Chiropractic management of Colic - Chiropractic Treatment for Colic

Chiropractic management of Colic
Spinal and Natural Medicine Centres

Have you ever wondered why you see so many babies in a chiropractic reception room? The reason is that chiropractic management of infants with colic has been shown to be up to 94% effective in calming infants.

Colic (derived from the Greek word for pain) is a modern medical enigma. Today it's referred to as irritable baby syndrome. Ask any parent whose child has suffered colic what they endured and they will indulge you with tales of sleepless nights and endless home remedies, tried with varying success. To the parent, colic represents a constantly irritable baby, usually (but by no means always) beginning during the first two to three weeks after birth and continuing up to three months of age and beyond. To the scientific fraternity it represents excessive inconsolable crying, affecting up to a third of newborn babies, with no apparent cause. Speculation on the cause of colic includes: gas, lactose intolerance, other food allergies, constipation and temperature, to name just a few of the theories bandied about in modern times. The reality is that nobody is absolutely certain what causes colic.

So what hope is there for these newborns and their parents? Chiropractic adjustments to correct vertebral subluxations (nerve interference) in babies have long been acknowledged as an excellent therapeutic tool for calming infants. This nerve interference causes the baby to lose their ability to function correctly and as a result they become upset and irritable. It is not uncommon for babies to sleep longer straight after their first adjustment.

Recent studies have confirmed what has been known by chiropractors for a very long time! - for colic, Chiropractic works!

A 1999 Danish study compared two groups of babies. The first group only utilised chiropractic treatment. After twelve days, crying had reduced by an average of 2.7 hours per day. The other group of babies were treated with dimethicone drops (colic medication). They improved by an average of one hour per day.

So how do babies get subluxations? The birthday process can be particularly traumatic for the baby, expecially around the underdeveloped spine and surrounding muscles, which protect the spinal cord. Additional physical stress from inappropriate handling of the infant during early weeks of life can also contribute to pressure on the nerves that supply the maturing organs. Studies have also shown 47.9% of babies fall on their head in their first year of life.

Chiropractic adjustments can differ greatly between adults and their newborn counterparts. Often chiropractors will use light fingertip pressure on the baby's back. At other times they might choose to use an instrument to adjust the infant's spine. The infant adjustments are very gentle, often the baby will not even know they have been adjusted! One of the more frequent comments Chiropractors hear from the parents is "Is that it?" It is simple, painless and highly effective. Chiropractors might also choose to gently massage the stomach or back of the baby to get rid of any gas or bloating. Your chiropractor is the only professional properly qualified to diagnose and treat your baby's subluxation. If you have any questions, ask your chiropractor.