“I should have been on medication when I was a kid. I probably had ADHD back then.”

We hear this in passing so many times in a joking manner. Those who haven't had to deal with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can laugh about their idiosyncrasies.

It bothers me when nationally known medical doctors, Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen, both say it themselves on a radio program. They may have been hyperactive, but they were probably deemed spontaneous and creative. Today in our changed world, ADHD is a dreaded mental disorder that disrupts lives.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is seen in 5-10 percent of children, which adds up to approximately 4.4 million or more. About 9 million adults have it, as well.

It is hard to define how many lives are really affected. Perhaps it is the critical canary in the coal mine, and we should not be laughing.

Socially, our way of life has changed, and ADHD is one clue of its damaging affects. When studied from a chiropractic perspective, it is part of a broader problem: nervous system overload. Stressful events come in three flavors: physical, chemical and emotional. They all excite neurobiological chemicals in the body that change how we respond to the world.

The spine becomes a map of nervous system overload. Nerves can be traced between muscles and organs, including the brain, that have become burdened. Chiropractors apply their hands to the spine to untangle “mechanical snarls” that have deranged the body's neurological feedback systems.

A child with ADHD is so overloaded by exposures to modern day living, biologically they are responding in a very logical, but alarming manner. Being the canaries in the coal mine, I feel it is sad to say children are not the problem - the adult world is the problem.

Chiropractors use spinal adjustments to reorganize the imprints of stress on the spine so the body doesn't memorize destructive health patterns. They also address nutritional problems to nourish the brain and body. Digestive and elimination difficulties are commonly seen with nerve stress accompanied by ADHD. Mechanical problems developing on the rapidly growing skeleton prevent children from getting effective exercise.

Chiropractic and nutritional intervention may be enough to help children deal with the expectations the world places upon them, but emotional stresses from school and social situations need to be modified as well. The most difficult emotional stressor that needs changing is the overloaded parent.

The adult nervous systems that are chaotically running around trying to manage our youngsters are far from healthy and chiropractors see it everyday. It is scary watching stress get handed down from one generation to the next.

Stress exists. Our bodies respond differently. For some it may appear as neck pain or asthma in others. But for the folks who have nervous system snarls that look like ADHD, it is very upsetting because their behavioral responses are so frustrating.

While children struggling with ADHD are merely reflecting an imbalanced world, chiropractic is an essential part of the solution.

Lisa Ann Homic, M.Ed. D.C., may be contacted at www.DrHomic.com