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Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation located in Red Bank New Jersey offers treatment and hope for those coping with Autism.

What is Autism?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neuro-developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication. Autism is the most severe form of ASD, while other conditions along the spectrum include Asperger syndrome, a milder form of autism.

Autism affects one in 150 children in the United States, according to estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For reasons that are not understood, New Jersey is an autism ‘hot spot,’ with a rate of one in 95 children with the disorder.

Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism, but the disability occurs in all socioeconomic, ethnic, and age groups, and is growing in prevalence. Nearly 120,000 school age children nationwide were classified with ASD in 2002, up from about 20,000 in 1993.

Traditional Medical Theory and Treatment of Autism

Experts have yet to agree on a definitive cause for autism, although many believe it may be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. For many people living with the disorder, this uncertainty is a major frustration.

There are a number of theories attempting to explain the origins and recent explosion of autism. Many parents suspect that mercury preservatives in vaccines may be to blame, while others look to food allergies and environmental toxins.

Because the medical community has yet to discern the reasons behind autism, there is no single treatment or cure for the broad spectrum of symptoms exhibited by autistic patients. Medications commonly prescribed for autistic patients include stimulants typically used to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD); non-stimulants often prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs; antipyschotics; and mood stabilizers.

Additionally, there are educational approaches to autism that may help reduce some of the challenges associated with the condition. This approach may reduce some of the challenges associated with the condition, and help children to function within the confines of the disorder.

Chiropractic and Autism

Autism influences the information processed in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize. Because chiropractic seeks to restore normalcy to the central nervous system by eradicating misalignments (subluxations) in the spine, it is only sensible to assume that chiropractic treatment could benefit autistic patients.

This is more than just a theory; studies published in multiple scientific journals outline the success that chiropractors are having with autistic patients. Most of the studies reference problems in the upper cervical (neck) area.

One study followed 14 children (all diagnosed with autism) undergoing chiropractic care. The results showed that improvement occurred in eleven of the fourteen children; in the end, two of the studies’ patients no longer met the criteria to be classified as autistic. Overall, the most common clinical aspects of improvement were in communication, verbal skills, eye contact, mood, and motor skills.

Treating New Jersey’s Autism Epidemic At Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation

The chiropractic adjustments offered for children at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation are safe, gentle, and effective. The primary treatment used in our office to correct the spinal subluxations that may be inciting your child’s autism is called Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP). With this technique, the abnormal loading in the back, neck, and spine caused by irregular posture (or by trauma) is corrected, thereby bringing normal function to the entire nervous system.

This treatment is non-invasive, drug free, and relatively inexpensive (when compared with the estimated lifetime care cost of $3.5 to five million for each autistic child). Please call to schedule a free consultation at our office in Red Bank, NJ.

*Published in the March 9, 2006 Journal of Vertebral Subluxation (JVSR).