A seven year-old boy was brought by his mom to our clinic this week, several months after she started considering chiropractic care for him to address behavior issues. Her ultimate motivation this week was to solve his longstanding chronic constipation issue. The patient frequently hadn’t moved his bowels for several days at a time, and when he did it was usually accidental. This had dramatic psychosocial implications for him. His pediatrician recommended laxatives to “solve the problem”, but mom knew it was masking symptoms at best, and not doing that very well.
My associate doctor conducted a Stress Response Evaluation (evaluating stress effects on the brain and body) which showed his brain and nerve system are under-aroused. Some hallmark signs of under-aroused brains are poor attention, impulsive, poor concentration, easily distracted and constipation. After the evaluation and first adjustment, the mom begrudgingly made a follow-up appointment for the next week. The next morning she called to schedule an appointment immediately, emotionally telling the front desk “he pooped 3 times since his adjustment yesterday!!!”.
A few adjustments later, this smart and funny kid’s mom has noticed dramatic increases in the length of his ability to focus (we’ll address that in a future blog!) on schoolwork. She also noted a positive shift in the energy of their household, and great relief that she doesn’t need to discuss bowel movements constantly with a boy his age any more. His mood and confidence are greater. Please share this case with friends who may be having this experience with their kids – you could spark a shift in the better for their family.
Great work Doctor Pat!
Thanks, Vic!