Can Chiropractic Care Help Individuals on the Autism Spectrum?

Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD refers to a set of physical and mental health challenges, especially in communication, behavior, and social skills. Children can be diagnosed with autism at any age. The number of kids diagnosed with ASD is growing exponentially. In fact, a 2021 CDC report found that 1 in 44 children in the US had autism. 

Gender does play a role here. The same report shows that boys were four times more likely to have ASD than girls. There is no permanent cure for autism, but with the right treatment and regular therapies, a patient can live a healthy and happy life. Nowadays, parents are turning to chiropractic care to help their kids diagnosed with autism. 

Here’s more about autism and the benefits of chiropractic care.

Autism: Challenges People Face With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism can present different symptoms in different people. Some patients might have difficulty in communication while others struggle with repetitive behavior. One thing is for sure — autism affects the patients’ emotional and cognitive development to a great degree. Autism affects your central nervous system. The patient shows hypersensitivity, hyposensitivity, and self-stimulating behaviors. These, in turn, make it difficult for the patient to socialize. 

Some patients might get irritated by certain noises in the background that can barely be heard by others, while other patients can’t be in a large crowd. Some autistic patients have also reported an unusual itching from certain fabrics. To get relief from hypersensitivity, autism patients turn to odd behaviors, such as biting nails, hand flapping, etc. Aside from physical disorders, people with autism have a hard time understanding social clues and responding quickly. For example, some ASD patients remain non-verbal for their whole life. Others have difficulty communicating. 

Chiropractic Care for Autism

Speech and verbal therapies are considered the most effective treatment options for children with autism. Physicians recommend therapies with medications to help children deal with the physical and emotional symptoms of ASD. But, these aren’t the only treatment options for autism. Considering the symptoms and difficulties patients with autism experience in their day-to-day lives, it’s obvious that parents want a permanent solution. Chiropractic is one of the less-known yet effective treatments for autism patients. 

If your child is recently diagnosed with autism, find a pediatric chiropractor near you and schedule regular sessions of chiropractic care. A corrected spinal alignment can fix a broad range of physical and mental health problems caused by autism. It includes sleep disturbances, bedwetting, digestive issues, etc.

Is Chiropractic Good for Autism?

Chiropractic focuses on improving your spine alignment, which in turn, helps you with your fine and gross motor skills. A recent study by Natural News showed that chiropractic care can reverse autism. Not only that, it can prevent autism in children and help patients deal with social problems and repetitive behaviors efficiently. It has been shown to improve neurological issues that affect your mood and concentration.  

Even though science hasn’t found a cure for autism yet, the symptoms can be managed with chiropractic care. It can be used in conjunction with therapies and medications for the best results. The specialty of chiropractic is that it focuses on addressing the root cause of autism, instead of treating a few symptoms. Unlike speech therapy which only improves communication in autism patients, chiropractic covers various mental and physical health issues. Autism has been linked to food sensitivity, which is why practitioners prescribe food sensitivity tests to identify which foods might trigger their symptoms. The doctors identify the foods the child is allergic to and establish a diet plan to restore digestive function in autistic patients.

While chiropractic care can be an effective solution to autism, it does pose a risk. Spine misalignment can cause serious problems with the nervous system. If you are considering chiropractic for autism, make sure you approach a certified, experienced, and reliable chiropractor.

How does Chiropractic help with Autism?

Chiropractic care targets your body’s neurological function. Nerve interference doesn’t only affect social behaviors, but it can impact your digestive functioning and overall immune health.  That’s why children diagnosed with autism are prone to digestive problems, constipation, and other diseases 

Chiropractic corrects spine misalignment, which prevents interferences in your nervous system. Since autism affects the sensory information transferred between your neurons, chiropractic can be very beneficial for patients struggling with social behaviors due to ASD. A chiropractor can help with behavior by correcting the spine alignment. As a result, the patient feels more relaxed and calm. It also improves their social behaviors. 

Many autism patients reported that they felt the same level of calmness and relief from chiropractic care as they do with stimming. The only difference is that chiropractic care is much more effective and shows long-lasting results than temporary calming techniques, such as self-biting. Apart from helping with social struggles, chiropractic care restores digestive functioning in children. Regular chiropractic sessions, combined with speech and other therapies prescribed by a physician, can improve the patient’s quality of life (even if it doesn’t cure autism completely). 

When to See a Chiropractor for Autism?

Children are diagnosed with autism at an early age, as early as 18 months old. Others might discover it later since the symptoms are often pretty confusing. Initially, parents might confuse autism with social anxiety disorder, which shows the same set of symptoms as ASD. As mentioned before, autistic children experience trouble in their physical health, in addition to social behavior problems. It’s best to take your child to a certified medical practitioner. They will check the child’s behavior, speech, and medical history to diagnose autism. The sooner autism is diagnosed, the better. 

While chiropractic care can be beneficial for children struggling with the physical and emotional symptoms of autism, it should be used with speech therapies and other treatment plans. Schedule a visit to Dr. Mahbod in Relief Chiropractic in Tustin, California to learn more about the benefits of chiropractic care, procedure, risks, and results. Book an appointment now!