Are you feeling frustrated or even disheartened because your child seemed to be making incredible progress with their neurological challenges, and then suddenly… everything stalled? Maybe you’ve even noticed some regression – behaviors returning that you thought were gone forever, sleep disruptions creeping back in, or emotional regulation challenges resurfacing.
If you’re wondering if the care plan is failing or if something’s wrong, I want you to take a deep breath and hear this: plateaus and even regressions are often a normal and necessary part of the healing process.
The neurological healing journey is rarely a straight line. In fact, it’s more like a rollercoaster with its fair share of ups, downs, and unexpected twists. But here’s the thing parents often miss – those plateaus aren’t signs of failure. They’re actually evidence that your child’s nervous system is working through deeper layers of dysfunction and adapting to a new level of organization.
You’re Not Alone in This Journey
As a neurologically-focused chiropractor, I see this pattern daily in our practice. Nearly every parent who brings their child for care will experience what research refers to as “non-linear healing progress.” Research on neuroplasticity shows that the brain has the ability to reorganize itself, forming new connections and, in some instances, even generating new neurons.
Children typically experience periods of rapid advancement followed by consolidation phases where skills are integrated. The same pattern applies to neurological healing, where the “two steps forward, one step back” progression isn’t a failure – it’s actually the brain’s natural way of reorganizing and creating lasting change.
Understanding the Five Main Causes of Healing Plateaus
Let me walk you through the most common reasons why your child might be experiencing a plateau, so you can understand what’s happening and feel confident moving forward.
1. Growth Spurts and Developmental Milestones
When your child is growing rapidly or mastering new developmental skills, their body’s energy and resources may be directed toward physical growth and neural integration. During growth spurts, your child’s body is working intensely to lay down new bone, muscle, and neural tissue, requiring tremendous energy that may temporarily be diverted from other healing processes.
This can show up as:
- Increased moodiness
- Disrupted sleep patterns
- Temporary regression in other areas as their nervous system focuses on integrating these physical changes
Remember that these growth-related pauses are ultimately signs of progress, not setbacks. Each time your child’s nervous system successfully integrates a new skill, it becomes more resilient overall.
2. Immune Challenges and Their Healing Effects
Here’s something that might surprise you: fevers and illnesses aren’t simply obstacles to progress – they’re sophisticated neurological responses that can actually accelerate healing in the long run.
When a child has a fever, their immune system triggers the hypothalamus’s thermoregulatory center, leading to an increase in body temperature. This activates immune cells and creates an environment that’s inhospitable to pathogens. During this process, the nervous system diverts resources to orchestrate the immune response, which can temporarily manifest as lethargy, irritability, or a seeming disconnection.
But here’s the fascinating part: the fever process stimulates the release of neurotrophic factors – special proteins that support neuronal growth and plasticity – potentially accelerating neurological development after recovery. This is why we often see major breakthroughs following an illness, though there may be a brief regression immediately after.
3. Environmental Factors: The Hidden Disruptors
Children with pre-existing neurological challenges often have nervous systems that are already dysregulated, making them more sensitive to environmental toxins. From pesticides and heavy metals in food to flame retardants in furniture and VOCs in cleaning products, these accumulated toxins can disrupt normal neurological function.
Mold exposure, whether from hidden leaks or poor ventilation, releases mycotoxins that can lead to cognitive impairments and neurological symptoms. These environmental stressors can contribute to temporary plateaus in progress as the body works to process and eliminate these substances.
4. Emotional Stress and Life Changes
Major transitions like starting a new school year or subtle shifts in family dynamics can trigger the sympathetic “fight or flight” response in children with neurological challenges. This stress response releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which can quickly become overwhelming for children with pre-existing nervous system dysregulation.
Over time, this chronic state of stress can contribute to developing subluxation – areas of dysfunction within the nervous system that further perpetuate the cycle of dysregulation. This is why we often see regressions during periods of change or high emotion – the nervous system is allocating resources to manage the perceived stress rather than continuing to make developmental progress.
5. Medication and Therapy Overload
Many medications are designed to suppress or override the symptoms rather than resolve the root cause of neurological dysfunction, acting like a “mute button” for symptoms the body is still struggling with underneath. When we begin true healing by restoring brain-body communication and balancing the nervous system, it’s like the body begins to “wake up” again, sometimes temporarily resurfacing underlying patterns.
The nervous system has a limited capacity, which is why we recommend prioritizing nervous system regulation first and then gradually layering in additional therapies.
What This Means for Your Family
At PWC Chiropractic, we understand that, most of the time, plateaus are simply one or more of these outside stressors putting a bit of a headwind in play. Once that stressor passes and your child builds up additional resilience and adaptability, they’ll blow right past it and be right back on the path to progress and breakthrough once again.
The key is understanding that healing is non-linear. It’s a lot of “two steps forward, one step back” at first! Growth spurts, immune stress, environmental toxins, emotional changes… all of these can cause temporary plateaus or even regression as your child’s nervous system works hard behind the scenes to integrate and level up.
Moving Forward with Confidence
That 3-week sleep regression, the return of meltdowns, the clinginess that came out of nowhere – it’s not a sign that care isn’t working. It’s actually one of the clearest signs that your child’s nervous system is unwinding and releasing! Just like cleaning out your closet or pantry, it gets a little messier before we can reorganize it all into pretty containers.
You’re doing better than you think, and their nervous system is too. Trust the process, stay consistent with your care plan, and remember that these apparent setbacks are often evidence of your child’s nervous system working through deeper layers and preparing for the next breakthrough.If you are ready to take the next step in your child’s neurological healing journey, or if you’re experiencing these plateaus and want some guidance, please reach out to PWC today! If you are not local to us, check out the PX Docs directory to find an office in your area.
Here are 3 ways we can help!