Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a neurological condition in children where the brain struggles to properly receive, organize, and respond to sensory information. It impacts not only the five basic senses, but also spatial awareness (proprioception) and balance (vestibular).
Children with SPD can experience symptoms along either side of the sensory spectrum or fluctuate between both:
Hypersensitivity (Over-responsive): Children are easily overwhelmed by everyday stimuli. They may complain that clothing feels too scratchy, cover their ears to block normal sounds, avoid swings or experience meltdowns in bright or crowded environments.
Hyposensitivity (Under-responsive): Children seek out more sensory input. They may crash into walls, struggle with balance, chew on inedible objects or show an unusually high pain threshold.
Secondary Behaviors: Constant over- or under-stimulation can lead to extreme picky eating, difficulty sleeping or dressing, clumsiness, anxiety and behavioral outbursts.
How Neurologically-Based Chiropractic Care Fits In
The central nervous system (comprising the brain and spinal cord) acts as the master control center for processing every piece of sensory information coming from the body and environment.
When structural spinal misalignments or dysfunctions (subluxations) occur, they can alter the normal sensory feedback loop sent up through the spinal cord to the brain. In a child whose brain is already struggling to filter or organize sensory input, this added neural stress can make sensory overload or seeking behaviors even more intense.
Through gentle, targeted neurological-based chiropractic adjustments, our goal is to:
Reduce Central Nervous System Stress: Restoring proper alignment helps optimize spinal cord signaling and reduces physical tension/stress on the nervous system.
Support Proprioception & Balance: Gentle spinal corrections send clear, accurate input to the brain regarding joint position, spatial awareness and balance, helping the brain build clearer “maps” of the body.
Promote Parasympathetic (“Rest & Digest”) Regulation: Balancing nervous system tone helps shift children out of a chronic “fight-or-flight” sensory state into a calmer, more adaptive state.
While SPD is widely recognized by occupational therapists and pediatricians, it is not currently classified as an official standalone diagnosis in the DSM-5. However, many children who exhibit these signs may also have co-occurring conditions such as autism or ADHD.
Occupational Therapy, specifically sensory integration therapy, remains a primary and effective support for SPD using play-based activities like ball pits, swings and climbing walls to help the brain learn to organize sensory input.
Neurologically-based chiropractic care works hand-in-hand with occupational therapy, pediatricians, and other pediatric specialists. By clearing neural interference and improving bodily awareness, chiropractic care can help create a calmer, more adaptable nervous system environment for therapy sessions to be even more successful.
If you suspect your child is struggling with sensory processing, speak with us during your next visit, or please share this with anyone you know who may benefit from this.
