The Scientific Evidence Behind Colic and Chiropractic-Part #1
Adding a new bundle of joy to your family can be one of the most unforgettable and stressful times in your life. Sleepless nights, cluster feeding, spitting up, fussiness, diaper changes, diaper rashes, and finding your balance as a family are just a few of the challenges most new parents face. So how can chiropractic help your new baby and restore some sanity to your household? Below are two shocking studies demonstrating the benefits of chiropractic on colic.
Study #1:
Infantile Colic treated by chiropractors: A prospective study of 316 cases. Klougart N, Nilsson N and Jacobsen J (1989) Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 12:281-288
73 chiropractors adjusted the spines of 316 infants with moderate to severe colic. The median age of the 316 infants was 5.7 weeks of age at the time of examination. Moderate to severe colic was defined as an average of 5.2 hours of crying per day.
The mothers used a diary to keep track of the baby’s symptoms, specifically measuring the intensity and length of the colicky crying, as well as how comfortable the infant seemed. 94% of these children showed notable improvements within 14 days of the beginning of chiropractic care. After 4 weeks, the improvements were maintained; meaning that the kids did not revert back to their old patterns of colic.
One-fourth of these infants showed great improvements after their very first chiropractic adjustment. The remaining infants ALL showed improvements within the 14-day period mentioned above. Please note that 51% of these infants had previously undergone various treatments, usually drug therapy, that proved to be unsuccessful in eliminating their colic.
Study #2:
The short-term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic: a randomized controlled clinical trial with a blinded observer, Wiberg JMM, Nordsteen J, Nilsson N. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. October (1999): Vol. 22, No. 8, pp. 517-522.
This is a randomized controlled trial that took place in private chiropractic practice and the National Health Service’s health visitor nurses in a suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark.
One group of infants received spinal care for 2 weeks, the other was treated with the drug Dimethicone T for 2 weeks. Changes in daily hours of crying were recorded in a colic diary.
A 2.4-hour reduction of crying was seen in the chiropractic group compared to only 1 hour in the Dimethicone-T group. This was observed over a 4-7 day period. On days 8-11, the chiropractic group saw the time without crying increase to 2.7 hours while the Dimethicone-T group remained at only a 1-hour reduction.
The conclusion of the study revealed that over the 12 days of data gathering, the children under chiropractic care experienced a 67% reduction in crying while the group treated with drugs/medications had only a 38% reduction in crying.
If you are a new parent and your newborn or infant is struggling with colic, call us today at (214)387-7883. We can help restore peace to your household!!