hi there. We have a 7 year old son who was diagnosed with ADHD at age 5. He takes concerta and does fairly well on it except that he has a very hard time sleeping. In my attempt to figure out ways to help with this I stumbled down a rabbit hole about c-sections (which he was) and how not being forced through the birth canal can cause the fascia to form incorrectly creating poor blood flow in the frontal lobe. Now, I’m fairly skeptical to things that don’t come directly from our pediatrician/therapist’s mouth but I was curious if anyone had experience with this? Possibly just the mom guilt in me looking for a way to make this my fault but I’d try anything to make life a little easier for him.
Has anyone tried craniofascial release/massage? It sounds fairly simple, non-invasive and gentle. Maybe worth a try!??
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Our situation is different, but our results have been positive, so I wanted to share them with you.
My kiddo (inattentive ADHD, language disorder) had 2 rounds of braces that didn't work out. Our orthodontist accused my kid of noncompliance with wearing their elastics. After 5 years of still-not-straight teeth, we had the braces taken off and went looking for a second opinion.
We found an orthodontist who specializes in "complicated cases" and she confirmed that my kid's mouth is indeed complicated. We had a sleep study (no problems) and ended up with a speech language pathologist who specializes in "myofunctional therapy." She has changed my kid's life for the better.
Since working with her last April, my kid has had a frenectomy/tongue tie release (at age 16) and has worked with a physical therapist who specializes in craniosacral therapy. The results have been remarkable. My kiddo looks more confident and healthier, has better posture, converses more easily with others, and overall appears more at ease with themself.
Like I said, different situation, and like you, I tend to stay in the world of western medicine. But after the negative experience with our original orthodontist, I needed to find the right solution to our problem and I think I did. I would recommend myofunctional therapy and craniosacral therapy to anyone it's suitable for.
Are the teeth any straighter by chance? My kid is sucking her thumb at 10 yo, and has some real crooked teeth. I want to look into these therapies for confidence and posture, but the teeth are also an issue.
Also, who do I talk to about getting these therapies?
Alas, kiddo will need braces part 3. At least now we are with an orthodontist that I trust.
If you do not yet have an orthodontist and live in a metro area, search for "Airway orthodontist." This is a subset of orthodontists who believe that structural issues in the head and neck contribute to crooked teeth and need to be addressed holistically.
Hi there, just wanted to confirm that craniosacral therapy is amazing! Craniofascial release is related. My son, who is almost 12 is diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and possibly ASD (still figuring that one out). He takes guanfacine and Prozac and has been doing so for 2 years. He also had several treatments of craniosacral therapy done. I have had this done myself too. It works, doesn’t hurt at all, and is non invasive! I can’t fully explain it, but I have seen and felt positive results from it for myself and my son.
my daughter has trouble sleeping and she was birthed naturally. It’s just something that people with adhd have. For me, taking trazodone helps since I have trouble getting back to sleep at night and it keeps my brain from going down a rabbit hole at 3 am.
I think my osteopathic doctor uses these strategies. It helps me not grind my teeth as much and helps me not be so dense for a while. It can help with stress and neck/shoulder tension as well.
We are exploring this for myself and my kiddo now. We both have ADHD. We have a pretty mainstream (but holistic-minded) dentist who has gotten trained up in all the Airways stuff in the past few years. I had my images and impressions taken recently and am waiting to see what sort of spacer or braces she’s going to recommend. Last visit she also recommended possibly doing some type of therapy (sounded like craniofacial but not sure) for my kid.
Oh, and vaginal birth, so I agree with the other poster who said it’s just an ADHD thing. Don’t feel guilty OP! Every birth experience is equally valid!
The connection between oral health and mental health is wild but I’m hoping it’s worth it!
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