MORE ABOUT REFLEXES AND BRUSHING - David Muhall
Brushing is a uniquely powerful treatment. It has a exceptionally positive effect on children, teens and adults. In terms of correcting developmental delay or learning difficulties it is at the cutting edge because of its ability to deal with retained early (foetal) reflexes and not just primitive (birthing) reflexes. Neuro-physiological development begins during pregnancy in the womb and in my opinion, it is therefore absolutely crucial to be able to access the earliest stages of the developmental process to ensure a successful outcome.
Early and primitive reflexes are the underlying cause of learning difficulties (it has nothing to do with lack of intelligence or ability, in fact quite the opposite). If these reflexes are retained beyond infancy they will cause developmental delay in childhood and later life holding back academic achievement, physical dexterity, coordination, emotional and social maturity, speech and language skills as well as neuro-acoustic ability. Higher adrenalin levels (hyperactivity) are also common among the children and adults I see.
It is possible to assess at what stage neuro-physiological developmental delay has occurred through physical testing. For example, a 7 year-old boy is extremely good at chess yet he struggles to read. An 11 year-old girl with excellent physical coordination has the vocabulary and verbal skills of a child of eight. A 37 year-old man with limited powers of concentration finds reading a chore. It’s not a question of being stupid or lazy, the problem is that they are stuck at a much earlier age in certain aspects of their development.
The examples above illustrate in very simple terms how retained primitive and early reflexes wreak havoc with the developmental process and long-term prospects of individuals. There is no rhyme or reason and unfortunately some of us have a much tougher time than others. The disparity between potential and performance confuses parents, teachers and employers alike. In boys, the warning signs manifest themselves earlier on – boys age seven to eight always form the majority of my clients. Girls, on the other hand, generally cope better in the primary school years when problems are largely disguised, then plateau with the onset of puberty and sometimes develop emotional problems. Symptoms can manifest themselves across the board (Global Developmental Delay) or in a fairly limited way (when a child displays classic dyslexic traits only) but in my experience things are never black or white.
What has become more and more clear to me over the last ten years is the significant detrimental impact retained primitive and early reflexes also have on a person’s general well-being and consequently on family life. Developmental delay does not confine itself to the traditional symptoms of learning difficulties. There are other, less well-known associated symptoms that make life much harder than it needs to be for the adult and child. Bedwetting or soiling over the age of five is likely to indicate that the bladder or sphincter is being controlled by muscle tension alone resulting in accidents. A poor appetite or picky eating habits often suggests an immature digestive system. An exercise mad, workaholic husband or wife who can’t relax even on holiday is producing too much adrenalin (hyperactivity). Hypersensitivity (severe physical discomfort in response eg to light touching, hair or nail cutting and wearing certain fabrics) is another indicator of developmental delay. Eczema, rashes, migraine and asthma are other common factors but these conditions fade away during treatment.
Stimulating specific nerve endings through brushing kick-starts the developmental process once again. It activates outdated reflexes in order to shut them down, enabling the child or adult to evolve, while at the same time developing the vital postural reflexes that we need and depend on for the rest of our lives. What we need to understand is that development never stops it’s a continuing lifelong process. What we need to grasp is that there is a way of smoothing out the neuro-physiological glitches picked up along the way. It is never too late to make life easier for ourselves, our children, and perhaps most importantly our children’s children. Developmental delay sometimes exists in families for generations – brushing has the potential to break the chain.
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