Your baby may have Colic if she is experiencing uncontrollable crying for more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week for 3 weeks or longer with no apparent explanation. A ‘colicky’ baby can be extremely challenging, frustrating, and exhausting for new parents.
There are several possible reasons for a colicky baby:
- Trouble with the digestive system, due to intolerance to milk protein, or muscle spasms
- A sensitivity to light and noise
- Reflux due to stomach acid
- Gas
- Hormones
- Birth trauma, specifically a spinal distortion in the baby’s upper cervical spine
- An under-developed nervous system, especially in premature babies
When a colicky baby is found to have no medical reason for the symptoms, many parents are turning to their chiropractors for relief. Several studies have shown positive results with gentle spinal manipulation to restore or correct the nervous system on colicky babies. One study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiologic Therapeutics notes a 67% reduction in crying. [1]
Though chiropractic care for colic is not a cure, safe and gentle manipulation can ease the symptoms of colic and present a path to wellness for parents and their babies.
Call Levitz Family Chiropractic today at 805-646-0105 to schedule an appointment for a complete chiropractic assessment to get your baby on her way to wellness.
1Journal of Manipulative and Physiologic Therapeutics. 1999 Oct;22(8):517-22.