There are numerous touted natural remedies for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. A homeopathic doctor can diagnose your ADHD child and prescribe one of these treatments based on his individual symptoms and actions. It can take six months or more to really begin to see the benefits of homeopathic treatments for ADHD, but improvements in attitude and outlook typically begin right away. Clinical trials studying homeopathic medicines have unfortunately been quite few and only conducted for a few weeks, so determining whether natural remedies for ADHD help manage the disorder has been difficult.
Solutions
Commonly prescribed homeopathic therapies for ADHD are medorrhinum, saccharum officinalis (cane sugar), calcarea carbonica (powdered oyster shells), calcarea phosphorica (lime), China officinalis (cinchona) and stramonium (jimson weed). Each of these treats the outward symptoms of ADHD, which are restlessness, aggression, anxiety, sleeplessness, impulsiveness and fearfulness according to the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. By improving these symptoms, ADHD can be managed more easily.
Warning
Introducing natural remedies into your child's ADHD management program requires the guidance of a homeopathic doctor. Herbs, of course, are easily available from heath food stores and the Internet, but they come with extensively conflicting information. Your child must be examined as an individual case by a homeopathic practitioner to determine which natural remedies for ADHD will work best. You can feel confident managing your ADHD child's diet and routine closely, but medicine and remedies should be managed by a trusted medical professional.
Benefits
Homeopathic remedies work with your child's body to improve her overall health. Each child is evaluated individually, and natural remedies are prescribed based on the individual set of symptoms. In fact, your homeopathic doctor may change treatments several times before finding the right combination of remedies that work best for your child.
Expert Insight
Small-scale studies (fewer than 100 children) have been conducted with mixed results. An 18-week study of 49 children conducted in Washington in 2005 revealed no benefits for homeopathic-treated children vs. placebo-treated children. A Swiss study of 62 children who received treatment for an average of five months showed their symptoms did begin to improve after taking individually prescribed homeopathic prescriptions for a period of time. These small-scale studies have produced inconclusive results, but the researchers recommend further study of natural remedies.
Considerations
ADHD has neither one cause nor one remedy. Families must try many different methods of managing the distracting or destructive behaviors. Exploring homeopathic remedies can be a complement to traditional medical advice, but always advise all physicians of every medication and herb to avoid interactions.
References
- American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education
- Homeopathy for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Pilot Randomized-Controlled Trial. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 11(5), pp. 799-806. October 2005.
- Swiss Study Looks at Homeopathic Treatment for ADHD. Brown University Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology Update 7(9), pp. 6-7. September 2005.
