Your happy, laid back, summer enjoying child is suddenly frustrated, angry, and reactive again. It’s like they notice the days are slightly shorter, the back to school ads are on, and they can feel the preparations coming even before you, as the parent, have really started to think about it.
Many people may ask: what does chiropractic have to do with helping kids and families deal with anxiety and stress? Many things actually. Firstly, the spine goes out of alignment because of stress, and we classify stress in 3 main forms: chemical, physical, and emotional. Physical stress tends to be the obvious one. This includes factors like falls, bumps, and accidents; our posture; how we sleep; car accidents; sitting at a desk all day; also the fun things like waterslides, roller coasters, and camping. Chemical stress is what we put in our body, intentionally or not, like sugar, pesticides, alcohol, preservatives, and food dyes. It might not be as obvious how emotional stress may affect the spine, but everyone has a place in their body where they tuck their emotional stress: neck, shoulders, lower back, even our internal systems. At the end of a stressful day, do you feel stress in your body?
A large portion of the families I work with have children with neurodevelopmental disorders, things like autism, ADD/ADHD, and other learning and behavioural challenges. It is estimated that one in six children has a learning or behaviour disorder and one in 50 children are now diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Many times these conditions are accompanied by sensory sensitivities, which contribute greatly to anxiety. And anxiety and stress bring on heightened sensory sensitivities.
Supporting children through anxious and stressful times is close to my heart. I live with a child who struggles with the back to school time of year. It was a pattern I started to notice a couple of years ago as we were heading into grade 2; it was like all of a sudden a switch was flipped. My son, now 10 years old, was never a good sleeper, and always needed to be in constant motion, or be holding someone’s hand. Socks with seams and tags bugged him; he would often have meltdowns in busy places, always had a tough time keeping his body to himself, and he was definitely a picky eater. What I didn’t know at the time is he was experiencing sensory overload.
There are solutions! As a chiropractor, the first thing I do is evaluate the child’s nervous system for spinal misalignments and nerve system interference. Adjustments along with diet, nutrition, and specific play-based exercises are usually recommended. We also offer other modalities that have a proven track record with helping with anxiety, stress, and sensory sensitivities: massage therapy, herbal formulas, nutritious food, clinical hypnotherapy, and energy work such as reiki and heart resonance.
As a mom, while we’d like to “batten down the hatches,” the biggest key is being aware of what might be driving our kids’ behaviours. A good friend of mine also said “that no child wants to behave badly”; there is always an underlying cause. At this time of year, I am very watchful about his needs, when he needs an earlier bedtime tonight, or time away from his sister, or more intense outside play, or to sit quietly with a book. And it is always something different.
While parenting these children can be challenging, there is support and tools available. For any questions regarding chiropractic care or other therapies for children, contact your local health care provider.