I have a daughter with ADD. From K-2nd grade in public school she struggled to the point where almost no work was getting done at school and getting her to do any homework at night was almost impossible.

The school offered her very little help, 3 hours of resource per week, and we had to go through a year and half of meetings with administration to get that.

The teacher and administration continually pressured me to put her on ADD medication. I was against it but got desperate enough to try it. For the first couple of weeks, things were much better. Then, her personality started to change. She went from being sweet and mild mannered to having major mood swings with screaming, pushing, fighting & crying. We took her off the medication immediately and we will never use it again.

I felt like we were out of options with her. I had 6 weeks of school left but I felt like I couldn’t keep her in public school another day. The school was breathing down my neck constantly trying to get me to put her back on medication.

I called a private Montessori school in the area and talked to the owner about my situation. She said she wasn’t sure how she would do at her school but said that we could try it for a day and see how she did.

To my surprise, my daughter did REALLY well. The teachers said that she seemed to have a little trouble paying attention, but not anything major. I was just happy to get her in a lower stress situation and to get the public school off my back about giving her medication. So, I put her in the Montessori school for the last 6 weeks of school.

My daughter is in the same Montessori program this year as well. She is now in her 8th week of school so far this school year. So, she has had a total of 14 weeks of Montessori education and I have to say that I am stunned at what it has done for her.

My daughter is like a different student now. I cannot believe how much work she has produced in the 14 weeks she has been at the school. She has produced stacks and stacks of writing assignments. She went from not being able to do any homework at all to being able to sit down at night and complete all of her homework by herself. She went from not even being able to complete tests to being the first student finished and she is getting A’s on those tests. This work isn’t any easier than the work she was doing before. She is now showing a lot of interest in science and other subjects. She is enjoying school now. She is like a completely different student.

All of these results were without medication. I have talked to the teachers at the school to see what they are doing different from public schools that might be helping her so much. The only things I can tell that are making such a big difference are:

Hands on Learning – The Montessori method has a lot of hands on activities. They use a lot of manipulatives with their curriculum.

Flexibility in Time – The Montessori daily structure is much more relaxed with more flexibility to work on projects and activities longer. They said that the kids have almost 2 hours to keep working on an activity whereas in public school, they can be changing tracks as often as every 20 minutes. My daughter can take 20 minutes just to get going on an activity.

Smaller Class Size – My daughters class size is very small. She is able to get a lot of help from the teacher and there are fewer distractions in such a small class.

I am glad that we finally found a way for her to learn and be happy. I’m not exactly sure why it works but I’m glad it does. I’m interested to find out more about why it works.

TMJ is short for temporomandibular joint. It is a joint in your jaw that can sometimes develop problems. The name of this temporomandibular joint dysfunction is TMJ.

What Causes TMJ?

TMJ can be caused by overuse of the temporomandibular joint. Things that can cause clenching of teeth or tightening of the jaw are stress or anxiety. Tension in the jaw can cause TMJ.

TMJ can also be caused by a misalignment of the upper and lower joints. This can be caused by a car accident or natural occurrence Inflammation of that joint can also be caused by arthritis.

TMJ Symptoms:

Ear Pain

Frequent Headaches

A Locked Jaw

Clicking in the Jaw

Jaw, Cheek or Temple Soreness

Options for Treatment:

Find ways to eliminate habits that put pressure or stress on the jaw, like clenching teeth, chewing gum or tightening jaw muscles. Other treatment options are medication, dental treatment, and surgery.

The medication used is usually an over-the-counter pain reliever like Ibuprofen. For more severe pain, anti-inflammatory prescription medication can be an option. A dental appliance such as a biteplate can be an effective treatment for grinding teeth and clenched jaws.

As a last resort, surgery can be performed to repair or remove the disk between the jaw and the temporal bone. This option, however, is for extreme cases only and should only be pursued after all other options have been exhausted.

As a mother of a daughter with ADD (inattentive type), I have tried many, many things to help her improve her attention deficit issues. I have spent thousands of dollars on supplements and alternative treatments. I have tried medication, which had side effects that were unbearable.

But, through research and experimenting, I have found a few things that are helping. Here are the things I have tried that worked:

Montessori School: I tested out a Montessori school for her, for a day. It was a miracle. She does SO much better with their learning techniques than in public school. In public school she was hardly able to do much work at all, but in the Montessori program she is thriving. She comes home happy every day and is able to complete work during school. She is learning well in math and writing. Whereas in the public school system she was having huge difficulties in those areas. The teachers have told me she has no real major attention issues at school, whereas in the public school, she was almost paralyzed by inattention problems.

Exercise: Exercise has been shown to help with ADD and ADHD because it improves attention and matures the brain. I have seen how 20-30 minutes of exercise for my daughter before school helps her stay more alert and better able to focus. Although, it does take a daily exercise routine for over a week before I start to see results.

A Full Nights Sleep: No matter what I do, if she is short on sleep it’s nearly impossible for her to concentrate on homework or chores. She needs more sleep than my other kids. 11 hours a night is optimal and she is 8 years old.

Good Nutrition: General good nutrition is a must. Sugar makes her distractibility much worse. I have read by Dr. Daniel Amen who specializes in helping kids with ADD, that a high protein diet is best. I haven’t tried that yet though.

Must Be Alone: In order for my daughter to be able to read or do homework or anything else that requires focus, she must be alone in a space with very few distractions. If anyone even comes into the room, her focus is ruined.

Classical Music: I have seen some of the best results from playing classical music both while she’s working and at odd times during the day. I noticed results after 1 or 2 days of playing classical music for her. She really likes it too and I think it helps her to think more clearly. My husband who also has ADD has noticed major improvement from listening to classical music regularly. He says it helps him think more clearly about things he needs to do and helps him focus.

Ovarian cysts, which are fluid-filled sacs on the ovaries, affect many women. The cysts are sometimes painful and can have different forms some more severe than others.

Ovarian cysts cannot be prevented, but the good news is that ovarian cysts rarely indicate cancer. Ovarian cysts are often found during pelvic exams or during ultrasounds. Treatment varies from taking prescriptions such as birth control pills to prevent ovulating to surgery to remove the cyst.

Gestational diabetes is normally a temporary medical condition during the last half of pregnancy that affects pregnant women and their unborn child. Doctors regularly test women around the 28th week of pregnancy to look for signs of gestational diabetes. It is estimated that 4% of all pregnant women in the United States are affected by gestational diabetes each year.

Gestational diabetes usually disappears after the pregnancy. However, some women may develop Type 2 diabetes later in life. Sometimes this can be prevented with lifestyle changes such as a healthier diet and regular exercise.

Approximately 7% of all Americans are affected by Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes affects people of all ages and from all walks of life. Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, most commonly affects children, while Type 2 is the most common form in adults.

Medical treatment is essential for diabetics. With proper medical attention and regular care, diabetics can live long, healthy lives if treated properly.