When a child begins Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care and other natural healing interventions, parents may notice what we often refer to as a “detox” or neurological “release” and clearing phase. This can include temporary changes like fatigue, increased mucus drainage, digestive shifts, skin breakouts, emotional ups and downs, or even a short regression in behavior or development. While this may seem concerning at first, it’s actually a sign that healing is happening and the body is working to restore balance.
In this article we’ll break down why a neurological detox or healing response is often a positive sign of deep neurological restoration, reorganization, and functional healing.
1️⃣ The Nervous System is Shifting from “Survival Mode” to Healing + Regulation Mode
Many children enter care stuck in a chronic fight-or-flight state due to subluxation, dysautonomia, and neurological dysfunction. Their nervous system has been locked into stress mode and sympathetic dominance for so long that it has suppressed normal functions like sleep, detoxification, digestion, and immune regulation.
- Once we begin releasing stored stress and subluxation patterns, the nervous system shifts toward parasympathetic dominance and increased vagal nerve tone (the rest, regulate, and repair mode).
- This allows the body to finally start clearing out built-up inflammation, toxins, and stress patterns, which can sometimes lead to short-term symptoms before full healing takes place.
2️⃣ The Body is Finally Releasing Stored Toxins and Inflammation
When the nervous system is under stress and dysregulated for months or years, the body may store toxins and inflammatory byproducts instead of effectively clearing them out. This happens because:
- Dysregulated Vagus Nerve Function → Poor gut motility + sluggish detox pathways
- Sympathetic Overload → Increased inflammation + immune dysregulation
- Poor Drainage + Detox Pathways → Toxins get “stuck” in tissues rather than eliminated properly
As nervous system function is restored, the body may release these stored toxins all at once, causing temporary symptoms like:
✅ Increased mucus drainage (sinus clearing, respiratory detox)
✅ Skin breakouts or mild rashes (toxin release through the skin)
✅ Digestive shifts like looser stools (gut-brain axis resetting)
✅ Increases in fever, sweating, or body odor (lymphatic + skin detox)
While uncomfortable in the short term, these are signs that toxic buildup is finally clearing out and the body is healing from the inside out.
3️⃣ The Gut, Immune System, and Microbiome are Resetting
Since the gut and brain are directly connected through the vagus nerve, a neurological detox often includes temporary immune and gut shifts.
- If gut motility has been sluggish, the body may need time to “wake up” digestion and elimination pathways, causing temporary increases in bowel movement frequency, loose stools, and often even diarrhea.
- If immune function has been suppressed, the child may have a short immune response (low-grade fever, increased mucus production, or mild cold-like symptoms) as the immune system finally kicks into gear.
- Since many kids start care with gut dysbiosis and microbiome imbalances, their body may go through a natural “die-off” phase where harmful bacteria, yeast, or pathogens clear out—leading to temporary bloating, skin reactions, or mild digestive discomfort.
This is not a setback—it’s a sign that healing is happening at the foundational level! These are actually neurological soft signs that are foundational and essential first steps to full and complete neurological healing and recovery. So while they may be “messy” and require some extra kleenex ordering and plumbing support, they are to be celebrated because they mean real healing and positive momentum is happening!
4️⃣Emotional + Behavioral Detox: The Brain is Reorganizing
Just as the body physically detoxes, the brain and emotions can go through a detox period too. Many parents notice that their child becomes more emotional, experiences temporary sleep changes, or even has a short period of increased sensory sensitivities or stimming behaviors.
Why? Because the brain is rewiring, reorganizing, and rebalancing of the brain and nervous system!
- If a child has been running on stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline) for years, their body now has to adjust to a calmer, more regulated state.
- Neuroplasticity and new neural connections are forming, which can cause temporary ups and downs before reaching full balance.
- Many children who were previously stuck in a “shut down” freeze response (low energy, withdrawn, disconnected) may temporarily become more expressive, emotional, and active as their nervous system reawakens and integrates new patterns.
- This is what occurs when an “Exhausted + Drunken (Dysregulated) Bull” starts to heal and spends some time as a “Raging Bull” playing neurodevelopmental “catch up” on all the developmental and sensory components they missed out on. This is very common for our Regressive Autism and Developmentally Delayed patients to experience.
This phase is critical for long-term neurological and behavioral healing and often leads to better focus, emotional regulation, and engagement with the world.
This phase is very similar to what happens when children naturally and normally hit various growth spurts and developmental surges. Often during those times their sleep and emotions become a bit of a “rollercoaster” because the brain and body are going through so much change at once, and it can be exhausting and overwhelming.
Well when kids are going through neurological healing and restoration with chiropractic care, they are both healing and still developing at the same time. So that roller coaster can have some extra ups and downs and be a bit of a longer ride than we’d like, but it’s essential to healing and long term results that we stay the course and keep supporting the child’s nervous system during this phase.
For even more understanding of what these stuck points, ups and downs, and “detox” or “regression” phases really mean, please check out this episode of our Experience Miracles Podcast!
5️⃣ The Sensori-Motor System is Reorganizing + Recalibrating
Since so much of the initial components of subluxation, nervous system dysfunction, and the “Perfect Storm” overall first set up shop and disrupt sensorimotor and neuromotor tone and coordination, often times in the early stages of care a child’s motor planning can often need to be “reset” in order to then be reorganized and recalibrated later on as care progresses.
This most often happens in “Drunken Bull” cases where their motor system was really thrown off track developmentally, and they missed certain milestones or only progressed through them with the help of therapies and what are called compensations.
- Compensations are neurological and motor patterns that the brain and nervous system put in play to “force” development to happen, often “overriding” subluxation and nervous system dysfunction.
- It’s just how the brain and body are programmed, and often certain therapies will actually reinforce these compensatory mechanisms all in the name of hitting milestones.
- Since your child is likely dealing with subluxation and compensation patterns at the same time, often the initial stages of care will leave them a bit more “wobbly” and uncoordinated during this short initial “release” phase.
The most exciting part of this is that it means real change and neurological healing are happening! The nervous system and specifically this sensorimotor system always wants to be as smooth, organized, and efficient as possible – so once subluxation and nervous system interference are removed, it will quickly “rewire” and reorganize in a much more optimal, smooth, symmetrical manner as care progresses!
How to Support Your Child Through the Detox Phase
While detox reactions are temporary, there are ways to support the nervous system and help the body process and integrate these changes smoothly:
Stay Consistent with Adjustments – Chiropractic helps regulate the nervous system, optimize vagus nerve function, and support the body’s natural detox pathways.
Often the best way through a neurological “detox” and “release” phase is to actually increase the frequency of adjustments, so be sure to talk to your doctor about that possibility if you’re experiencing some of these detox + release changes with your child.
Support Drainage Pathways – Encourage hydration, movement, lymphatic drainage (light massage), and gentle detox support like epsom salt baths. .
Prioritize Sleep + Rest – The body heals most effectively when well-rested.
Nourish the Body – Focus on nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods to help with detoxification.
Trust the Process! – Healing isn’t always linear, but temporary detox symptoms often lead to huge breakthroughs in neurological health, immune function, and behavior!
Conclusion: Detox = Progress, Not a Setback!
When a child experiences a healing detox and release during their care plan, it means their nervous system is waking up, rebalancing, and finally able to process and eliminate stored stress, toxins, and dysfunction. It also often means they are simply “playing catch up” developmentally, and what looks like things going “sideways” is actually things going “forward” (progress).
This is not a reason to stop care or slow things down – in fact, it’s a reason to lean in, stay consistent, and trust the process. The kids who go through this phase and push through to the other side often experience some of the most profound healing breakthroughs – improved sleep, calmer emotions, better digestion, stronger immune function, more regulated behavior and emotions, and get back on track developmentally!
If you’re in this phase with your child, keep going – you’re on the right track! 🙌✨
