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As a parent myself, I know firsthand how distressing it is to hear your baby cry incessantly. W]hen it’s all day, every day, and they’re writhing in discomfort and can’t sleep, it’s excruciating to witness. This could be a sign of colic.
Unfortunately, many pediatricians tend to dismiss colic as just normal crying and may tell you they’ll grow out of it. If your gut is telling you that something isn’t right, it’s time to dig deeper.
Symptoms of Colic
Colic is a common catch-all term used to describe a baby who is crying excessively and is unable to sleep or eat comfortably. It affects about one in five babies, but I believe that number may even be higher. Colic often frustrates and leaves parents feeling helpless because people often dismiss it as just normal baby behavior.
We want to help parents understand the root causes of colic and what they can do to alleviate their baby’s discomfort. We will examine a case study of a baby named Nicholas. He had problems with digestion, neck stiffness, and severe discomfort. His mom knew that something more was going on and sought out chiropractic care.
The #1 Missing Link: The Nervous System
One contributor to colic can be nutrition. Certain foods may be more difficult for babies to digest, whether through formula or breastfeeding. However, the biggest missing link that many parents and pediatricians overlook is the nervous system.
The nervous system is the foundation for all other systems in the body, including digestion, immunity, and motor function.
The nervous system was certainly the missing link for Nicholas, as well as thousands of other babies with colic we’ve been able to take care of at our practice. I’m passionate about helping parents understand the root causes of colic and how they can help their babies find relief. Let’s dive deep into the science behind colic and provide some practical tips for parents.
Babies Do NOT Grow Out of Colic
I first want to address a common misconception about colic. It is not something that babies simply grow out of. If your parent gut is telling you that something is not right, you’re absolutely correct. There is something going on within your baby’s body that you CAN address.
Many times, people tell parents to let their babies cry it out or to make dietary changes. However, these solutions usually don’t work. In fact, they may be causing more stress for you as a parent.
Breastfeeding mothers may feel pressured to avoid certain foods for the benefit of their baby. This can add stress during a time when they should focus on their own recovery and nervous system.
Many families are upset because their baby won’t stop crying, and they have tried everything to make them stop. They’ve gone all in on diet changes and tried probiotics, gas drops, and herbal, natural, and nutritional remedies. After all that, their baby is still crying, arching, and uncomfortable. This is exactly what happened with Nicolas.
What Is Subluxation, and How Can INSiGHT Scans Help Detect It?
The reality is that there is something deeper going on, and that’s where subluxation comes in. Subluxation is simply a nerdy chiropractic word that means stress stuck on. When babies experience colic and inconsolability, it often occurs because their nervous system remains stuck in fight or flight mode. What we want is for them to spend more time in parasympathetic rest, digest, and poop mode.
Babies should eat, sleep, poop, and be cute. If they’re not doing these things and seem to be uncomfortable, then there is most likely subluxation present. I want to dive into Nicholas’s case and scans to explain this further.
The INSiGHT scans can find stress on the nerves and muscles controlling your baby’s body. It’s an amazing technology. These scans are crucial because they help us understand how your baby’s nervous system is functioning and can identify subluxation.
The baby’s digestive system is the first thing that needs to grow. It is mainly controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system. This system is responsible for rest and digestion. The main nerve that controls digestion and relaxation is the vagus nerve, which comes from the upper part of the brainstem.
Unfortunately, pregnancy or birth procedures such as forceps, vacuum, and C-sections can displace the vagus nerve. These interventions require twisting, pulling, and yanking the baby in order to deliver them. These interventions involve twisting, pulling, and yanking the baby to deliver them. This subluxation causes misalignment in the upper cervical brainstem area, which is where the vagus nerve branches from.
The vagus nerve needs to make its way down through the cervical spine, thorax, and into the abdomen. It opens up the esophagus and activates the stomach and small intestine in our digesting processes. Green, blue, and red in scans show built-up tension caused by subluxation in certain areas.
The tension in the body can affect the gut, motor development, ears, throat, and lungs. Children who end up with a lot of colic and torticollis may develop ear and respiratory infections later on.
Nicholas’s first scans found many areas with subluxation, which stressed his neuro-digestive function and caused colic and torticollis. However, after receiving gentle, neurologically focused adjustments, we were able to release and unwind the tension from his nervous system. Nicholas began sleeping longer hours, and his neck and torticollis resolved. His digestive system went from jammed up to kicking butt and pooping on the regular.
Chiropractic Care Can Help Your Baby with Colic
A pediatric chiropractor’s primary goal is to understand and address the root cause of colic in infants. We don’t cure colic. We use thermal scans and other technologies to find and measure the subluxation and stress that cause the problem.
We can create a personalized care plan for your child. This plan includes gentle adjustments to fix the problem.
It also helps reduce stress on their nervous system. Our office is trained to do that. A happy, relaxed baby achieves this outcome by eating, sleeping, and pooping like they’re supposed to.
Colic can cause ear infections, behavior problems, and delays in motor skills and speech development. That’s why it’s important to address it as early as possible. When the nervous system is under stress, it interferes with the vagus nerve and gut function. By making gentle, effective neuro-tonal adjustments, we can help your child sleep better, poop better, and be more relaxed overall.
If you’re a new parent dealing with colic, I hope this is helpful to you. Please share this information with other parents who may be struggling with similar issues.
If you believe your child is stressed, please contact us to schedule an appointment. We will examine your baby’s nervous system thoroughly.
By identifying and addressing the root cause of colic, we can help your child thrive and reach their developmental milestones.
So don’t wait – take action today and give your child the best possible start in life.