Can Chiropractic Care Help Autism?

It's National Autism Awareness Month. I get asked about chiropractic and autism all the time. So can getting adjusted help autism?

Individuals on the autism spectrum are very different and so are their experiences. One thing many of them have in common is difficulty processing sensory stimuli. This is where current research shows chiropractic can have the biggest impact for them. Research shows that regular chiropractic care can help our brains process these stimuli better. This is true for everyone, not just those on the autism spectrum.

Improving the brain's ability to process stimuli drastically improves quality of life for individuals on the autism spectrum. For many of them, being overwhelmed by external stimuli causes the most disruption to their everyday lives.

How do chiropractic adjustments do this? Research shows adjustments act as a “reset” for the communication channels between the body and the brain. Let's look at an example. You feel a soft teddy bear. The nerves in your fingertips send a message to the brain saying, “Hey, we feel something. Is it soft or scratchy?”. The brain interprets the data coming from your fingertips and sends a message down saying, “It's soft.” So, you feel that the teddy bear is soft. Now let's say that communication channel is broken. Your brain misinterprets the data from your fingertips and says, “It's scratchy.” You feel the teddy bear is scratchy and you say, “OUCH!” and throw it to the floor. The teddy bear didn't change. The messages between your fingertips and brain did. For someone on the autism spectrum, this is often how they experience stimuli. Quiet noise becomes loud, dim light becomes blinding, soft clothes feel scratchy and irritating, and so on. Adjustments “reset” the communication channel so their brain can interpret the stimuli correctly.

By resetting the communication channels between the brain and body, chiropractic adjustments can have a huge impact on the lives of people living on autism spectrum. As a house-call chiropractor, I love serving this population in their homes where they feel most comfortable. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch!