Alison Morton
The energetic child? An examination of the extent to which herbal medicine, practised within an energetic tradition, can provide an alternative understanding of, and treatment for, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Abstract
This paper seeks to explore the potential for herbal medicine, practised within those traditions termed ‘energetic’ (including Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, Humoral medicine and Physiomedicalism), to provide an alternative understanding of, and treatment for, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
A literature review is presented, which examines some of the current and recent research in both conventional and alternative fields, in order to set the context within which this study was undertaken and provide a background against which to map the empirical section of the paper.
Qualitative methodology was employed, as the focus of the study was to examine the experiences of practitioners who had expertise in the energetic traditions, and who had treated children with ADHD or similar conditions. A number of herbal practitioners, several of whom were acknowledged experts in their respective fields, were interviewed using a semi-structured interview. Qualitative data analysis methods were applied to the resulting data.
Several themes emerged, which are discussed in depth, and some interesting similarities are illustrated, between the understanding of the condition according to ancient traditional thinking, and that suggested by modern research findings. In particular, current genetic studies are considered in the context of traditional ‘constitutional’ theory.
Findings indicated that the energetic traditions of herbal medicine may offer an alternative way to understand the aetiology and development of ADHD, and methods of assessment and diagnosis are described, which are based on measurement of physiological markers rather than behavioural parameters. Treatment outcomes appeared favourable, although this was a preliminary study only, and further more rigorous research would be necessary to confirm this impression. Specifically, as conventional assessment tools were not used, and behaviour considered only secondarily, some diagnostic criteria would need to be applied which would ensure validity within a conventional context, if the herbal management of ADHD is to be seriously explored as a possible viable alternative to orthodox treatment.
