School is better without ADHD

Neurofeedback can create new pathways, with more oxygen and neurotransmitters for better brain function.

by Drs. Martha Grout and Stephanie Reese — 

If your kids left school a few months ago with focus and attention problems, guess what? They will still have them when school starts up again in the fall.

Prescription drugs are one quick answer — just pop a pill. And, in some cases, the drugs work pretty well — for a while. But they are classified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as Class II narcotics — in the same class with cocaine and methamphetamine. Commonly prescribed drugs carry a black box warning, the most serious medication warning required by the FDA.

Many of these drugs have been linked to cardiovascular problems and sudden death. The more common side effects can be so devastating or unpleasant that many kids do not want to take them.

What kind of intervention can help your kids without severely affecting their body chemistry or personality? ADHD is more than just hyperactivity. Root causes may include brain-processing abnormalities, problems with the entire listening/hearing system, food or environmental allergies, metabolic insufficiencies and heavy metal toxicity.

The best, safest and least intrusive alternative is a combination of efforts to improve both mental functioning and metabolic deficiencies. Children with ADHD symptoms can be helped by as few as 20 sessions of the BrainAdvantage™ neurofeedback system. It measures brain oxygenation in key areas. The harder the brain cells work (just like muscle cells), the more oxygen they demand.

Neurofeedback can create new pathways, with more oxygen and neurotransmitters for better brain function. When combined with specialized audio/visual training, the brain is restored to a calm and focused state. The techniques can reduce anxiety, increase alertness and reduce ADHD symptoms. Some of the devices are designed for home use so that the whole family can benefit.

It pays to assess diet and environmental toxicities, too. Some children have turned around simply by removing specific foods to which they are sensitive and adding omega-3 fish oils to correct a fatty acid deficiency. Others get a big boost with chelation to remove metals, which are silently warehoused in the brain and bones, and gum up the works.

If you yourself have trouble concentrating, remember ADHD is often inherited. ADHD kids often come from ADHD families. It is very possible that you share some of the same environmental or genetic factors that affect your child. You also may benefit from working to clear out the clutter in your head and the toxic clutter lurking in your body.

Martha Grout, M.D., M.D.(H), has two decades in emergency medicine and a decade in homeopathic medicine. Stephanie Reese, Ph.D., developed the BrainAdvantage program, and works with Dr. Grout at the Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine in Scottsdale, Ariz. 480-240-2600 or www.ArizonaAdvancedMedicine.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 28, Number 4, Aug/Sept 2009.