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Colic and Chiropractic

 

Colic

Your tummy hurts. You have a terrible headache. You can’t sleep and you’re cranky. One more thing: you can’t ask for help because you’re only two weeks old! So you cry. And cry. And cry.

Infant with colic.

Lacking the ability to speak, newborns cry, indicating that something isn’t right.

And your parents feel helpless.

Indigestion?

Infantile colic was first thought to be merely indigestion. The most widely accepted definition of colic today is “unexplainable and uncontrollable crying in babies from 0 to 3 months old, more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week for 3 weeks or more, usually in the afternoon and evening hours.”

Birth Trauma?

If a baby is inconsolable, it’s hard to know if it’s a digestive disturbance. Consider another explanation. Upon examination, chiropractors often find spinal distortions in the baby’s upper cervical spine. These babies are probably suffering from a raging headache and neck pain. This is especially common if there was a difficult birth.

A 93% Success Rate

In a South African study by Mercer and Cook, thirty infants diagnosed with colic were randomly divided into two groups. One group received chiropractic care while the other group did not. Within a two-week period, the chiropractic care group saw a complete resolution of symptoms in 93% of the infants.

A 94% Success Rate

A Danish study (Klougart et al., 1989) looked at the effects of chiropractic care with colicky infants. Their published report indicated that 94% of parents saw improvement in their baby’s behavior within two weeks of beginning care.

Not a Cure

But chiropractic isn’t a treatment for colic! If subluxation is present, interfering with the proper function of any part of the body, restoring proper nervous system control allows the body to heal. This can happen regardless of age and regardless of what the symptoms are called.

Find Out More

Consult an Association member chiropractor near you and arrange a consultation. Take action now! Put an end to the sense of frustration and helplessness so many new parents feel.