Can Chiropractors Help Children With Infantile Colic?? 

by Dr. Christian Guenette

For both mother and child, infantile colic gives them something to cry about.  

Chiropractors understand that when a child is inconsolable, it’s not only the child who suffers – a colicky infant can easily affect the psychological, emotional and physical health of the entire family.  This is why chiropractors urge parents to seek immediate care if the infant is exhibiting signs of colic. 

According to the literature, infantile colic is diagnosed by the "rule of three": crying for more than three hours per day, for more than three days per week, and for longer than three weeks in a month for an infant who is well-fed and otherwise healthy.¹  Although medical experts 

are yet to come to a consensus regarding the cause, one of the most common theories is that the infant is having digestive difficulties, including excessive gas or reflux.  Mothers who breastfeed are recommended to avoid dairy products for a week to see if it helps reduce the symptoms of colic.²

Chiropractors on the other hand suggest that we look to the spine – entering this world can be very traumatic for babies’ bodies, with the neck and head experiencing a great degree of compression, rotation, extension and traction during natural childbirth.

When treating an infant or child, chiropractors simply examine the little one’s spine, looking for areas that do not appear to be aligned and/or moving properly.  Then, if restricted, tense areas are found, treatments consists of applying gentle pressure to reestablish proper mechanics for the involved vertebrae and surrounding tissues.  The result: happier babies, and happier mommies! 

Research supports the use of chiropractic care for babies who are experiencing the signs and symptoms of infantile colic.  Often, only a few adjustments are needed to produce dramatic results.^3-6

In one such case, a 7-week old infant presented with medically-diagnosed colic that was persistent since birth.  Symptoms included reflux and disturbed sleep.  Vertebral Subluxation Complex patterns were noted in the upper cervical and mid-thoracic areas of his spine.  This child achieved complete resolution under chiropractic care, involving adjustments to the areas mentioned above, in less than 3 weeks of treatments.³

In 1985, investigators began studying larger numbers of children to see if chiropractic care was a valid treatment method for patients with colic.  Data retrieved from a retrospective questionnaire surveyed the parents of 132 infants with symptoms of colic.  According to the survey, 91% of these parents reported an improvement in their children’s symptoms, within the first week of chiropractic care.⁷ 

In yet another study conducted four years later, 316 infants with moderate to severe colic (average 5.2 hours of crying per day) were treated, and their responses to care were reported by their mothers in a prospective survey.  94% of the children showed a satisfactory response with an average of only three treatments within two weeks.  One fourth of these infants showed great improvement after the very first chiropractic adjustment!⁸ 

 In 1999, one of the most compelling studies was undertaken to investigate the effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic versus medication.  Fifty infants were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups:  dimethicone daily for two weeks or spinal manipulation for two weeks by a local chiropractor.  The infants in the chiropractic group received an average of 3.8 adjustments. During the two-week treatment period, the parents kept a colic diary and nurses visited the families to administer a weekly "infantile colic behavior profile." The results were positive for both groups, but significantly more positive for the chiropractic group than for the medication group.  In addition, although all of the chiropractic patients completed the entire course of treatments, 9 out of 25 subjects dropped out from the medication side.  When parents were asked why they left the study, two described their child's condition as "worsened" and two others described it as "much worsened." Had these four infants completed the study, they would have significantly lowered the apparent positive effects of dimethicone. This study strongly suggests that chiropractic treatments are a valid treatment option for children with infantile colic.⁹  

It is important to note here that none of the chiropractors delivering the care in these studies were claiming to be treating colic – they were treating the infants who were exhibiting colicky symptoms. 

 Next time you hear someone complaining about their child’s incessant crying, mention to them that chiropractic may be able to help them.  They will be glad you did. 

References: 

1.        Am Fam Physician. 2004 Aug 15; 70(4):735-40.

2.        Hill, D et al. Effect of a Low-Allergen Maternal Diet on Colic Among Breastfed Infants: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Pediatrics 2005; 116: e709-e715.

3.        Hipperson, AJ. Chiropractic Management of Infantile Colic. Clinical Chiropractic 2004; 7(4):180–186.

4.        Van Loon, M. Colic With Projectile Vomiting: A Case Study. Journal Of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics 1998 Aug; 3(1): 207-10.

5.        Sheader, WE. Chiropractic management of an infant experiencing breastfeeding difficulties and colic: a case study. Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, 1999; 4(1).

6.        Pluhar GR, Schobert PD. Vertebral subluxation and colic: a case study. J of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation 1991; 7:75-76.

7.        Nilsson N. Infantile colic and chiropractic.  Eur J Chiro 1985; 33(4): 264-65.

8.        Klougart N, Nilsson N and Jacobsen J. Infantile colic treated by chiropractors: a prospective study of 316 cases. J Manip Physiol Ther 1989; 12(4): 281-288.

9.        Wiberg JMM, Nordsteen J, Nilsson N. The short-term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic: A randomized controlled clinical trial with a blinded observer.  J Manip Physiol Ther 1999; (22): 517-22.