Sensory disorders and the role of the upper cervical spine

Autism, ADD, ADHD, and other sensory disorders involve differences in how the brain processes the world — sensitivities to light and sound, trouble concentrating, behavioral challenges, and difficulty reading social cues. What many parents don't realize is that the upper neck plays a major role in how the nervous system handles all of that input. In this post, I'll walk you through why we always check the upper cervical spine in kids with sensory issues, and what we tend to see when we get it moving well.

The three Ts: thoughts, toxins, and traumas

As a chiropractor, my specialty is the spine — and the spine houses the nervous system that controls how your body feels and functions. When a child comes to our office with a sensory disorder, we look at three categories of stress on the nervous system: thoughts, toxins, and traumas.

Thoughts

For kids, this usually means school stress. We talk with parents about practical ways to help their child manage stressful situations, because chronic stress directly affects the nervous system and changes how a child feels and behaves.

Toxins

Diet is a big one. Highly processed foods, inflammatory ingredients, and artificial color additives tax the body and create free radicals that pull oxygen out of cells. The nervous system suffers when the body is constantly fighting that load.

Traumas

Kids rarely have one big trauma. They have micro-traumas — small repeated stresses that add up. The classic example: a child hunched over a tablet, chin on chest, looking down for hours. Over time, that posture creates what we call a subluxation: a joint or group of joints in the spine shifts out of alignment, which increases stress and tension in the surrounding joints, tissues, and nerves.

Why the upper cervical spine matters

You have seven bones in your neck. The top two — C1 (the atlas) and C2 (the axis) — make up the upper cervical spine. The skull sits on the atlas, the atlas sits on the axis, and together they're how you rotate your head and nod up and down.

This area is also where your brain stem exits the skull through the foramen magnum and becomes the spinal cord. There is more nervous system activity packed into the upper cervical region than anywhere else in the spine, simply because you're so close to the brain stem.

When C1 and C2 shift out of alignment, they can compress the C1-C2 nerve roots right next to the brain stem. That tension tends to push the body into what we call sympathetic tone — the "fight or flight" side of the nervous system. In kids who already have ADD, ADHD, autism, or sensory processing challenges, that constant sympathetic load can make symptoms worse.

What we check for in kids with sensory disorders

When a child comes to us with any degree of ADD, ADHD, autism, or sensory issues, we examine the whole spine, but we pay special attention to the upper cervical spine. More often than not, we find a problem there — a loss of the normal neck curve, a reversed curve, or a joint shift at C1 or C2.

Our goal is to restore good motion, good alignment, and healthy muscle tone in that area so those joints move freely and stop compressing the nerves near the brain stem. When that happens, we typically see symptoms calm down.

Concerned about your child's focus, behavior, or sensory sensitivities? Start with a $49 new patient exam and X-rays at Advanced Health in the South Loop. We'll evaluate the upper cervical spine and tell you honestly whether chiropractic care is a good fit. Book online at /schedule or call (312) 987-4878.

What improvement actually looks like

Every child is different, so symptoms and timelines vary. But once we start improving joint function and alignment and taking pressure off the nervous system, sensory issues often improve faster than parents expect.

A few examples from our office:

• Kids who had quit a musical instrument picking it back up.
• Grades climbing from failing to honor roll.
• A child who couldn't tolerate the school cafeteria now sitting and socializing with friends because they can process the noise.

These aren't promises — they're case examples — but they're the kind of changes we see regularly when the upper cervical spine starts moving the way it's supposed to. If you have a child struggling with sensory symptoms and you want a thorough evaluation, we'd be glad to help. Learn more about getting started on our new patients page or contact us with questions.