Another blog post from the desk of Ann Arbor chiropractor Mike Tannenbaum, D.C.

A fussy, often-crying newborn may have a health condition called colic. Parents often don't realize their baby has colic and feel a lot of anguish over the fact that something is bothering their newborn, but have trouble figuring out what the problem is or what to do about it.

What is colic? What are the signs of colic? Can chiropractic treatments help reduce or get rid of colic? A baby with colic is generally an otherwise healthy, properly fed baby who has a loud, piercing cry that continues more than three days a week and lasts three weeks or more. There is not an exact understanding of what causes colic, but some possibilities are allergies/sensitivities (environmental or food), an underdeveloped digestive system, or acid reflux. Some other possibilities are hypersensitivities to sounds or visual hypersensitivities.

Numerous research studies have shown that chiropractic gives relief to infants suffering from colic. For example, a study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics showed improvement in colic from chiropractic care. In a three-month long study using chiropractic treatments to treat children's colic, parents reported that there was a positive improvement in 94% of the cases. Another study, published in the same journal, saw a 67% reduction in crying for babies who were treated with chiropractic, versus a 38% decrease in crying for babies treated with the anti-gas medication dimethicone.

These and other studies show that chiropractic is a safe, natural way to help most infants with colic. If you have any questions about this blog post, would like to schedule an appointment with us, or have any questions about chiropractic, back pain, neck pain, or headaches, we can be reached at [email protected].