Dyspraxia is a relatively common medical condition that manifests as problems with physical coordination and movement. It is believed that dietary supplementation with certain omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce the symptoms of dyspraxia. However, you should not try this alternative therapy without individual medical advice from a health care professional.
Symptoms
Dyspraxia is a medical condition in which a person has difficulties with physical coordination and movement. According to Medical News Today, if you have dyspraxia you are likely to struggle with smooth physical movements, and you may also have some issues with language. Previous, now obsolete, terms for dyspraxia include minimal brain damage and clumsy child syndrome. Presently, dyspraxia is also known as developmental coordination disorder, or DCD, and motor learning difficulties.
Incidence
It is estimated that roughly one person in every 10 of the general population has some degree of dyspraxia, according to Medical News Today. About one person in 50 has severe dyspraxia. Of these people with dyspraxia, approximately 80 percent are male. If you work in education, it is likely you will have one student with dyspraxia in every classroom of around 30 students.
Expert Insight
An article in the April 2004 issue of the journal "Prostaglandins, Leukotienes and Essential Fatty Acids" states that a considerable body of experimental and clinical evidence supports the use of certain unsaturated fatty acids as beneficial for individuals with dyspraxia. Additionally, therapeutic use of fatty acids is being carried out in relation to ADHD, dyslexia and autistic spectrum disorders. Although further research is needed to validate the benefits of unsaturated fatty acids for dyspraxia, dietary supplementation, such as cod liver oil daily -- a source of highly unsaturated fatty acids -- is already in use by many individuals and institutions.
Function
It is believed that symptoms of dyspraxia may arise from a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids. An article in the September 2007 issue of the journal "Alternative Medicine Review" reports that double-blind, controlled, randomized trials show that combinations of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, reduce the symptoms of dyspraxia and other health conditions. DHA and EPA occur naturally in oily fish and other foodstuffs and also are available in commercial dietary supplements.
Warning
Dietary treatment for dyspraxia is a form of alternative or complementary therapy and should not be considered as a substitute for conventional medical treatment under the supervision of a medical professional. Conventional treatments for dyspraxia include occupational therapy, language and speech therapy, and perceptual motor training. Although dyspraxia cannot be cured, many individuals find their symptoms improve with these conventional therapies.
References
- PubMed: Prostaglandins, Leukotienes and Essential Fatty Acids: Clinical trials of fatty acid treatment in ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and the autistic spectrum
- Medical News Today: What Is Dyspraxia?
- PubMed: Alternative Medicine Review: Omega-3 DHA and EPA for cognition, behavior, and mood: clinical findings and structural-functional synergies with cell membrane phospholipids
