Colic is typically defined by the rule of threes: crying for more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, for more than three weeks in an otherwise healthy baby. It usually appears in the first few weeks of life and tends to resolve on its own somewhere around three to four months of age. What makes it so difficult for parents is not just the duration of the crying — it is the fact that nothing predictably stops it. Feeding, burping, rocking, swaddling, white noise, changes in diet for breastfeeding mothers: families dealing with colic have usually tried everything before they find their way to a resource like Beacon Clinic of Chiropractic.
The cause of colic is not fully understood, and that is part of what makes it so frustrating. Digestive discomfort, nervous system immaturity, and sensitivity to stimulation are among the explanations that have been proposed. What pediatric chiropractic evaluation adds to that picture is an assessment of the structural and neurological environment the infant's nervous system is developing in — specifically whether spinal or craniosacral restrictions that can originate around the time of birth may be a contributing factor. Dr. Bronstein at Beacon Clinic of Chiropractic in Grover Beach brings this perspective to colic evaluation for San Luis Obispo families, approaching the baby as a whole rather than looking for a single explanation.
