ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) are allied disorders. Victims typically show an inability to maintain their attention to a subject for very long, usually can not sit still, and can not follow directions. The two disorders differ wherein ADD sufferers are somewhat more passive and withdrawn. Both sufferers appear disconnected from the people and activities around them. The behavioral and social problems of ADD and ADHD sufferers impact their families, sometimes seriously.
Conventional Treatments
Behavior interventions sometimes are effective, but they may take as long as a year to prove their value. Drugs are more often used because their effects are quicker. However, the more commonly employed medications have side effects and patients often find it difficult to maintain their treatments. Ritalin, the most commonly prescribed drug for ADD and ADHD, can be addictive in addition to its unpleasant side effects. Sometimes employed is a non-stimulant drug called atomoxetine (Strattera), which works well for some patients.
The Combination Approach
Acupuncture, and its parent therapy acupressure, both have been successfully employed to counteract many of the side effects of conventional therapies, which include dizziness, sleeplessness, dry mouth, abdominal pain, and changes in appetite. Acupuncture works with the energy force in the body. By regulating this energy (Qi), acupuncture used to treat ADD and ADHD improves in many patients the impulses that force ADHD hyperactivity, and it improves ADD sluggishness. Similarly, regulating Qi often helps ADD and ADHD patients maintain a positive outlook and improve their sleep patterns.
As a major side benefit, when acupuncture helps improve symptoms, prescription drug dosages may be reduced.
Our Recommendation
Because acupuncture often has improved ADD and ADHD patient symptoms, and may reduce the side effects of the most often-prescribed drugs, we suggest making acupuncture an equal partner with the therapies recommended by Western conventional medicine.
Sources
Acupuncture for Attention Deficit Disorder and ADHD// The Use of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, By K. Cauldwell
Chinese Medical Psychiatry. Blue Poppy Enterprises: 2007. A Ritalin Alternative. Acupuncture in the Treatment of ADHD, By Simon A. Becker
Treating Children With ADHD the Natural Way, By Harry Hong
Treating ADHD with Acupuncture, By Michelle Fletcher
ADHD Natural Treatment – Acupressure, By Dr. Yannick Pauli