Infant Colic
Is your baby struggling with colic, excessive crying, or difficulty getting comfortable?
When your baby cries for hours and nothing seems to help, it can be exhausting and upsetting for the entire family. Feeding, sleeping, settling down for the evening, riding in the car, or simply trying to comfort your baby may become stressful when fussiness and crying seem to happen day after day.
At Whole Family Chiropractic in Anchorage, AK, we work with families whose infants are experiencing colic-like crying, difficulty settling, feeding-related concerns, body tension, and other early developmental challenges while helping parents understand whether gentle pediatric chiropractic care may be appropriate.
Our approach begins with listening carefully to your concerns. We consider your baby’s birth history, feeding patterns, movement, positioning, comfort, and overall development while also recognizing when symptoms should be evaluated by your pediatrician or another healthcare professional.
What Is Infant Colic?
Infant colic is a term commonly used to describe repeated periods of significant crying or fussiness in an otherwise healthy baby who is feeding and growing normally. Colic typically begins during the first few weeks of life and often becomes most noticeable during the late afternoon or evening.
The exact cause of colic is not always clear. Feeding difficulties, sensitivity to stimulation, an immature nervous system, sleep patterns, and other factors may influence a baby’s behavior, while medical conditions can sometimes produce symptoms that resemble colic. This is why excessive or unusual crying should not automatically be assumed to be harmless.
Common Signs Associated With Infant Colic
Some babies simply have naturally fussy periods. Colic usually involves crying that is more intense, prolonged, or difficult to soothe.
Common signs may include:
- Long periods of crying or fussiness
- Crying that often occurs around the same time each day
- Difficulty settling or being comforted
- Drawing the legs toward the abdomen
- Clenching the hands or stiffening the body
- Becoming red-faced during crying episodes
- Difficulty relaxing during or after feeding
- Appearing comfortable and healthy between crying episodes
Every baby’s behavior is different, and crying alone does not identify exactly what is causing the problem.
When excessive crying continues, it is important to consider feeding, sleep, illness, digestive concerns, birth history, movement, and other factors rather than assuming every unsettled baby has colic.
When Colic Starts Affecting the Whole Family
Hours of crying can be incredibly difficult for parents, especially when you have fed, changed, rocked, held, walked, and comforted your baby and still cannot determine what they need. You may begin worrying that something is wrong, questioning every feeding decision, or becoming anxious as the time of day approaches when the crying usually begins.
For new moms and dads, sleep deprivation combined with an inconsolable baby can quickly become overwhelming. Getting appropriate support matters, both for understanding your baby’s needs and for helping your family navigate a challenging stage with greater confidence.
Gentle Chiropractic Care for Infants in Anchorage
At Whole Family Chiropractic, our pediatric chiropractors in Anchorage evaluate infants very differently from adults. We consider your baby’s birth history, movement from side to side, head and neck positioning, feeding concerns, muscle tension, comfort in different positions, and other findings that may help us better understand how your baby is functioning.
If your baby’s symptoms suggest illness, feeding problems, digestive concerns, or another condition requiring medical attention, pediatric evaluation should remain an important part of care. Chiropractic care is not a replacement for your baby’s pediatrician.
When musculoskeletal tension, restricted movement, or positioning concerns are identified, a care plan may include gentle pediatric chiropractic techniques, movement recommendations, positioning guidance, or collaboration with other healthcare professionals when appropriate.
Gentle Pediatric Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care for an infant is very different from the adjustments commonly associated with adult chiropractic treatment.
Whole Family Chiropractic uses gentle pediatric techniques adapted specifically for an infant’s size, age, development, and clinical findings. The amount of force used is significantly different from that used when adjusting an adult, and care is modified around the needs and comfort of each baby.
Your pediatric chiropractor will determine whether chiropractic care is appropriate after evaluating your baby and discussing your concerns and health history.
Birth History, Movement, and Musculoskeletal Tension
Birth is a significant physical event for both mom and baby. Positioning during pregnancy, labor, delivery, assisted delivery, or other circumstances may sometimes be followed by noticeable preferences in the way an infant moves or positions the head and body.
Some parents notice that their baby consistently turns the head toward one side, becomes uncomfortable in certain feeding positions, arches or stiffens frequently, or seems less comfortable when positioned a particular way.
When these patterns are present, our evaluation may include gentle assessment of movement, muscle tension, head positioning, and symmetry to determine whether musculoskeletal factors should be addressed.
Pediatric Chiropractic Experience
Caring for infants requires an approach specifically adapted to pediatric anatomy, development, and comfort.
Our team has experience providing chiropractic care for babies, children, pregnant mothers, and families. Pediatric evaluations are performed with consideration for the baby’s developmental stage, health history, birth experience, and the concerns parents are observing at home.
Recommendations are individualized, and when another healthcare provider would be better suited to evaluate a particular concern, we believe appropriate collaboration and referral are an important part of responsible pediatric care.
Infant Supportive Care and Parent Guidance
When a baby is difficult to settle, parents often spend hours experimenting with different positions, feeding routines, rocking techniques, and ways to provide comfort.
Depending on your baby’s findings, our team may offer recommendations related to positioning, movement, tummy time, carrying positions, or other age-appropriate strategies that support normal development and comfortable movement.
Our goal is to help parents better understand what they are seeing, support healthy movement and function when appropriate, and work alongside the other healthcare professionals involved in their baby’s care.
Infant Colic, Feeding Difficulty, and Body Tension
These concerns may occur together, but they are not exactly the same.
Infant colic generally describes prolonged or recurrent crying in an otherwise healthy infant. Feeding difficulties may involve problems with latching, sucking, swallowing, positioning, or maintaining a comfortable feeding pattern. Musculoskeletal tension or movement restrictions describe physical findings involving how an infant moves or positions the head and body.
A baby can experience one of these concerns without having the others, and several different problems can sometimes occur at the same time. That is why an appropriate pediatric evaluation is important rather than assuming that all crying, feeding difficulty, or body tension has one cause.
When Infant Crying Needs Prompt Medical Attention
Colic itself is generally not dangerous, but unusual or persistent crying can sometimes be a sign that a baby is sick or uncomfortable for another reason.
Seek prompt medical attention if your baby has a fever, appears unusually sleepy or difficult to wake, refuses feedings, has difficulty breathing, repeatedly vomits, has blood in the stool, shows signs of dehydration, has a swollen or unusually tender abdomen, or suddenly develops a very different or unusual cry. Parents should also contact their pediatrician whenever something about their baby’s behavior simply does not seem right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a chiropractor help a baby with colic?
Some parents seek pediatric chiropractic evaluation when excessive crying occurs alongside body tension, restricted movement, head-position preferences, or other musculoskeletal concerns. Chiropractic care is not considered a cure for infant colic, and colic can have many possible contributing factors. At Whole Family Chiropractic, we evaluate each infant individually and encourage appropriate pediatric medical care when needed.
What causes colic in babies?
There is no single established cause of infant colic. Factors involving normal nervous-system development, sensitivity to stimulation, feeding, sleep, and other aspects of early infancy may play a role. Medical conditions can also sometimes resemble colic, which is why persistent or unusual crying should be discussed with your baby’s pediatrician.
Is pediatric chiropractic care the same as an adult adjustment?
No. Chiropractic techniques used for infants are modified specifically for their size, age, developing anatomy, and clinical findings. Pediatric care uses gentle approaches and significantly different levels of force than those commonly used when treating adults.
When should I take my colicky baby to the pediatrician?
If your baby has never been evaluated for excessive crying, discussing the symptoms with your pediatrician is appropriate. Prompt medical attention is especially important when crying occurs with fever, poor feeding, repeated vomiting, breathing difficulty, unusual sleepiness, dehydration, blood in the stool, or other concerning changes.
Does infant colic eventually go away?
In many babies, colic improves naturally as the infant matures and often resolves during the first several months of life. However, every baby is different, and persistent crying should be appropriately evaluated to make sure another health or feeding concern is not being overlooked.
Looking for Help With Your Baby’s Colic or Excessive Crying?
If you are searching for a pediatric chiropractor in Anchorage, gentle chiropractic care for infants, help understanding colic-like crying, or support for infant movement, positioning, and musculoskeletal tension, Whole Family Chiropractic is here to help you better understand your options.
Our team will listen to your concerns, gently evaluate your baby, explain what we find, and help determine whether pediatric chiropractic care or additional evaluation makes the most sense for your family.
Looking for a great family chiropractor in Anchorage?
Contact us today at 907-562-3060 for an appointment
Whole Family
Chiropractic
Office Hours
Monday, Wednesday & Friday
8:30am – 6pm
Tuesday & Thursday
2pm – 6pm
Saturday & Sunday
Closed