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Could a simple infection really cause your child to spiral overnight?
That’s exactly what happened to my son Max after a tick bite at just 22 months old—he became anxious, couldn’t sleep, had explosive tantrums, and wouldn’t eat a thing.
Our family’s journey with PANS ignited my passion to support other parents. I know how hard it is when symptoms hit out of nowhere—so I’m here to share the holistic tools that helped us, in hopes they can help your child too.
What is Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder?
PANS and PANDAS are conditions characterized by a sudden onset of obsessive-compulsive behaviors, tics, anxiety, and other neuropsychiatric symptoms following an infection or immune response. (Leonardi et al., 2024)
What are the Symptoms of PANDAS?
- Obsessive-compulsive behaviors
- Motor tics and vocal tics
- Emotional challenges such as anxiety, mood swings, and emotional instability
- Difficulty with coordination or irregular motor skills
- Brain inflammation (Autoimmune encephalitis)
In more severe cases, children may also experience:
- Intense, disabling tics
- Joint pain and body aches
- Trouble sleeping or disrupted sleep patterns
How does strep play a role in PANS and PANDAS?
A recent strep infection—like strep throat—can light a fire in your child’s brain, sparking sudden shifts in mood, behavior, and movement.
With early diagnosis and the right care plan, many children see real improvement, though relapses can happen, especially if new infections occur.
A thorough diagnosis usually involves:
- Reviewing medical history
- Confirming recent strep infection
- Assessing symptom criteria
- Ruling out other conditions
An integrative treatment may include:
- Antibiotics
- Immune-modulating therapies (IVIG or steroids)
- Psychiatric medications
- Behavioral and cognitive therapies
It’s not just about managing symptoms—it’s about calming the brain first to unlock real potential, easing the struggle one step at a time.
Why use Integrative Health Solutions for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders (PANS/PANDAS)?
Holistic therapies gently ease PANS and PANDAS symptoms and work best alongside essential antibiotics, while managing stress through daily relaxation is crucial because chronic illness raises stress that can block healing.
Homeopathic treatments may help, though responses vary, so many families find the best results by combining therapies and adopting a holistic lifestyle.
What are the 13 Integrative Healthcare Solutions to Treat PANS/PANDAS?
While traditional treatments like antibiotics and immunotherapy are common, many parents seek integrative approaches to support their child’s healing journey.
1. Detoxification
Detoxification challenges often hinder healing in those with chronic illnesses. The body naturally works to neutralize, transform, and eliminate toxins, but sometimes the toxic burden becomes overwhelming or genetic factors interfere with this process.
Supporting detox helps clear that backlog so healing can finally get some room to breathe.
2. Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition
Eating whole, anti-inflammatory foods calms brain inflammation linked to PANS/PANDAS. Focus on:
- Leafy greens
- Berries
- Fatty fish (like salmon)
- Turmeric and ginger
Avoid processed foods, sugars, gluten, and dairy to support gut health and reduce inflammation. Small, steady changes add up.
3. Proper Nutrition
Nutrition is one of those foundational pieces we can’t overlook—real, nutrient-rich foods help calm the brain and support immune balance. Start by crowding out processed junk and sneaky allergens so healing has a chance to unfold.
4. Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback gently teaches the brain how to better regulate itself—no meds, just training the brain to do what it was designed to do.
We’ve seen kids with anxiety, OCD, tics, and focus struggles get real relief when we calm brainwaves and support the nervous system.
For example, one child was completely overwhelmed by separation anxiety—his nervous system was stuck in fight-or-flight. Neurofeedback helped calm his brain just enough so he could think clearly, and with therapy plus parent coaching, his anxiety finally normalized.
As his brain calmed and daily anxiety eased, his parents finally had the space to get coached on how to support him at home and school—because healing works best when everyone’s on the same team.
Learn more about my 5-pronged, brain-based approach for treating PANS and PANDAS.
5. PEMF Therapy
Pulse Electromagnetic Frequency (PEMF) Therapy combined with Advanced Bioregulation Therapy (BRT) promotes:
- cellular communication
- increased cellular nutrition
- self-healing
PEMF Therapy benefits include:
- symptom reduction
- pain relief
- improved detoxification
- decreased anxiety
- enhanced overall well-being
How PEMF works:
- amplifies healthy harmonic frequencies
- sends these frequencies back to the cells
- improves cellular function
- calms the nervous system
- reduces disruptive signals magnified over time
- provides immediate calming effects
- supports restorative sleep
- non-invasive and easy to administer
- helps children manage a wide range of challenging behaviors
6. Homeopathy and Functional Medicine
Many people with PANS/PANDAS include homeopathy, herbs, and supplements as key parts of their daily healing routine (Sigra et al., 2018).
Functional lab work helps identify:
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Sensory irregularities
- Body irritants
A holistic approach also includes:
- Nutrient-dense diets
- Cutting processed foods and allergens
- Adding omega-3-rich, anti-inflammatory foods
- Supporting gut health with probiotics and prebiotics
Homeopathy, herbs, and supplements effectively address:
- Immune challenges
- Psychiatric symptoms
- Detoxification issues
7. Craniosacral Therapy
Craniosacral therapy doesn’t look like much from the outside—just a practitioner gently placing their hands on a child’s head or spine. But let me tell you, it can work wonders for kids with PANS or PANDAS.
It’s designed to ease tension in the central nervous system, which can really help calm a dysregulated brain. It’s all about releasing subtle tension around the brain and spinal cord, kind of like untangling knots in a pair of earbuds.
That soft pressure? It helps calm the nervous system from the inside out. I’ve seen kids go from total meltdowns at bedtime to actually sleeping through the night.
Many parents report surprising changes. We’re talking less anxiety, fewer headaches, less irritability, even better moods—without meds.
And no, it’s not magic, though it can feel like it when your child finally rests. It’s science-backed and incredibly gentle, which makes it a win for kids who can’t tolerate a lot of stimulation.
8. Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy helps kids with PANS/PANDAS and their parents process the emotional weight of a long, often tough health journey. When paired with holistic care, families learn to handle flare-ups and behavioral challenges more effectively.
No parenting handbook exists for PANS/PANDAS, so having a PANS expert alongside your child’s doctor offers crucial mental and emotional support during flares and calm periods.
From my own experience as a mom of a child with PANS, I understand how tough this journey can be.
As a mom of a child with PANS, I know firsthand how tough the journey can be. It took nearly seven years to realize that pacing ourselves and focusing on stress reduction, rather than chasing quick fixes, was the key to managing Max’s illness.
9. EFT/Tapping and EMDR
Children and teens with PANS/PANDAS and their parents often experience anxiety and trauma related to the condition.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) are powerful tools that help release unwanted emotions from the subconscious, making it easier to manage stress and emotional overwhelm.
Therapists use these techniques to reduce:
- Anxiety
- Irritation
- Anger
- Pain
- OCD symptoms
- Other psychiatric challenges
10. Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy can support a wide range of psychological, emotional, and physical disorders. By accessing the subconscious, it can help manage acute onset neuropsychiatric symptoms and shift mental patterns in a positive direction.
For children with PANS/PANDAS who struggle with traditional talk therapy, hypnotherapy is often a powerful alternative. Because the subconscious drives much of our psyche, therapies like hypnotherapy and neurofeedback can be especially effective.
11. Massage Therapy
Therapeutic massage isn’t just about loosening tight muscles—it brings real relief for kids with chronic illness. It eases pain, supports detox, and gives their nervous system a much-needed reset.
For children with PANS or PANDAS, massage can help lower stress, lift mood, and calm the chaos. It’s one of those gentle, grounding tools that adds up over time—because healing happens when we calm the brain first.
12. Oxygen Therapy
After years of feeling stuck, many families explore oxygen therapy to jumpstart healing—especially when traditional treatments haven’t worked. It boosts oxygen at the cellular level, giving the brain and body what they need to repair and reset.
Some kids respond quickly, but most need time, especially when misdiagnosis or lack of proper care delays progress. It may feel like a last resort, but for many with PANS or PANDAS, oxygen therapy becomes a powerful step in their holistic healing journey.
13. Behavioral therapies
What I’ve learned over more than a decade of parenting a child with Lyme and PANS is that healing requires a holistic approach including:
- integrative therapies
- proper nutrition
- restorative sleep
- relaxation techniques
Reducing academic demands or homeschooling with less social pressure is vital, as constant stress overwhelms most kids and worsens symptoms for those with PANS/PANDAS, blocking healing.
As a caregiver, taking care of yourself is just as vital as supporting your child. While symptoms can show up suddenly, healing usually takes time, and emotional stress often gets in the way—so managing that stress is key to moving forward.
Parent Action Steps
FAQs
How do you treat PANS/PANDAS naturally?
Natural treatments focus on calming brain inflammation, supporting the immune system, and improving neurological function. This may include dietary changes, probiotics, neurofeedback, herbal remedies, mindfulness practices, and therapies like CBT.
What is the best treatment for PANS/PANDAS?
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. The most effective treatment is individualized and may combine antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, or antivirals with integrative tools like nutritional therapy, detox support, and nervous system regulation.
How can I prevent PANS/PANDAS flare-ups?
Keep your child’s immune system strong with whole foods, sleep, infection prevention, and emotional support. Flare-ups are often tied to stress or missed infections.
Citations
Leonardi, L., Perna, C., Bernabei, I., Fiore, M., Ma, M., Frankovich, J., Tarani, L., & Spalice, A. (2024). Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS): Immunological Features Underpinning Controversial Entities. Children (Basel, Switzerland), 11(9), 1043. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11091043
Sigra, S., Hesselmark, E., & Bejerot, S. (2018). Treatment of PANDAS and PANS: a systematic review. Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews, 86, 51–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.01.001
Dr. Roseann is a mental health expert in PANS/PANDAS who is frequently in the media:
- Clearly Clinical Podcast: What you need to know about PANS/PANDAS
- Healthy Parenting Connector (Video) Why “My Kid is Acting Crazy” Might be
PANS/PANDAS - Therapy Chat (Podcast) PANS / PANDAS + Mental Health Part One Mental Health
- The Science of Healing Reverse your child’s PANS / PANDAS, ADHD
Always remember… “Calm Brain, Happy Family™”
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to give health advice and it is recommended to consult with a physician before beginning any new wellness regime. *The effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment vary by patient and condition. Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, LLC does not guarantee certain results.
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