Did You Know Proper Nutrition Could Change Your Child’s Life?
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) roughly affects three to five percent of all nursery and school-aged children; however, the part diet plays in treating a child’s ADHD symptoms is not as straightforward as you would expect.
Perhaps more concerning is the part physical therapy plays in how children with ADHD excel in school and other environments requiring them to pay attention for extended periods.
Call us now to see how our physical therapy can assist your child with managing their symptoms.
The role nutrition plays in ADHD
Studies have shown that nutrition can play a big role in the way your child functions. As stated by Healthline,
“Nutritional deficiencies can also affect behavior. One study concluded that taking a supplement of essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals led to a significant reduction in antisocial behavior, compared with a placebo.
Studies suggest vitamin and mineral supplements can also reduce antisocial behavior in children, and polyunsaturated fatty acids have been shown to decrease violent behavior.
Since foods and supplements may influence behavior, it seems plausible that they could also affect ADHD symptoms, which are largely behavioral.
For this reason, a good amount of nutrition research has looked into the effects of foods and supplements on ADHD.”
Every parent of a child with ADHD would love to think there is a magic formula for making their child’s attention or hyperactivity problems go away. For many people, the assumption is that there is something in their child’s diet that is causing their symptoms.
They may eliminate sugar, food dye, or even wheat from their child’s diet to control their symptoms. However, medical research does not necessarily support the link between any one food item and ADHD.
Other parents feel that their child’s diet is lacking one or more vitamins that may be causing attention or hyperactivity problems. They may even go so far as to give their child supplements to “make up the difference” in their nutrition, but medical research does not support this link either.
How can physical therapy help your child with ADHD
Even if there isn’t a miracle diet for your child’s ADHD symptoms, it doesn’t mean you can’t have them pay attention to what they’re eating!
Motor issues affect 30-50 percent of all ADHD children. However, since so much focus is put on the mental and social issues associated with the disorder, these problems with power, endurance, and agility are rarely discussed in youth.
Still, using physical therapy to help a child improve their posture, movement, and mobility will alleviate much of the symptoms associated with ADHD. A child with balancing issues, for example, may be actively turning in their seat to signal to their brain that they are still upright. Addressing balancing problems can help to alleviate what we interpret as hyperactivity.
Fortunately, a physical therapist is an expert in movement. Not only can they identify potential problems with your child’s motor skills, but they can also develop a physical therapy plan to address them.
Unlike physical therapy after surgery or an accident, physical therapy for a child with ADHD can resemble playing games. A physical therapist may use play to help the infant develop the skills necessary to sit upright in a chair, maintain proper posture, and walk correctly.
Helping with your child’s brain development
The correlation between a nutritious, regular diet and the capacity to perform everyday activities is supported by evidence. For example, studies show a correlation between eating a nutritious, well-balanced breakfast and a person’s capacity to perform complex tasks.
According to the same study, consuming quickly digesting carbs, fast food, saturated and trans fats, and refined foods has a detrimental effect on a person’s capacity to remember, pay attention, and reason.
These guidelines, though, are for everyone, not just children with ADHD. We can also consume plenty of organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and protein, and unsaturated fats.
What else can I do for my child with ADHD?
Parental intervention is needed for the combination therapy approaches to be effective. Our team will educate parents about how having a stable atmosphere will help their child stay on track.
Any things you should do at home to encourage safe and constructive behavior in your child are as follows:
- Better sleeping habits. Getting adequate sleep and night will assist your child in having better concentration during the day. Bedtimes must be compatible with a pre-bedtime wind-down cycle. Consistent physical training, as recommended by our movement therapists, will help with this since it allows the child to release energy and welcome sleep at the end of the day. A calming bath and/or story before bedtime are both good routines to establish since they can help your child relax. Avoid screen time before bedtime because it can make it harder for the infant to fall asleep.
- Positive reinforcement. There are several techniques that our team, along with the child’s parents, employ to alter the child’s negative behavior at home and school. One method is positive reinforcement. The basis of this technique is to catch the child doing something good and reward the behavior. The reward can be as simple as allowing for extra playtime as a result of completing a homework assignment. This type of reward is a win/win, as it allows the child to recognize acceptable behavior and rewards a job well done with physical activity – two things that help tremendously with the treatment of ADHD.
- Daily routines. Set up predictable rituals at home to help your child know what to expect. Hang up a schedule for your child to view, creating a visual for what time he or she is waking up each morning, doing homework, exercising, playing, bathing, eating meals, and going to bed. At the beginning of the treatment plan, it may be best to keep afterschool activities to a minimum to avoid overwhelming the child. Our integrated care team can help you set up this daily routine schedule after your child’s treatment plan has been created.
Get your child started on physical therapy treatments today!
While no miracle diet can cure your child’s ADHD symptoms, helping their developing brain with good nutrition will set them up for success.
However, adding physical therapy to their treatment plan can help address underlying motor problems that may be causing some of their symptoms.
Call our physical therapist today to see if physical therapy is right for your child.
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Tags: healthytips, healthandwellness, physicaltherapist, pediatrictherapy, Health, wellness, pt, naturalpainrelief
