Do you ever get a “gut feeling”? Does your child seem anxious, but you’re not quite sure that it is “anxiety”? Do you feel like something is just “off” in your child? Is your child having complaining of stomach aches, headaches, fears, or anxiety, but their pediatrician says they are “fine”?
According to the National Institute of Health, anxiety disorders affect 31.9% of children between 13 and 18 years old. While the standard medical treatment would be prescription medications and/or therapy, there is novel research that shows that there is a two-way connection between the gut microbiota and the brain that can give us interesting insight into the potential root cause of anxiety, presenting new potential treatment options. The gut microbiome consists of varied microbes that need to be balanced in order to have healthy brain function. There are several studies that show how the bacteria in the gut produce short-chain fatty acids which modulate inflammation and can affect the brain. Other studies show the relationship between stress and the microbiome and how the dysbiosis in the gut affects stress-related behaviors and how stress can affect the gut microbiota.
With our collective background in chiropractic, acupuncture, and nutrition, we focus on supporting the individual to identify where the imbalance lies within a patient’s body that can have an affect on the brain. We use applied kinesiology (AK) to identify muscle imbalances that can reveal an underlying stress within a system such as the gut and then utilize various gentle chiropractic and AK techniques to remove the stress and allow the body to rebalance itself. We use acupuncture to create balance throughout the body, allowing the varied body systems to communicate efficiently. Then, we look to the patient’s diet and lifestyle, and use food and specific supplements to give the body the tools to move through the healing process, allowing for a healthier body and brain. Utilizing a multi-disciplinary full-body treatment, we enable your child to experience a full healing process that not only helps to rebalance the gut, but to create healthy neurological, musculoskeletal, and energetic systems, allowing for their optimal expression of health.