Yoga as a Complementary and Alternative Treatment
Option for ADHD in Children
Ashley Deal
University of Central Florida
Yoga as a Complementary and Alternative Treatment
Option for ADHD in Children
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) typically refers to treatment options that
are not typical of a society or culture. The National Institute of Health defines CAM as “health
systems, modalities, practices and their accompanying theories and beliefs that are not intrinsic
to the politically dominant health system of a particular society or culture in a given historical
period” (Ning, 2013). In the United States the most commonly utilized treatment include
medications, but CAM examines alternatives to using drugs. CAM therapies are not typically
covered by insurance and therefore can often be a more expensive, but it is important for health
care providers to recognize various CAM therapies and provide unbiased information to patients.
The use of CAM in the pediatric population is becoming more popular and is most
commonly used in pediatric patients with chronic, recurrent, or incurable conditions (Adams et
al, 2013). There are a wide variety of CAM therapies that are utilized in the pediatric population
ranging from herbal remedies to acupuncture to relaxation techniques for vast array of medical
and behavioral conditions. Yoga is a form of CAM that has been used in the treatment plan for
adolescents with ADHD to allow for an alternative to traditional pharmacological agents to treat
ADHD.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder
common among children. ADHD is typically treated with medication in addition to behavioral
therapy (CDC, 2014). The American Academy of Pediatrics created an algorithm for providers
to assist in the process of diagnosing ADHD and the treatment recommendations. Stimulants are
the most commonly prescribed medications in addition to a selective norepinephrine reuptake
inhibitor as well as two selective_2-adrenergic agonists medications available (AAP, 2011). All
medications have their risks and benefits and the medications used to treat ADHD are no
different. There are many mild side effects associated with the medications used for the
treatment of ADHD, but there can also be more serious side effects including palpitations and
sudden cardiac death (Laver-Bradbury, 2013). Close monitoring of children who are prescribed
any of the medications for ADHD is important to ensure therapeutic levels are achieved and side
effects are not affecting the child.
Yoga is one commonly used CAM therapy for a variety of health conditions. In 2007 a
study by the National Institute of Health found that 6.1% of Americans utilized yoga as a
complementary health approach (NIH, 2013). Yoga is a common practice worldwide and is
practiced by individuals of all ages from the very young to the very old focusing on the mind and
body through various positions and meditations (NIH, 2014). Yoga can be performed in a
variety of settings and has been utilized worldwide as a CAM therapy for many years.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a common pediatric behavior disorder that is
often managed and cared for by primacy care pediatricians. Nurse practitioners are the future of
primary care offices and must be well educated in the various treatment options for ADHD.
Many of the treatment options for ADHD include medications that are controlled substances and
currently in the state of Florida prescribing controlled substances is outside the scope of practice
of nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioners are educated on controlled substances and although
they are not able to prescribe the medications they are still able to see and manage patients who
are being treated with controlled substances.
A search was conducted utilized MEDLINE and Cinahl utilizing the following search
terms: Attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, ADD, yoga,
meditation, complementary and alternative medicine, and CAM. The search was limited to the
pediatric population and results were narrowed to research within the past 10 years. There were
limited results on the use of yoga as a CAM for adolescents with ADHD. Another trial program
utilized yoga as a family approach in addition to medication therapy. This study concluded that
children who participated in the family treatment program including yoga and concluded that the
participants improved in several ways:
First, core symptoms of ADHD were improved: parent ratings on the Conners
Parent–Teacher Questionnaire, which assesses attention, hyperactivity and
impulsivity, were significantly reduced over the course of the programme.
Children also reported that they felt calmer, less panicky and more relaxed.
Second, associated symptoms of ADHD, such as anxiety and poor confidence,
were reduced; parent ratings of child self-esteem showed significant
improvements in children’s confidence, social abilities and involvement.
Third, functional benefits were noted, child–parent relationship quality improved
through a significant reduction in the level of conflicted interactions (Harrison,
Manocha, & Robia, 2014).
Yoga has been proven through research to be beneficial for children with ADHD when used in
conjunction with additional therapies. Yoga is not 100% effective in the management of ADHD,
but has been shown to improve behavioral symptoms.
There have been multiple studies performed to determine if utilizing yoga as a therapy
option for adolescents with ADHD is a beneficial treatment option. In one study performed in
India, 76 adolescents aged 6-11 participated in a program titled Climb up which was a peer lead
program to determine low effective ways to manage ADHD (Mehta et al, 2011). The results
were based on the Vanderbilt questionnaire and determined that the use of yoga and meditation
improved the academic and behavior in 50% of the participants (Mehta et al, 2011). In anther
study focused around
As a nurse practitioner it is our responsibility to be educated and open minded to all
treatment options available and be willing to create customized care plans for our patients. Some
patients might greatly benefit from utilizing CAM to address issues with ADHD, some patients
might require medications, and other patients might require a combination of both traditional
medications and CAM to manage their ADHD symptoms. Yoga has been shown to help with
some of the mild symptoms associated with ADHD, but research shows that most children do
require additional treatment options to adequately control their ADHD symptoms.
References
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(2013). Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use by Pediatric Specialty
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Evaluation, and Treatmen tof Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and
Adolescents. Pediatrics, 1-18.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention . (2014, January). Retrieved March 14, 2014, from
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Treatment Programme for Children with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder.
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Mehta, S., Mehta, V., Mehta, S., Shah, D., Motiwala, A., Vardhan, A., & ... Mehta, D. (2011).
Multimodal Behavior Program for ADHD Incorporating Yoga and Implemented by High
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