Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) when diagnosed in children, and known as Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (AADD) when diagnosed in adults, is typically defined as an inability to focus. However, the ADD characteristics an adult or child may display can be quite different from that of another person with ADD. Along with hyperactivity, one may be exhibit hyperfocus, impulsiveness, mood swings, forgetfulness, inattentiveness, restlessness and sluggishness. Children are often willingly disobedient, whereas adults find it difficult to complete plans or structure a routine for necessary daily tasks.
ADHD is diagnosed based on a symptoms checklist from the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (Text Revision) (DSM-IV-TR). Clinical interviews reviewing this checklist and computerized attention tests are psychological methods of ADD assessment. Neurometrics, PET scans, or SPECT scans of the brain can be used as well.
Possible causes of ADD include genetics, neuro-chemical imbalances of dopamine transporters, smoking during pregnancy, nutrition (specifically, lack of omega-3 fatty acids; the average American household is severely underprovided of its sources, which include fish), sleep apnea in infancy, and head injuries. Mainstream treatments of ADD include medication (most often methylphenidate, most commonly sold as Ritalin), behavior-changing therapies, and educational interventions. Alternative therapies have included the Feingold Diet, vitamin B6, Pycnogenol, neurofeedback, audio visual entrainment, and cerebellar stimulation.
ADD is most usually thought of as having negative effects on those with it and those who surround them. Children tend to have behavior or learning difficulties, including depression. Adults may be forgetful, easily distracted from their tasks at work, or easily irritated at home. ADD patients may not be mindful of their bodies’ natural rhythms, therefore creating eating disorders, chronic constipation, anxiety, or difficulties with sleep. An ADD patient may be calm and quiet, but is unable to pay attention as she is too focused on her own thoughts. ADD is thought to contribute to accidents on the road or at work. However, ADD patients are also intelligent and creative due the focus on their own thoughts and exploration of their imagination.
ADD is an indication for massage. Stimulation of the iliotibial tract through therapeutic massage can prompt bowel movements, relieving chronic constipation. Massage raises cortisol hormone levels, placing the body in a state of parasympathetic dominance, making sleep more restful and easy. In school-aged children, regular therapeutic massage was found to decrease anxiety and hyperactivity, including fidgeting, in the classroom. Students were able to focus more on tasks set before them. Adolescents in a Touch Research Institute study reported feeling happier after their massage sessions and were able to stay on task longer in the classroom as exhibited lower Conners Hyperactivity scores (10-item Conners Rating Scale). The study found that massage therapy “could become an important tool in the management of ADHD, in conjunction with currently used therapies. It may, for example, potentiate methylphenidate and other drugs” (Field, 1998). Massage has been known to alleviate problems associated with depression and anxiety, two secondary problems that can arise from ADD.
Massage should not be the only therapy, but it can help directly and indirectly to relieve some of the signs, symptoms, and secondary conditions associated with ADD.
For additional reading, check out this article about children, ADD and massage. It also references studies done on massage and adults with ADD and how it helps them. I have ADD and I know the regular massages I receive help keep me focused on the massages that I give.
