Overview

Please see conventional, complimentary and alternative medical treatments for important background information regarding the different types of medical treatments discussed on this page. Naturopathic, Complimentary and Alternative treatments that may be considered include:

Etiology

Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder appears to have a multifactorial origin.

With the caveat that association does not necessarily distinguish between cause and effect, the following factors have been associated with ADD and ADHD, in no particular order:

Differential Diagnosis

Generally speaking, insurance companies are more likely to reimburse for treatment of underlying organic disorders than they are for ADD/ADHD itself. Hence it is particularly important to identify and document any underlying organic disorders that may be associated with or cause ADD/ADHD behavior. Consider the following:

Note however that insurance companies are reluctant to pay for the tests required to diagnose some of these underlying organic disorders, because a direct linkage between ADD/ADHD and these disorders has not yet been established to the satisfaction of the insurance companies.

Treatment

Naturopathic, Complimentary and Alternative Treatments

Neuro-Gen High Performance Neuromodulation (HPN)

HPN has been reported to be useful for treating ADD and ADHD [Snook]. Dr. Weyrich has been trained in the use of Neuro-Gen High Performance Neuromodulation system by it's inventor, Corey Snook. However, Dr. Weyrich has not treated any cases of ADD and ADHD with this technique.

Please see What is Neuro-Gen High Performance Neuromodulation? for more information.

Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback has proven useful for treating ADD and ADHD. Dr. Weyrich has been certified in neurofeedback since 2008, and more recently completed an additional residency training program at ADD Clinic of Scottsdale, AZ. While at the ADD clinic, he treated numerous cases of ADD and ADHD.

Please see What is Neurofeedback? for more information.

Neurotransmitter Balancing

Neuro Research [Hinz2015] reports that ADD and ADHD can be benefited by balancing neurotransmitter levels in the body. Dr. Weyrich has been trained in neurotransmitter balancing protocols, but has not treated ADD or ADHD using this technique.

Please see What is Neurotransmitter Balancing? for more information.

Hypotheses

Drugs used to treat AD(H)D such as amphetamines and Ritalin normally act as stimulants (in a manner similar to street-drugs such as "speed"). However in patients suffering from AD(H)D these drugs seem to have a paradoxical effect of reducing hyperactivity and increasing attention span, perhaps because these patients have a low metabolism [Starr2005, pg 89].

In one study it was found that in a population of children with hypothyroidism, 72% of males and 43% of females were hypothyroid [Brucker_Davis1995], [Starr2005, pg 89]. That being the case, it has been speculated that if an AD(H)D patient has low basal body temperature, then treating the patient for hypothyroidism may yield the same benefit as treatment with Ritalin and similar drugs, with fewer side effects [Starr2005, pg 89].

ICD-10

References