The Missing Piece to Helping Your Child’s Chronic Illnesses

You've probably spent countless nights worrying when they struggle with sleep, meltdowns, focus issues, or mysterious health problems that seem to have no clear cause. You've likely tried everything your pediatrician suggested, maybe even worked with specialists, yet somehow you still feel like you're missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.

What if I told you that the key to unlocking your child's full potential might be hiding in plain sight within their own body? The secret lies in something called nervous system regulation- and understanding it could transform your approach to your child's health and well-being.

Sam's Story:

Let me share Sam K.’s story with you. This is what mom says: “Around the age of two is when we noticed Sam really not wanting to eat food. I attributed it to just being a picky eater. Around this time, he would wake in the night screaming of what we thought were stomach pains. We took him in and with no real answers, the doctors recommended food therapy. He developed terrible eczema. Then he started struggling to gain weight, and was a very unhappy little boy.

Fast forward a few years later, he started having anaphylaxis reactions to what we later discovered was casein/dairy. Each time he had a reaction it felt like it was getting worse. It started to affect his breathing, he would throw up continuously for hours, hives for days. We had many trips to the ER. Following these reactions he would then not want to eat and it felt like we were stuck in this awful cycle. We were nervous to go far from home, rarely would go out to eat or travel just in fear that he would get sick.

Up until this point things just grew harder. Sam had a very limited diet and was nervous to eat most food. He struggled with sleeping at night. He developed a lot of anxiety out of a fear of getting sick when he wasn’t with me. I rarely have been able to leave him anywhere for any period of time. He didn’t trust any kind of new food at all, as a result his growth was struggling. School was very difficult, focus has been a problem along with hitting those milestones in learning. I would get called from the school multiple times a week because he was sick.

However, I think one of the hardest and most emotional things as a parent have been his moods. Lots of obsessive thinking or fixating on little things. There have been lots of angry outbursts, angry days. So many tears and anger. We struggled as his parents to know how to help him. It all felt so overwhelming and just felt confusing. We didn’t know why he was struggling so much.

Overall I felt desperate, hopeless, discouraged. To say this impacted our daily life and our family would be an understatement. It was so hard! I feel like when you’re in that position as a mom it’s hard to find anyone on your side. Even those who are really close to the situation didn’t understand. It feels extremely isolating and very discouraging.

I feel like I tried literally everything. We went the traditional medical route with tests, colonoscopies, and blood work. The end result was they wanted to put him on a long term antihistamine and antibiotics. We didn’t want to do that.

I tried functional medicine doctors next and aside from some diet recommendations, there was not a lot more they could help me with.

So instead, I did a ton of research and did a total overhaul on his gut. We did many supplements and nutritional things for him. For a while, it seemed to really help. However, it didn’t last long and he started to get really sick again this last year.

This last month, around three months into coming, we have seen a big shift. A few weeks ago Sam said to me, “Mom I used to have all this noise inside that made me feel angry and stressed and now I don’t.” This may sound silly but I feel like I am getting a glimpse into his actual personality. He is so much more calm. His sleeping has improved so much. He is asking to try new foods (this week was avocado toast… shocking!!!) The angry outbursts come but not as often and he calms down so much faster. There seems to be more control. Finally, his stomach seems to be settling more and more with each visit. He’s not had any crazy allergic reactions; he can eat everything and tolerates it!

Sam’s life looks so much more peaceful. I still feel like we are on the journey but the change in this short of time is amazing. He is more focused in school, he is sleeping, he’s not getting sick all the time, and he is way less anxious and irritable.”

Understanding Your Child's Nervous System: The Foundation of Health

So what exactly happened with Jake? To understand this transformation, you need to know about nervous system regulation—something that affects every aspect of your child's health but is often overlooked in traditional healthcare approaches.

What Is Nervous System Regulation?

Think of your child's nervous system as the master control center for their entire body. It helps keep everything balanced and stable, ensuring that every bodily system can communicate effectively and work in harmony. This state of balance is called homeostasis.

When your child's nervous system is properly regulated, everything functions optimally:

• Basic functions like sleeping, eating, and digestion work smoothly
• Advanced functions like controlling inflammation and managing immune responses operate effectively
• Mental, emotional, and cognitive health remain stable and resilient

When Things Go Wrong: The Signs of Dysregulation

When your child's nervous system becomes overly stressed and imbalanced, it enters a state called nervous system dysregulation. This can manifest in many different ways, often starting with disruptions to basic health functions.

Early warning signs you might notice:

• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• Digestive issues or irregular eating patterns
• Mood swings or emotional instability
• Low energy or hyperactivity
• Trouble with emotional regulation

If you're seeing these challenges in your child, they're not character flaws or behavioral problems—they're signs that your child's nervous system needs support.

The Autonomic Nervous System: Your Child's Internal Thermostat

The key to understanding nervous system regulation lies in something called the autonomic nervous system. This system controls and coordinates all the major functions of your child's body, managing trillions of cells almost entirely on "autopilot."

The autonomic nervous system has two main branches:

The Sympathetic System ("Fight or Flight"): This kicks in during times of stress, danger, or high activity. It's designed to help your child respond to challenges, but it's not meant to be constantly activated.

The Parasympathetic System ("Rest, Relax, and Regulate"): This is where the magic happens. When this system is active, your child's body can rest, repair, restore, and regulate itself.

The Vagus Nerve: This crucial nerve is primarily responsible for activating the "rest and regulate" response. If your child has any damage or dysfunction in their vagus nerve, their nervous system will struggle to find balance and regulation.

The Perfect Storm: How Dysregulation Develops

Nervous system dysregulation doesn't happen overnight—it often develops through what experts call "The Perfect Storm" of stressors and challenges.

In infancy, this might look like:

• Difficulty nursing and eating
• Trouble soothing and sleeping
• Being colicky and fussy
• Acid reflux or constipation
• Skin issues like eczema

As children grow, you might see:

• Chronic ear infections
• Respiratory and immune system struggles
• Difficulties with motor planning and developmental milestones
• Challenges reaching age-appropriate developmental markers

Eventually, a dysregulated nervous system can manifest as:

• Big emotions and frequent meltdowns
• Attention and focus challenges
• Sensory processing difficulties
• Behaviors that look like ADHD or autism spectrum characteristics

Factors That Can Contribute to Dysregulation

Understanding what can contribute to nervous system dysregulation empowers you to be more aware and proactive about your child's health:

• Birth-related stress: Difficult pregnancies, birth interventions, or traumatic birth experiences
• Environmental toxins: Exposure to chemicals, pollutants, or other harmful substances
• Physical trauma: Falls, accidents, or even repetitive strain from things like heavy backpacks
• Emotional stress: Family changes, school pressure, or social challenges
• Poor nutrition: Diets high in processed foods or lacking essential nutrients
• Lack of movement: Sedentary lifestyles that don't support healthy nervous system development

Taking Action: What You Can Do as a Parent

The good news is that nervous system dysregulation isn't permanent. Your child's nervous system has an incredible capacity for healing and adaptation when given the right support.

This is where Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care comes in, and this is what Living Water Chiropractic does best. Like what helped Sam, we use advanced scanning technology, INSiGHT Scans, to identify areas of nervous system stress and then gentle adjusting techniques to help restore balance.

This approach doesn't rely on medications or invasive procedures. Instead, it works with your child's natural healing capacity to help their nervous system return to a state of regulation and optimal function.

Your Child's Potential Is Waiting

Imagine a world where your child can face life's challenges with resilience, focus with ease, and truly thrive. That's the power of a well-regulated nervous system. Your child doesn't have to struggle with ongoing health issues, behavioral challenges, or developmental delays.

You don't have to wait for problems to worsen or accept that "this is just how your child is." Nervous system regulation can be supported and optimized at any stage of your child's development, so don’t wait to call Living Water Chiropractic today!

You have more power than you might realize to influence your child's health and well-being. By understanding nervous system regulation and taking proactive steps to support it, you're giving your child one of the greatest gifts possible: the foundation for lifelong health, resilience, and success.