Ataxic Movement: Is It a Result of Atypical Neurology or Nutritional Deficit?

Julia Grover-Barrey OTR/L
Founder of In-Tuned®

Trembling hands causing diminished prehensile function and poor fluidity of gross motor movements can be common in children with Brain-Based Disorders (BBD).

Lack of normal muscle tone, presence of retained reflexes, absence of developmentally sound neurostructural architecture and structural brain anomalies can create glitches in movement patterns…no question about it.

Lack of good fatty acids in the body can also be to blame.

Myelin is the protein rich and fatty layer surrounding the nerves making signals conduct faster and more efficiently between neurons. Myelination happens very early on in the development of the nervous system and allows us (us humans) to respond to stimuli in an adaptive and successful way.

Many children with BBD suffer from both neurological and nutritional deficits. It’s important to support their nervous systems with our skilled hands and well thought out treatment plans, but they also need nutritional support.

Omega-3 fatty acids are the key to supporting myelination. Seeds, nuts, avocado and cold-water fish are the best food sources, but there is an array of nutritional supplements available, especially when some of our children aren’t the best eaters.

Having an Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency not only effects muscle function and movement, but significant depletion can be an underlying factor to poor self-regulation, anxiety and OCD type behaviors.

We can’t leave out this nutritional piece…it’s like trying to paperclip or staple something back together that needs glue and time to dry…otherwise we have to keep paperclipping and stapling the same pieces over and over again.

Julia

PS: I am starting my summer schedule May 1st…so blogging will be less often as I work on other projects. Take advantage of the FREE downloads available for therapeutic resources it will end this Friday, May 1, 2020.