By the Well-Rooted Pediatrics Team
Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) are among the most complex and misunderstood conditions in pediatrics today.
For many families, the search for answers can be long and discouraging—filled with multiple diagnoses and medications that don’t fully explain what’s happening.
At Well-Rooted Pediatrics, we’re here to change that narrative.
PANDAS occurs when a strep infection triggers an autoimmune response that inflames the basal ganglia—the brain region responsible for movement, mood, and behavior.
PANS, or Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, causes similar symptoms but can be triggered by:
In both cases, the immune system misfires—attacking healthy brain tissue and setting off a storm of sudden behavioral and emotional changes.
PANS and PANDAS often appear abruptly—sometimes overnight.
Key signs include:
If your child suddenly “isn’t themselves,” an immune-based trigger could be behind it.
Conventional care often focuses on symptom management—antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, or psychiatric meds.
While sometimes necessary, these approaches don’t always address why the immune system went off course.
Functional medicine takes a root-cause approach, addressing three critical pillars:
We test for and target infections like strep, mycoplasma, Lyme, or mold—many of which hide in biofilms, protective layers that make pathogens resistant to treatment.
Breaking down these biofilms helps the immune system (and targeted therapies) clear the infection effectively.
Next, we calm brain and immune inflammation using:
Through gut healing, sleep restoration, nervous system regulation, and stress support, we help the immune system relearn balance—preventing future flares.
You may have been told to focus on “nervous system regulation.”
And while calming therapies and supplements can help, they’re only one piece of the puzzle.
PANS/PANDAS isn’t just dysregulation—it’s infection-driven inflammation that affects the brain.
Until the root infections and immune triggers are addressed, the body can’t fully heal.
True recovery requires:
✅ Breaking down biofilms
✅ Targeted antimicrobial therapy
✅ Immune modulation
✅ Nervous system support as a complementary piece
Your child deserves more than symptom management—they deserve root-cause healing.
One of our patients—a teenage girl—struggled for years with anxiety, tics, and mood swings. After countless appointments and prescriptions, we discovered elevated strep and mycoplasma markers.
Six months after starting a comprehensive root-cause protocol, she was medication-free, thriving in school, and finally feeling like herself again.
When you address why the symptoms began, healing follows.
To identify each child’s unique triggers, our Well-Rooted team may use:
Every child’s plan is personalized—because no two immune systems behave the same.
PANS and PANDAS remind us how deeply connected the brain, immune system, and environment truly are.
At Well-Rooted Pediatrics, our mission is to uncover the “why” behind your child’s symptoms—and guide your family toward lasting recovery.
Because every child deserves more than symptom control.
They deserve balance, hope, and a care team that looks deeper. 💚
If you suspect your child may have PANS or PANDAS, there is hope.
Let’s uncover what’s driving your child’s symptoms together.
📞 Call: 815-322-9300
📍 Locations: Crystal Lake & Oak Brook, IL
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We are new patients at Well-Rooted. We were greeted by the friendly receptionist who answered all our questions. Even though it’s a temporary location, it was very well organized and clean. We saw Allison for our visit. She was knowledgeable, friendly and took the time to listen and answer any of our questions. She put our children at ease and made the appointment very easy. We are so grateful for this pediatric office and look forward to building a relationship with the staff!
We love Victoria. She listens to any concerns or questions, doesn’t push any agendas, cares for our baby gently with confidence, patience, and respect. I recommend well rooted to any parents looking for a natural professional care for their babies.
They healed my daughter’s eczema in 2 weeks (by finding the root cause, her leaky gut!) which regular doctors haven’t been able to do for 5 years! We love well-rooted!!
We love this office! Jessica was the first practitioner to tell me about sublingual therapy allergy drops for environmental allergies. I had 3 out of 4 of my kids suffer from extreme eczema. Daily itching, bleeding, open wounds. Other doctors and allergist just told me to keep putting lotion on because it was due to dry skin. Believe me when I say I lathered my kids multiple times a day and tried every natural product out there and it didn’t help! Steroid cream was the only thing that was able to calm it down but it would come right back once we stopped using it. Well, a year into the allergy drops and my kids have beautiful eczema free skin! No more tears, no more fear of swimming pools and fear of infections. All thanks to the wonderful providers at Well-Rooted Pediatrics!! They truly care and think outside the box to get to the root of the problem. I am forever grateful for them!
Yesterday I took my daughter for her 4 year well visit and preschool physical. I had a great experience. I saw Valerie at the Oak Brook office. She answered all of my questions and did a through physical. In addition, recommend some things to incorporate to better my daughters digestion.
