Chiropractic Care for Colic

When a healthy infant cries frequently for prolonged periods of time, it's known as colic. While the baby will be healthy otherwise, it is still a concern and cause of sleepless nights for parents. While chiropractor care is often seen as a treatment for adults, it can relieve colic in babies. At Chiropractic Partners, we offer infant chiropractic care, including colic treatment.

What is Colic?

Colic can be frustrating and upsetting for parents. Babies can cry for hours at a time and be inconsolable. Crying is normal for infants, but there are differences between normal crying and colic. Technically, colic is defined as crying 3 or more hours a day 3 or more days a week and lasting more than 2 weeks.

Other signs of colic include:

• Intense crying
• No apparent cause of discomfort
• Bodily tension, including clenched fists, pulled up legs, and arched back
• Normal methods of consoling have no effect

How Does Chiropractic Care Work for Colic?

Chiropractic care has been shown to be effective for treating colic in several studies. One study found 67% of infants symptoms improved with chiropractic treatment, compared to 38% who were treated with anti-gas medication. Another study found that 94% of infants had improvement with chiropractic treatment.

What causes colic is not fully understood, but many experts believe it is related to the gut. Chiropractic care has been showed to improve gut health and relieve acid reflux and ulcers in adults, so it is possible it improves the gut health of infants as well.

The body is interconnected, and the spine can be thought of as the main connection point for other areas of the body. Misalignment interferes with this connection, which can cause many problems throughout the body. In babies, misalignment can be due to birth. This misalignment usually occurs in the upper spine.

Colic Treatment at Chiropractic Partners

We know how difficult this condition can be for babies and parents. We have 11 locations, including offices in Cary, Clayton, Durham, Fuquay Varina, Garner, Raleigh, and Wake Forest. All locations offer pediatric chiropractic care, and same day appointments may be available. If you have a colicky baby, make an appointment with us today.