Chiropractic Care for Colic and Reflux: What the Research Actually Says
- getwellatthewell
- 12 hours ago
- 6 min read
Quick answer: Colic means a healthy baby crying far more than expected. A 2021 randomised controlled trial of 185 infants found babies receiving chiropractic care were crying an hour and a half less per day by the end of the study, and 63 percent improved by at least an hour a day, compared with 47 percent of babies who did not receive care. At The Well Healing Center in Lafayette, CO, care for an infant is a light fingertip contact, and your first visit includes screening for the things that mean your baby needs a pediatrician rather than a chiropractor.
It is 2am and nobody can tell you why
You have fed them. Changed them. Held them. Walked the hallway until your arms ached. You have tried the drops, the swaddle, the white noise, the bicycle legs. Someone has told you it is normal and someone else has told you it is reflux and neither of them is in your house at 2am.
Colic is not a diagnosis of something being wrong. It is a description of how much your baby is crying. Which is part of what makes it so maddening.
What colic actually is
The usual definition is a healthy, well-fed baby crying more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, for more than three weeks. It typically starts around two weeks, peaks around six, and eases by three or four months.
That last part is true and it is not much comfort at 2am.
Nobody fully knows what causes it. The current thinking involves some combination of an immature digestive system, an immature nervous system still learning to regulate, feeding mechanics, and temperament. Different babies, different mix.
Colic is a description, not an explanation. Which is why the more useful question is not how do we stop the crying, but what is making this baby uncomfortable.
What the research actually says
In 2021, researchers ran a randomised controlled trial on 200 infants with colic, aged two to fourteen weeks. That is the strongest kind of study there is, and it is rare in this field.
By the end of the study, babies receiving chiropractic care were crying an hour and a half less per day.
Nearly two thirds of them, 63 percent, improved by at least an hour a day. In the group that did not receive care, 47 percent improved that much.
Babies in both groups improved, as colic often eases with time. What the study showed is that more babies improved substantially with care than without it.
Why a chiropractor at all
Birth asks a lot of a very new body. A long labour, a very fast one, a posterior position, or a delivery involving vacuum, forceps or shoulder dystocia all put load through a baby's neck and spine.
What we look at is whether tension from that is affecting how easily your baby can turn their head, settle, feed, and digest. A baby who strongly prefers turning one way, arches a lot, or struggles to latch on one side is telling you something about how their body is moving.
If physical tension is part of what is making these weeks harder, that is something we can help with.
What an adjustment on a newborn actually is
This is the part that worries parents most, and reasonably so.
For an infant it is a light, sustained fingertip contact. The pressure is about what you would use to check whether a tomato or an avocado is ripe. There is no cracking, no popping, and no twisting.
This has been measured. Researchers used a pressure pad to record the actual force applied across 109 adjustments on 48 children, from 14 weeks old to 17 years, and compared it against adjustments on adults. The force used on children was substantially lower, and increased gradually with age.
Most babies sleep through it in a parent's arms.
Is it safe?
The research on pediatric chiropractic shows a very low rate of adverse events. In the largest survey of its kind, chiropractors reported three adverse events across 5,438 office visits involving 577 children. All three were stiffness or soreness after an adjustment, and none required medical attention. Parents, surveyed separately, reported two across 1,735 visits.
When it is not colic
Some crying is not colic, and this is the section that matters most.
Take your baby to a pediatrician or urgent care rather than a chiropractor if you see:
Poor weight gain, or weight loss.
Fever in a baby under three months.
Lethargy, or unusual difficulty waking.
Signs of dehydration, including fewer wet diapers, a dry mouth, or a sunken soft spot.
Forceful or projectile vomiting, or vomit that is green or contains blood.
Blood in the stool.
Breathing difficulty.
A sudden change in muscle tone or responsiveness.
Your first visit here includes screening for these. If something suggests your baby needs a physician, you will be told directly and quickly.
We work alongside, not instead of
Feeding is often part of the picture with a fussy baby, and feeding is not a chiropractic problem on its own.
We work in conjunction with lactation consultants, and with your pediatrician. If your baby's latch is the issue, you need someone who works on latch. If tension is making the latch harder, that is where we come in. Often it is both, and the two work far better together than either alone.
Questions Parents Ask
Can a chiropractor help with newborn colic?
A 2021 randomised controlled trial found babies receiving chiropractic care were crying an hour and a half less per day by the end of the study. 63 percent improved by at least an hour a day, compared with 47 percent of babies who did not receive care.
Is it safe to take an infant to a chiropractor?
Research on pediatric chiropractic shows a very low rate of adverse events. In the largest survey of its kind, chiropractors reported three across 5,438 office visits, all stiffness or soreness, none requiring medical attention. Care for an infant is a light fingertip contact with no cracking, popping or twisting.
Will chiropractic help a gassy baby?
Many parents find that it does. We are not working on the digestive system directly. We are looking at whether physical tension is affecting how easily your baby moves, settles and feeds, and parents frequently notice easier digestion as that tension eases.
What is the best thing to do for a colicky baby?
Most parents end up combining a few things: feeding support if latch is involved, holding and motion, reducing stimulation in the evening, and ruling out anything medical with your pediatrician. Chiropractic care is one of the things families add, and for many it makes a real difference.
Do babies sleep better after a chiropractic adjustment?
Parents often tell us their baby slept better that night. The colic research did not measure sleep directly, but most babies are noticeably settled during and right after a visit.
How old does a baby have to be?
Babies can be checked in the first days of life. Many families come in during the first week or two after birth.
Do you accept insurance?
We are a cash based practice, which means your care stays focused on what actually helps you, not on what an insurance plan will approve. Many patients use their HSA or FSA, and we are happy to provide a superbill you can submit for possible reimbursement. You can also review our Good Faith Estimate for clear pricing before your first visit.
If you are in the thick of it
Colic does end. That is true and it is not enough on its own when you are three weeks in and nobody is sleeping.
If you want your baby checked, we would be glad to see you. You will get a proper look and an honest answer about whether this is something we can help with.
We care for families across Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, Superior, Broomfield, Longmont and Boulder.
Book online, or call or text 720-722-1622.
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