Dietary Treatment/ Nutritional Supplements
Having a healthy, balanced diet is key to having a happy and healthy life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), eating properly can help lower the risk for many chronic diseases, including heart disease. In addition, exercise and physical activity are recommended as part of an overall healthy lifestyle.
For more information on proper nutrition, click here.
Interactive Metronome Training
A metronome is an instrument that marks exact time (it clicks) so musicians can keep their beat. An idea that people with ADHD can get better by learning to match hand or foot tapping to the rhythm of a metronome started this treatment. Some studies found this training helpful with ADHD movement and timing problems, but other studies did not.
Sensory Integration Training
Integration means combining or blending. When the brain is overloaded with too many sensory messages (what is heard, seen, felt, tasted and smelled), it cannot normally react to everything. Sensory integration training is a type of therapy that tries to “teach” the brain how to better react to the different sensory messages it receives. More research must be done before this treatment can be said to help symptoms of ADHD.
EEG Biofeedback
Doctors use EEGs (electroencephalograms) to see and record a person’s brain waves. Often “pictures” of the brains of people with ADHD show that a certain section does not “light up” or become as active as it is in normal brains. The treatment using this information is also called neurofeedback. People with ADHD are taught how to make these brain sections more active. After training, a patient’s behaviors –such as lack of attention and hyperactive/impulsive behavior — may improve. Too little research has been done to know for certain that EEG biofeedback works well. Also, parents should know that biofeedback treatments can be expensive.
Chiropractic
Some chiropractors believe that chiropractic medicine (therapy that adjusts the spinal column to treat illnesses) is better than medical treatments for ADHD. No scientific studies prove that chiropractic helps with symptoms of this brain disorder.
Thyroid Treatment
Sometimes children who have thyroid disorders also have problems with attention and hyperactive behavior. Thyroid disorders in children with ADHD are rare. However, these children should have their thyroid tested.
Vision Therapy
It is believed by some that visual problems such as faulty eye movements, sensitivity to the eyes, and focus problems, can cause reading disorders. There are different treatments for eye problems, including eye exercises and educational training. Doctors do not believe that this kind of treatment is effective.
Before deciding to use any of the treatments discussed above, talk to your doctor about whether or not they might help.
People with ADHD have individual treatment needs. The treatment or treatments used must “fit” each individual’s needs. Most health professionals who treat ADHD believe multimodal treatment is the best treatment. Multimodal treatment includes medications, behavioral therapy, school programs and accommodations, and education of children and families about the disorder, which helps with the unwanted behavior that comes from ADHD symptoms.
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