What happens when your nervous system has ADHD? I am not talking about attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder seen in school children, but it is very similar. Most definitions of ADHD discuss the inability to focus on and complete tasks. It is easy to be distracted and forgetful. This tends to lead to disorganization affecting a person's ability to socialize and do well in school or occupations.

From a chiropractic perspective, the same thing can happen to the nervous system due to spinal stress. The natural state of health is prohibited when the nervous system has an ADHD-like reaction. Longstanding injuries or wear and tear on the spine can change how nerves deliver messages throughout the body.

The nervous system doesn't have to take tests or write papers, but it must complete tasks that keep us alive. If nerves are distracted by constant stress from mechanical, chemical and emotional sources, it is almost as if they have forgotten how to heal.

We all live with stress and feel the pressures to meet the many demands of work and family. Keeping up is not always easy and the body tells us when it is being neglected. In a perfect world, we would get enough rest. We would eat fabulous meals because we had plenty of preparation time. Exercising would be the first thing we do upon waking. It sounds like a great way to live and our nervous systems would be so much better for it.

Instead, we work long hours performing physically damaging jobs without adequate breaks to stretch and release muscle tension. In order to give food a longer shelf life, the best nutrients are removed and replaced with high fructose corn syrup or other chemicals. We tend to suffer under emotional strain because we never feel we are doing enough for our families.

Our nerves take a lesson from us. If we are burned out, our nervous systems are burned out, too. Just like a child with ADHD, our nervous systems suffer from over-stimulation that leads to inappropriate function.

Autoimmune disorders have become the serious consequence of nervous systems out of control. Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Graves' disease, diabetes, lupus, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, pernicious anemia and psoriasis are some of the extreme examples of a nervous system in disarray. Because of faulty nerve communication, the immune system doesn't recognize normal tissues and attacks the body.

Chiropractic is not a cure for ADHD or autoimmune disorders. However, when we understand how an overpowered nervous system stops regulating the body, we can address this progressive breakdown by building it back up. Chiropractic care and stress management together provide a consistent system of restoration that strengthens the entire body through the unique relationship between the spine and nerves.

The evidence is clear that our overall health is damaged by an accumulation of multiple stressors. When the nervous system is supported, healing can occur. If personal health care reform is your concern, don't overlook chiropractic's profound benefits.

Lisa Ann Homic, M.Ed. D.C., may be contacted at www.DrHomic.com