There's a new approach to managing the challenges that come along with attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Cornerstone Chiropractic: A Creating Wellness Center is bringing the new approach to people in the Minot area. There will also be a community workshop about the program on Tuesday from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at the Minot Public Library.
The new approach is a certified program called "SHINE for Doctors: Special Help for Integrating Neurological Experience" that combines ADHD expertise, chiropractic adjustments, and neurological assessments with specific exercise and nutrition counseling, according to a press release. The approach is also drug-free and has the view that ADD/ADHD is not a deficit or a disorder, but a set of traits that can be viewed as a gift. Dr. Ned Hallowell, child and adult psychiatrist, New York Times bestselling author, world-renowned speaker and leading authority in the field of ADHD, designed the SHINE program in 2011 as an exclusive certification course for chiropractors. He was looking for a way to help children and adults help manage their ADHD symptoms without drugs, said Staci Borkhuis, chiropractor at Cornerstone Chiropractic.
For the SHINE approach, or protocol as it's often referred to, Borkhuis said they use advanced testing not found in the typical chiropractor's office. They use neurological testing to determine how well the nervous system is working, she explained, and they're looking for subluxation, which is an interference in how nerves are working.
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Chiropractor Staci Borkhuis sits in her office at Cornerstone Chiropractic: A Creating Wellness Center and looks up something on her computer. Her chiropractic office is one of the first seven offices to be allowed to use a new program for drug-free ADD/ADHD relief.
"Because we (Cornerstone Chiropractic) focus on neurology, that's how we got involved. We're one of the first seven offices to be allowed to use this program," she said.
The training to become certified in the SHINE approach is extensive. Borkhuis said she started training last January and is now almost done. In the training, she explained, they learn the entire history of ADD/ADHD, the biology of ADD/ADHD, how the disorder goes through the body and brain chemistry, a sequence on how to detect ADD/ADHD in someone, discussion of how environmental factors play a huge role, a process of clinical integration, and many hours of testing and protocols.
It's not known if the SHINE approach to ADD/ADHD is more effective than medication, however, Borkhuis said, because the child might respond to it or not.
"We're trying to help the brain and body function better and use (the ADD/ADHD) traits to their advantage," she noted.
The SHINE approach has three tiers, consisting of neural efficiency, neuro-integrative movements, and metabolic shift, according to the fact sheet. Neural efficiency involves improving the function of the brain and nerve system through chiropractic adjustments. Neuro-integrative movements are exercises to help balance the brain and improve coordination. The metabolic shift involves guidance on avoiding foods that have a negative effect on behavior and brain function.
Borkhuis said the metabolic shift tends to give people the most difficulty in the SHINE approach, specifically in making nutritional changes, but the changes can be made gradually. The hard part is choosing the nutritional foods for home, she added.
The SHINE approach is a 90-day program, Borkhuis said. Typically by the end of the 90 days, she added, most people continue with the program, but aren't under as rigorous care.
There aren't many, if any, differences in the SHINE approach between children and adults, although Borkhuis said they expect more nutritional changes from adults since they're in charge of nutrition. "Otherwise the protocol is the same," she said.
Borkhuis said she thought parts of the SHINE approach could be used for other issues like depression or anxiety, but there are also parts that could be added or taken away.
"The foundation is for anyone who comes in to our office," she said.
At the community workshop about the SHINE program on Tuesday night, Borkhuis said her colleague Travis Myers be presenting information about ADD/ADHD and then Borkhuis will give a presentation on the SHINE program.
There is no cost to attend the workshop, but people interested are asked to register by calling Cornerstone Chiropractic at 852-2800 or by signing up at (www.MinotShine.com). The website is also where people can get more information about the SHINE program.
Borkhuis said the workshop is for anyone who is diagnosed or feels like they might have ADD/ADHD, or for parents who feel like their children might have ADD/ADHD. It's also for teachers, daycare providers, caregivers, or anyone interested, she added.
"I hope that there's a solution or method of managing the traits of ADD/ADHD and that people get a different perspective of ADD/ADHD," Borkhuis remarked. "It's given such a negative connotation, but can be used in a positive manner and to a positive advantage. Hope and a change of perspective are the two big things I want for people to get out of this workshop."