People either believe in alternative medicine or laugh at it. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground. When it comes to treating Attention Deficit Disorder, "alternative medicine" means any kind of treatment that isn't a standard behavioural treatment or a drug.
One treatment for ADD is dietary intervention, in which certain foods are taken out of a child's diet to lessen or get rid of the effects of the disorder. This is because people have the wrong idea that ADD is caused by food allergies or certain manufactured products, like food dye or preservatives. Even though a lot of people really believe this, there doesn't seem to be any science to back it up.
Taking nutritional supplements is another alternative treatment, which is, of course, the opposite of changing the way you eat. In particular, it has been said that ADD can be cured by taking glyconutritional supplements, megadose vitamins, amino acid supplements, Gingko biloba, or any number of other herbal remedies. Herbal medicines should be used with care because they are not regulated by the FDA. Children are also more likely to get sick from these supplements than adults are. Before giving your child any kind of medicine, you should talk to a doctor.
Interactive metronome training teaches a child to keep a rhythmic beat in time with a computer. This is based on the fact that children with ADD don't have good motor timing or planning skills. This, in turn, makes that inability better. Even though only one study has been done, this method looks like it could work. Of course, more research is needed to fully figure out how useful it is.
The use of lead to treat ADD in children is based on the fact that lead poisoning makes animals more hyperactive. This has led some people to think there may be a link between high levels of lead and hyperactivity in children.
One area of treatment that hasn't gotten much attention is medicine for motion sickness, treatment for yeast infections, and eye training. All of these blame ADD on things that are hard to see, like inner ear problems (treated with motion sickness medicine), toxins made by too much yeast in the body (candida), or bad eye movements and sensitivity (optometric visual training). All of these have been thrown out by the medical community because they don't have any basis in reality.
Applied kinesiology, which involves realigning the bones of the skull, and chiropractic care, which involves manipulating the spine to balance brain activity, are two other non-medical ways to treat ADD.
