Story of Hope for Maryn

Challenge: Emotional Regulation, Anger

Maryn began care at Crossroads Chiropractic when she was just three years old. Her mom reached out because she was deeply concerned about her daughter's ongoing behavioral struggles. She shared that it felt like Maryn was always in "fight or flight" mode and had been stuck there for most of her life.

When we took a closer look at Maryn’s history, we discovered many of the typical signs we see in children who are caught in what we call the Perfect Storm. Maryn's story began with a traumatic birth experience involving vacuum extraction, followed by colic and severe sleep difficulties (her mom reported that Maryn only slept in 15-minute increments as an infant). She had multiple rounds of antibiotics early in life, which further impacted her developing system. By the time she was a toddler, Maryn struggled with intense bursts of anger and emotional dysregulation, turning even simple tasks—like getting dressed—into daily battles between mother and daughter.

Like many children we see at our office, Maryn's progress wasn't immediate, but her family began to notice gradual changes. These small but significant shifts are what we refer to as "soft neurological signs of change." By the time of Maryn’s second check-in, her mom shared a major breakthrough: “My daughter’s response has gone from being inconsolable for an hour to being upset, but I can now calm her down fairly quickly and move on.” This was a huge win for their family!

In our office, we often see children who have a lot of emotional and behavioral challenges. These early wins, although small, are crucial steps on the road to healing. They show that the nervous system is beginning to find a healthier balance. For Maryn, it meant that the emotional extremes were less intense, and she was able to recover faster.

Maryn’s family, like most, leads a busy life, juggling many activities and commitments. We understand how easy it can be to think that once your child starts improving, it's time to slow down or discontinue care. However, when a child’s nervous system has been stuck in a fight-or-flight mode for so long, the natural tendency is for it to revert back to old neuropathways, or patterns, as new stresses arise. The first phase of care for any child in our office is all about restoring balance to the nervous system, helping it shift from survival mode (fight or flight) to a state of healing, rest, and repair.

Long-term, lasting change happens when this neurological balance is maintained consistently over time. However, once parents start to see improvements, it can be easy to let chiropractic care take a backseat as life’s demands take over. This is a common challenge, but it's important to remember that without continued support, the nervous system may drift back into old patterns, bringing those troubling behaviors back with it.

In Maryn’s case, her family experienced this firsthand. In her mom’s recent check-in, she wrote: “We’ve tried to stop care four times. Maryn has had strong anger reactions and sensory issues, and each time we stop, the problems return within a couple of months. We always come back, because no matter how it seems—like “voodoo” or “witchcraft”—chiropractic care has been invaluable for Maryn.”