If you’re reading this, chances are you’re on a journey that no one prepared you for. Your child might be battling chronic conditions like seizures, insomnia, anxiety, depression, constipation, or autoimmune issues such as PANS or PANDAS. You’re not alone in this struggle, and today, we want to shed light on a condition that might be the missing piece of your child’s health puzzle: dysautonomia.

The Hidden Epidemic

We’re facing an absolute epidemic of chronic health problems among our teenage and young adult population. The rates of anxiety and depression have skyrocketed, and the sheer number of teens struggling with poor gut health, autoimmune conditions, and even seizures is staggering. As a parent, watching your child struggle with these issues can be overwhelming and leave you feeling helpless.

Traditional medicine often falls short, offering little more than a cocktail of medications to mask symptoms. Many of the teens and young adults we meet are on 3, 4, 5, or even 6 different medications, dealing with side effects that make them feel even worse. The truth is, these medications don’t address the root cause of their health issues.

Connecting the Dots: Dysautonomia

What if we told you that there’s a common thread tying these seemingly unrelated conditions together? It’s called dysautonomia – a dysfunction and imbalance in the autonomic nervous system. Understanding dysautonomia could be the key to unlocking your child’s path to better health and improved quality of life.

What is Dysautonomia?

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls all of our body’s automatic functions, like heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and temperature regulation. It’s made up of two main branches:

1. The sympathetic nervous system (our “fight or flight” response)
2. The parasympathetic nervous system (our “rest and digest” mode)

These two systems were created to work together seamlessly to maintain balance. However, in dysautonomia, this delicate balance is disrupted, leading to a wide range of symptoms that can affect nearly every body system.

The Two Main Problems of Dysautonomia

1. Sympathetic Overdrive: The “fight or flight” system gets stuck in the “on” position.
2. Parasympathetic Suppression: The “rest, relax, and regulate” side of the nervous system gets suppressed and shut down.

Because the ANS controls so many major physiological systems and functions in the body, problems start to show up all over, often in a specific sequence:

1. Sleep: Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, leading to fatigue, exhaustion, and brain fog.
2. Digestion: The gut and digestive system require a lot of energy and focus from the nervous system. When stuck in “fight or flight” mode, the body diverts energy away from digestion, leading to various gut issues.
3. Immune function and inflammation: A chronic state of stress leaves the body in a constant state of inflammation and suppressed immune function.
4. Brain health: When dysautonomia is in full effect, mental, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive capacities are significantly affected.

The “Perfect Storm”: Understanding the Origins of Dysautonomia

Dysautonomia doesn’t develop overnight. It’s often the result of a “Perfect Storm” of factors that can include:

1. Prenatal stress
2. Birth trauma or interventions
3. Early childhood stressors
4. Environmental toxins
5. Poor nutrition
6. Chronic infections

Recognizing these factors can help us understand why your child might be experiencing these challenges and guide us in creating a comprehensive healing approach.

Taking Charge of Your Child’s Health

As a parent, you have more power than you might realize to help your child overcome these challenges. Here are some steps you can take:

1. Recognize the Signs: Be aware of the symptoms of dysautonomia and how they might manifest in your child. Look for patterns in sleep disturbances, digestive issues, anxiety, and other seemingly unrelated symptoms.
2. Seek Proper Care: Traditional medical tests often miss dysautonomia. There is no valid medical testing for dysautonomia, just as there’s no test for the supposed “chemical imbalance” theory behind conditions like ADHD, anxiety, and depression. This is why conventional medicine often misses it 99% of the time. Look for healthcare providers who use Neurological INSiGHT Scans, specifically Heart Rate Variability (HRV) testing. These scans can detect patterns and evidence of dysautonomia and nervous system dysregulation.
3. Explore Holistic Approaches: Consider Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care, which addresses the root cause of dysautonomia and helps balance the nervous system. This approach has shown remarkable results in helping teens and young adults regain their health and vitality.
4. Support Your Child’s Nervous System: Implement stress-reduction techniques, ensure proper nutrition, and create a sleep-friendly environment. Remember, every positive step helps in rebalancing the autonomic nervous system.
5. Be Patient and Persistent: Healing takes time. Celebrate small victories and keep moving forward. Your child’s nervous system has likely been out of balance for some time, so be patient as it learns to function optimally again.
6. Educate Yourself: The more you understand about dysautonomia and the autonomic nervous system, the better equipped you’ll be to support your child’s healing journey.

Hope for the Future

Parents, don’t let dysautonomia and chronic health challenges hold your child and family back any longer. Thousands of parents and patients every single day are finding hope, answers, and drug-free action steps with Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care.

At Highest Health Chiropractic, our incredible care starts with a Consultation and Case History, where we ask questions and dive deeper than any doctor ever has to find the real root cause of your teen’s chronic health challenges. Then, we run the INSiGHT Scans to test for dysautonomia, nervous system dysregulation, and more – a process that takes just 15-20 minutes but can absolutely transform your understanding of what’s really going on with your child’s health struggles.

After gathering this vital information, we sit down knee-to-knee at our Report of Findings visit, show you the scan findings, explain everything, and go over your child’s Customized Care Plan. This comprehensive approach ensures that we’re not just treating symptoms, but addressing the root cause of your child’s health challenges.  So please don’t wait, reach out to us today! If you are not local to us, check out the PX Docs directory to find an office near you.

Remember, you are your child’s best advocate. By understanding dysautonomia and taking proactive steps, you can help your child not just survive, but thrive! 

If you are reading this, chances are you’ve been on a journey with your child’s health. You have likely spent many hours researching, planning, and implementing various diet changes and detoxes. We know that kids today face a greater “toxic load” than ever before, and you’re doing everything in your power to help your child overcome challenges like autism, ADD/ADHD, allergies, or other chronic health issues.

Despite your tireless efforts – eliminating countless foods, very carefully planning meals, and investing in expensive supplement protocols – your child might still be struggling with gut issues, immune challenges, or behavioral problems. If this sounds familiar, please know that you’re not alone, and it’s not your fault.

What if we told you there’s a crucial factor that is often overlooked? It’s not another diet or a new supplement – it’s your child’s nervous system.

Let’s explore why diet changes and/or detoxes sometimes fall short and introduce you to a wildly effective approach that could be the missing piece in your child’s healing journey.

What is the “Perfect Storm?”

To grasp why dietary interventions alone might not be enough, we need to look at what we call the “Perfect Storm.” This concept refers to a series of events that, when combined, create conditions for chronic illness in children. Here’s how it unfolds:

1. High-Stress Pregnancies: Maternal stress hormones can cross the placenta and affect the delicate balance of a developing fetus’s brain and nervous system. This can “pre-wire” a child’s nervous system to be more prone to stress.
2. Birth Trauma: Interventions like C-sections, forceps deliveries, or vacuum extractions can strain a newborn’s neck and brainstem region. This area houses the vagus nerve, which is crucial for proper nervous system function, specifically the parasympathetic nervous system side of things. The parasympathetic system is the “rest, regulate, digest and detox” side of the nervous system – so when it is not functioning properly, results will be very limited.
3. Early Life Stressors: Environmental toxins, emotional stressors, or physical injuries can further impact a child’s developing nervous system.

All of those factors can lead to subluxation or to a condition called dysautonomia – essentially, a nervous system stuck in “fight or flight” mode.

Why Your Efforts Might Be Falling Short

When the nervous system is chronically and constantly stressed, it can:

• Shut down gut motility and digestion
• Weaken the immune system
• Create a pro-inflammatory state in the body

This is why even the best diet changes and detox protocols might have limited results. If the nervous system isn’t functioning optimally, it can’t properly support the body’s natural healing and detoxification processes.

A New Approach: Neurologically-Focused Care

This is where Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care comes in. By addressing the root cause – a dysregulated nervous system – we can often see remarkable improvements in children’s health, even when other approaches have fallen short.

At Highest Health Chiropractic, we use state-of-the-art technology, including INSiGHT Scans, to accurately detect and measure nervous system dysfunction. These scans can reveal if your child’s system is stuck in that sympathetic “fight or flight” mode, which could explain why previous interventions haven’t been as effective as you’d hoped.

Next Steps for Your Kiddo

If you’ve tried everything and nothing has fully worked yet, then it’s almost certainly a case of subluxation, sympathetic dominance and dysautonomia.  No one else in healthcare tests for nervous system dysfunction and dysregulation like this, so please don’t wait to reach out to us here at Highest Health Chiropractic  today to set up a consultation and schedule an appointment to get INSiGHT Scans done for your child. If you are not local to us, please check out the PX Docs directory to find an office near you.

Once we have these scans and the “neuro-metrics” that come from them, we can then create a customized and personalized care plan made specifically for your child!

**Remember, you’re doing an amazing job advocating for your kiddos health. It’s a journey, and every step you take brings you closer to answers and solutions. By considering this aspect of your child’s well-being, you might just find the missing piece that makes all the difference.

Your dedication and love for your child are powerful forces for healing. Keep going, stay informed, and don’t hesitate to explore Neurologically-Focused Care!

Helping Your Child’s Immune System Thrive- The Best Kept Secrets

As a parent, you’ve likely experienced those frustrating moments when it seems like your child catches all of the icky bugs that go around. You might have tried everything from strict hand-washing routines to countless supplements, only to find yourself back at square one with another illness. What if we told you that the key to unlocking your child’s immune health might not be in another supplement or medication, but in a nerve you may or may not have heard of? Let’s explore the vagus nerve and how it could be the game-changer in your child’s health journey.

The Vagus Nerve: Your Child’s Hidden Health Superhighway

Imagine a superhighway running through your child’s body, connecting their brain to almost every major organ. That’s the vagus nerve – often called the “wandering nerve” because of how far and wide it travels. This amazing nerve plays a huge role in regulating your child’s immune system, acting as a fancy communication channel between the brain and the body.

When the vagus nerve is functioning optimally, it helps maintain what we call the “inflammatory reflex.” It helps ensure that your child’s immune system responds appropriately to threats without going overboard. It’s like having a perfect balance of alertness and calm in their body.

The Science Behind the Vagus Nerve and Immune Function

Let’s break down how this works:

1. Detection: When your child’s body encounters a potential threat (like a virus or bacteria), sensory fibers in the vagus nerve detect this and send signals to the brain.
2. Processing: The brain processes this information and determines the appropriate response.
3. Response: The brain then sends signals back through the vagus nerve to control inflammation and immune response.
4. Balance: This back-and-forth communication helps ensure that the immune response is neither too weak (leaving your child vulnerable to infections) nor too strong (potentially leading to issues like allergies or autoimmune conditions).

A well-functioning vagus nerve can lead to:

• Fewer illnesses and quicker recovery times
• Reduced allergic reactions and asthma symptoms
• Better digestion and gut health (remember, a large portion of the immune system is in the gut!)
• Improved mood and behavior
• Enhanced overall resilience and stress response
• Better sleep quality
• Reduced inflammation throughout the body

Isn’t it exciting to think that supporting this one nerve could have such wide-reaching effects on your child’s health?

What Can Cause Disruption in Vagus Nerve Function?

Understanding what can interfere with vagus nerve function is crucial. Some common factors include:

1. Birth trauma: Even a seemingly uncomplicated birth can sometimes cause misalignments that affect nerve function.
2. Chronic stress: Our modern, fast-paced lifestyles can take a toll on the nervous system, even in children.
3. Poor posture: In our digital age, many children spend hours hunched over devices, which can impact nerve pathways.
4. Nutritional deficiencies: The nerve needs proper nutrition to function optimally.
5. Environmental toxins: Exposure to certain chemicals or pollutants can affect nervous system function.

A Natural Approach to Your Child’s Health

By focusing on and supporting the vagus nerve, we’re not just treating symptoms – we’re enhancing your child’s overall health from the inside out. This approach can lead to improvements not just in immune function, but in areas like sleep, digestion, and even mood and behavior.

Imagine a bright future where your child isn’t constantly battling illnesses, where allergies are less severe, and where their body is better equipped to handle whatever comes their way. That’s the potential of a well-functioning vagus nerve.

Taking the Next Step

As parents, we all want the best for our kiddos. By focusing on the vagus nerve – this incredible “wandering nerve” – we have the opportunity to support our children’s health in a profound and drug-free way. It’s not about quick fixes or masking symptoms; it’s about nurturing our children’s innate ability to heal and thrive.

For next steps and to schedule a consultation, please reach out to Highest Health Chiropractic today! If you are not local to us, please check out the PX Docs directory to find an office near you.

Here’s to unlocking your child’s true health potential and watching them flourish in ways you might never have imagined!

Chiropractic Care- The “Side Effects”

As a parent, you’re constantly bombarded with health advice for your children by literally everyone, it feels. From miracle supplements to medical treatments, it can feel overwhelming trying to navigate the best path for your family’s well-being. What if there was a natural, drug-free approach that could help your child thrive in ways you never imagined? That’s where Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractic Care comes in, and the “side effects” might just surprise you – in the best way possible (we promise)!

The Current State of Children’s Health

Before we dive into the benefits of chiropractic care, let’s take a moment to consider the current state of children’s health. Did you know that approximately 40% of children today struggle with chronic health conditions? From allergies and asthma to ADHD and anxiety, our kids are facing health challenges at unprecedented rates.

As a parent, we often find ourselves caught in a cycle of treating symptoms without addressing the root causes. We bounce from specialist to specialist, trying medication after medication, often feeling like we’re not making real progress. It’s exhausting, frustrating, and, let’s face it – it’s not what we imagined for our children.

But what if there was another way?

Here enters Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractic Care

Now, I know what you might be thinking… “Chiropractic care for kids? Isn’t that just for adults with back pain?” No way! Pediatric chiropractic care is a specialized field that focuses on optimizing your child’s nervous system function, which in turn supports overall health and development.

Here’s the key: your child’s nervous system acts as the body’s “air traffic controller.” When it’s not functioning the way it should, it can lead to a whole series of issues that might seem unrelated. By addressing nervous system dysfunction, we can help your child’s body heal and regulate itself naturally.

The POSITIVE “Side Effects” Parents Can’t Stop Going CRAZY About

Now, let’s get to the good stuff – the amazing benefits parents are seeing in their children after starting chiropractic care. Remember, these aren’t side effects in the traditional, negative sense. These are positive changes that can transform your child’s life:

1. Improved Sleep: Is bedtime a battle? Many parents report that their children sleep better and longer after starting chiropractic care. Imagine your little one finally getting the rest they need, waking up refreshed and ready to take on the day! Better sleep can lead to improved mood, better focus at school, and even a stronger immune system.
2. Better Digestive Health: Tummy troubles are all too common in kiddos, but they don’t have to be a fact of life. Improvements in issues like colic, reflux, and constipation are common among our young patients. A properly functioning nervous system supports optimal digestion, which means fewer complaints about stomach aches.
3. Stronger Immune System: Tired of your child catching every bug that goes around? You’re not alone. The good news is that families often report fewer illnesses and quicker recovery times after starting chiropractic care. A balanced nervous system supports a strong immune response, helping your child’s body fight off germs more effectively.
4. Better Posture and Physical Development: In our digital age, poor posture is becoming increasingly common, even in young children. Chiropractic care supports healthy physical development, setting the stage for a lifetime of good posture. 
5. Enhanced Emotional Regulation: Parenting isn’t for the faint of heart, especially when dealing with emotional outbursts and mood swings. Many parents notice their children showing better emotional stability after receiving chiropractic care. 
6. Improved Cognitive Function and Focus: In today’s fast-paced world, the ability to focus is more important than ever. Many children show enhanced brain function and better concentration after receiving chiropractic care. This can translate to improved performance in school, better problem-solving skills, and increased creativity.
7. Overall Health Improvement: Perhaps the most heartwarming change is seeing your child simply happier, more comfortable, and generally healthier. Parents often report that their children seem more at ease in their own bodies, more energetic, and more resilient overall.

How Does Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractic Care Work?

You might be wondering how exactly chiropractic care can have such wide-ranging effects. It all comes down to the nervous system – the master control system of the body.

When a child experiences physical, chemical, or emotional stress (which can start as early as the birthing process), it can create tension and misalignments in the spine. These misalignments, called subluxation, can interfere with the proper function of the nervous system.

Pediatric chiropractors use very specific and gentle adjustments to correct subluxation, allowing the nervous system to function optimally. When the nervous system is working well, every other system in the body benefits – from the immune system to the digestive system and beyond.

Is Chiropractic Care Safe for Children?

This is often the first question parents ask, and it’s a great one. The safety of our children is always our top priority. The good news is that numerous studies have shown pediatric chiropractic care to be remarkably safe. In fact, it’s often considered safer than many common over-the-counter medications we give our children without a second thought.

Pediatric chiropractors in our PX Docs network undergo extensive training to work with children of all ages, from newborns to teenagers. They use very gentle techniques appropriate for a child’s size and stage of development. Many parents are surprised at how gentle and noninvasive the adjustments are.

A Natural, Drug-Free Approach to Health

One of the biggest advantages of chiropractic care is that it’s a completely natural, drug-free approach to health. In a world where medication, which often comes with nasty side effects, seems like the first line of defense, chiropractic offers an alternative that supports the body’s innate ability to heal and regulate itself.

If you are intrigued by the benefits of pediatric chiropractic care, you might be wondering how to get started. The first step is to make an appointment for a consultation at Highest Health Chiropractic.  If you are not local to us, you can check out the PX Docs directory to find an office near you. 

As parents, we all want to give our children the best possible start in life. Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractic Care offers a natural, holistic approach to health that can support your child’s development in ways you might never have imagined.

From better sleep and improved immunity to enhanced focus and emotional balance, the positive “side effects” of chiropractic care can touch every aspect of your child’s life. It’s not about treating symptoms – it’s about optimizing your child’s nervous system so their body can function at its best.

Your child deserves to thrive- not just survive. Why wait another day? The journey to better health starts now!

Here’s to happy, healthy kids and less stressed parents!

Finding Your Circle: Choosing the Right Providers for Your Prenatal Team

Becoming a momma is one of the most amazing and transformative experiences in life, filled with excitement, anticipation, and quite a bit of uncertainty. As you prepare to welcome your little one, the first crucial step is assembling the right prenatal team for YOU. Those you choose to support you through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum play a significant role in your health and well-being, as well as that of your baby. Here’s why finding the right providers is essential and how Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care can be a game-changer in your prenatal journey.

The Importance of a Supportive Prenatal Team

Your prenatal team is your support system, guiding you through all the changes of preconception, pregnancy, birth, and beyond. Here are a few reasons why choosing the right providers is so important:

1. Personalized Care: Every pregnancy is different, and having providers who understand and respect your individual needs and preferences is crucial. Personalized care ensures that you and your baby are receiving the best possible support tailored to your specific wants/needs.
2. Emotional Support: Pregnancy and childbirth can be emotionally challenging. Surrounding yourself with a team that offers empathy, reassurance, and encouragement can significantly improve your experience.
3. Aligned Vision: It’s essential to have providers who support your vision for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. No matter what kind of birth you’re planning to have, having a team that respects and advocates for your choices is empowering and vital to have the birth of your dreams. 

If you are already a practice member at Highest Health Chiropractic then you know how important having mom’s nervous system regulated is for baby’s development! Once our nervous systems are functioning and adapting the way they were designed to, it’s time to build our dream birth team! 

In a world that is full of intimidating diagnoses, politically-driven agendas, judgy mom groups, social media, trigger warnings left and right, and the Target checkout lady saying “sleep while you can,” it’s so hard to know where to turn to for advice when you find out that you’re pregnant. 

What if we started looking at the pregnancy journey and the motherhood transition a little differently than our society does? It starts with who and what we surround ourselves with. Today’s world is muddled with materials, opinions, and options when it comes to pregnancy, so who we choose to be in our circle is most important. Have you ever heard the saying, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with?” Who you choose to be around and listen to are the people who have the most influence in your life. And at a time when you are most vulnerable, keep your birth team and circle tight. Have a circle that supports, empowers, and encourages you in all your choices during your pregnancy. 

Building the right prenatal team is an investment in your well-being and that of your child. By choosing providers who respect and support your vision for birth and beyond and by incorporating Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care into your plan, you’re setting the stage for a healthier, more empowered pregnancy journey.

Don’t Know If Your Nervous System Is Regulated For or During Pregnancy? Get a Neurological INSiGHT Scan ⬇️

While x-rays are not recommended for pregnant mommas, neurological INSiGHT scans are here at HHC to ensure that your nervous system is in the best possible shape during this critical time. This advanced technology provides a detailed look at how your nervous system is functioning and adapting to the changes of pregnancy OR when preparing for pregnancy, for both mom and dad. It’s a valuable tool for creating a personalized care plan that supports both your health and the health of your baby. 

Schedule your neurological INSiGHT scan at Highest Health Chiropractic today and take the first step towards a healthier pregnancy and beyond. If you are not local to us, check out the PX Docs directory to find a local PX Doc near you. Your journey to motherhood deserves the best support possible.