Seeking to Address Your Child's Motor Tics Naturally?

Subtle facial twitches, shoulder shrugs, and more complex actions like neck bending, mouth opening, and clenching. If you’re a mom or dad concerned about your child who is struggling with the challenges of uncontrollable motor tics, know that you’re not alone.

Seeing your child grapple with these involuntary movements can be emotionally draining and confusing. However, don’t lose hope, as knowledge is power! Understanding the underlying causes of motor tics can be the first step toward empowering yourself to take proactive, drug-free measures that can make a huge difference in your child’s overall well-being.

What Are Motor Tics?

Motor tics are spontaneous movements that result from accumulated neurological tension. They are frequently observed in individuals with Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder. Additionally, these movements can manifest in other conditions, such as chronic and transient motor tic disorders.

Recognizing symptoms of motor tics is crucial. These movements can come in many forms, from frequent eye blinks or nose twitches to more pronounced and complex movements (e.g., facial grimacing combined with a head twist and a shoulder). These movements, at times, can become noticeable to the extent that they impact your child’s daily life.

Getting to the Root & Alleviating Subluxation

So, what tends to be the root cause of children’s motor tics?

“Subluxation, or misalignment, within the neuromuscular system, is often a primary contributor to the development of motor tics,” said Eden Prairie chiropractor Dr. ShaRhae Matousek.

Visualize your child’s nervous system as an intricate web of communication pathways, much like a network of electrical wires. When subluxation occurs, it creates a kink in one of these wires, disrupting the flow of communication within the nervous system. This disruption results in heightened stress and tension, which can manifest as motor tics in your child. Think of it as a pressure cooker scenario, where accumulated stress and tension eventually find an outlet through involuntary muscle movements.

Understanding the connection between subluxation and motor tics is crucial because it sheds light on potential solutions. Addressing and alleviating subluxation can help relieve the underlying stress and tension on the nervous system, which often forms the core of motor tic development.

Factors that Aggravate Motor Tics

Motor tics tend to worsen when external stressors come into play. Growth spurts, seasonal changes, immune challenges, or emotional distress in your child’s life can act as triggers, intensifying the nervous system’s underlying stress and tension (subluxation).

The Connection With Other Conditions

Motor tics often co-occur with other conditions such as anxiety, autism, and ADHD. It’s interesting to note that all these conditions share a common denominator—they are all rooted in excessive stress and tension in the nervous system. The correlation highlights the importance of addressing the core issues.