As a parent, watching your child struggle with anxiety can be an overwhelming and heartbreaking experience. You may feel helpless, especially when traditional medical approaches often resort to medication as the first line of treatment. However, at New Hope Chiropractic, we want you to know that there is another way – a drug-free, holistic approach that focuses on the root cause of your child’s anxiety: the nervous system.
The Prevalence of Childhood Anxiety
Anxiety affects 4.4 million children, leading to difficulties in school, social interactions, and family life. These struggles can manifest in various ways, such as your child feeling nervous or tense, sensing danger when it may not be there, experiencing increased heart rate and rapid breathing, sweating, trembling, having difficulty concentrating, and even dealing with gastrointestinal problems.
It’s important to understand that being nervous and sometimes anxious is a natural human response to perceived threats, triggering our nervous system’s “fight, flight, or freeze” response. However, when these feelings become stuck and turn into chronic anxiety, it can significantly change the way your child perceives their daily life, making even the simplest tasks feel overwhelming and unmanageable.
The Nervous System’s Role in Anxiety
At the core of our approach to managing childhood anxiety is the understanding that the nervous system plays a crucial role in regulating emotions and stress responses. When the nervous system is out of balance, it can lead to a heightened stress response and an inability to access the “rest, digest, and regulate” state, which is essential for maintaining emotional well-being.
This imbalance is often caused by subluxation, which is the stress and tension that gets stuck within the nervous system. Subluxation buildup can start as early as stress during pregnancy, birth trauma, and early childhood experiences, setting the stage for anxiety later in life.
Another key player in the regulation of the nervous system is the vagus nerve, which is responsible for activating the “rest and relaxation” (parasympathetic) side of the nervous system. When the vagus nerve is not functioning properly, your child’s body may struggle to access the “brake pedal” that helps them calm down and regulate their emotions.
Our Approach: Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care
At New Hope Chiropractic, we specialize in Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care, which aims to address the root cause of your child’s anxiety by focusing on the nervous system. Our team of Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractors uses INSiGHT scans to detect and measure the presence and severity of subluxation and dysautonomia, allowing us to create personalized care plans tailored to your child’s unique needs.
Through precise chiropractic adjustments, we work to release stuck stress from the sympathetic nervous system, activate the vagus nerve, and restore balance to the nervous system as a whole. Our goal is to help your child’s body know when it is safe and when to activate the “fight or flight” response, enabling them to access both sides of their nervous system and preventing them from getting “stuck” in a state of chronic anxiety.
We understand that the decision to explore drug-free options for your child’s anxiety can be daunting, especially when medication is often presented as the only solution. However, we want you to know that there is hope and that a drug-free approach can be incredibly effective in helping your child manage their anxiety and reclaim their life.
By addressing the underlying neurological factors contributing to your child’s anxiety, we can help them build a more resilient and balanced nervous system, equipping them with the tools they need to navigate life’s challenges with confidence and ease.
So, if your child is struggling with anxiety and you feel like you’ve exhausted all options, we would love for you to take the first step toward healing by exploring Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care. Our team is here to support you every step of the way. If you have questions about our approach or are ready to schedule a consultation, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today!
If you are not local to us, check out the PX Docs directory to find a PX Docs office near you. Together, we can help your child navigate the challenges of anxiety and emerge stronger, more resilient, and ready to embrace all that life has to offer.