Chiropractic Care for Infants: A Gentle, Safe, and Effective Approach
Hello and welcome to my blog!
Most of my patients know by now that I love to adjust and care for the littlest ones in our practice, with my youngest patient being four days old. I often hear, “why would a baby need chiropractic care?” and my patient will have a look of surprise or curiosity. This is the perfect time to discuss the affects of pregnancy, labor, and birth on not only the mother, but the baby. For those of you who have been pregnant, you might remember having a little acrobat in there who was constantly on the move, changing positions, kicking, punching, doing handstands on your bladder, or any number of other wild movements. This is when your baby is learning basic kinetic patterns of movement, muscle coordination, and honing reflexes. During labor and birth, these practice movements come in handy as the baby navigates with the constricting uterus to descend into the birth canal and into our loving hands.
As magical as this process can be, it can also be a huge strain on the little one’s body. The baby can experience a variety of traumas to the neuromusculoskeletal system which can manifest as a variety of symptoms post birth. These symptoms are often what mothers are trained to expect as “normal”. In reality, they are common ailments that go untreated in a vulnerable under served population who can’t tell us what they are going through! Symptoms like colic, sleep regression, constipation, poor latch, fussiness, torticollis, poor immune health, disliking the car seat or certain positions, and excessive gas or crying can all be symptoms of a subluxation in an infant.
Chiropractic care for infants is an approach that involves precise, gentle adjustments aimed at promoting optimal nervous system function and overall health. This care can alleviate many of these symptoms (Alcantara et al., 2010). While more extensive research is needed, existing evidence and clinical observations (many of which I see in my practice weekly) suggest potential benefits in addressing conditions such as colic, sleep disturbances, constipation, immune system support, and torticollis. In this blog post, I am going to briefly dive into some of the most common symptoms for which I treat infants in my office!
Latch Issues
For many new parents, feeding challenges can be a significant source of stress which strongly affect a mothers feelings both emotionally and physically. Whether breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, a baby’s ability to latch effectively is crucial for their nutrition, comfort, and overall well-being. As I like to say, a happy baby is a happy house and a fussy baby is a fussy house! If your baby is struggling with feeding, you may not immediately think of chiropractic care as a solution—but, it can make a remarkable difference within 1-3 visits.
A baby’s spine and nervous system play an essential role in their ability to feed efficiently. Some of the first things a baby learns to do in the womb are swallow and suck on their thumb. They have been practicing & honing this art for months. The birthing process, even in uncomplicated deliveries, can create tension and/or misalignments in the spine, particularly in the cervical (neck) region. These misalignments can affect the cranial nerves that control the jaw, tongue, and swallowing reflex, potentially leading to difficulties with latching and sucking (Sergueef et al., 2007; Miller et al., 2009). If you notice persistent feeding difficulties despite working with a lactation consultant, trying different feeding positions, and changing formula, chiropractic care may be the missing piece.
Chiropractic adjustments can help by:
Reducing tension in the neck and jaw, allowing for better range of motion and comfort during feeding.
Enhancing nerve function, which improves the coordination of sucking and swallowing.
Alleviating discomfort from birth trauma, especially in babies born via C-section, forceps, or vacuum extraction (Ferrari et al., 2013).
Supporting overall digestion and reflux issues, which can contribute to fussiness during feeding.
Some common signs that spinal misalignment may be contributing to feeding issues include:
Difficulty maintaining a deep latch
Clicking noises while sucking
Excessive gassiness or reflux symptoms
Preference for nursing on one side
Arching the back or turning the head to one side during feeding
Pediatric chiropractic care focuses on gentle, precise adjustments to restore proper alignment and function to the spine and nervous system. These specialized techniques designed specifically for infants involve no cracking or forceful movements. Instead, adjustments involve light fingertip pressure, similar to the amount used to check the ripeness of a tomato. Sometimes gentle instruments are used to assist the adjustments and babies usually sleep through the whole thing, or are asleep and relaxed by the end of the visit (even if they came in super fussy)! I often like to include gentle tissue work to help relax the face and jaw before letting the mother breast or bottle feed before they leave the office. When tension is released in the neck and jaw, babies often experience immediate improvements in their ability to latch and feed comfortably (Holzman et al., 2018). It’s such an amazing experience to see the relief on the parents face as they can comfortably feed with a relaxed baby!
If you suspect your baby may have tension or misalignment affecting their ability to feed, consider scheduling a gentle chiropractic assessment. A few small adjustments could make a world of difference for both you and your baby on your feeding journey!
Colic
Infantile colic is a common concern for many parents. Many practitioners suggest different causes, but often mothers are left with an inconsolable infant for weeks or months on end. How can a mother develop confidence in her ability to parent/care for her child, or develop a healthy relationship with her baby and spouse while dealing with a screaming human at all hours of the day and night? I don’t want my patients to struggle with this on their own, especially as emerging evidence suggests that chiropractic care may offer a safe and effective approach to easing symptoms and improving the baby's overall well-being. To understand how chiropractors can alleviate colic symptoms, we need to understand some colic basics.
Colic is typically diagnosed using the "Rule of Threes": crying for more than three hours a day, at least three days a week, for over three weeks, in an otherwise healthy baby. Some potential contributing factors include:
Digestive discomfort and gas
Immature nervous system
Musculoskeletal tension from birth trauma
Food sensitivities or allergies
Chiropractic adjustments focus on correcting spinal misalignments, which may relieve nervous system stress and improve gastrointestinal function. As discussed, birth can be a physically demanding process for infants, sometimes resulting in subtle misalignments (we call subluxations) in the spine, particularly in the upper cervical and thoracic regions. Research indicates that gentle chiropractic adjustments can help regulate nervous system function and reduce discomfort associated with colic (Wiberg et al., 1999). For instance, a single-blind randomized controlled trial found that a significantly greater proportion of infants receiving chiropractic care showed a reduction in crying time compared to those who did not receive such care. Specifically, 63% of infants in the treatment group experienced a reduction in crying time, compared to 47% in the control group (Miller et al., 2012). Chiropractic care for infants is gentle, and the goal is to:
Improve nervous system function by reducing spinal tension
Enhance digestion by alleviating nerve interference that may contribute to gas and reflux
Reduce musculoskeletal discomfort from birth trauma
Promote relaxation by regulating the autonomic nervous system
Colic can be overwhelming for both infants and parents, but chiropractic care offers a promising, evidence-based approach to alleviating symptoms. By addressing potential spinal misalignments and enhancing nervous system function, chiropractic adjustments can help infants find relief and improve overall comfort.
Sleep Issues
Adequate sleep is crucial for an infant's development and well-being. It’s also important for an infant to get adequate sleep so their parents don’t go crazy with sleep deprivation! However, getting their baby to sleep well can be a challenge that is often considered to be “part of the experience”. Due to this expectation, many parents with concerns about their infant’s lack of sleep are dismissed by practitioners and the worry is listed as “not of any real concern”. Something that challenged this thought in my own brain was an experience I had with a patient who has had 4 other children before bringing her 5th child to me at two weeks of age. She said, “I tried talking to the pediatrician about how my baby won’t sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time, but they dismissed me and told me it was normal. I know this can’t be true because this wasn’t normal for my four other kids. They were all great sleepers!”. She hit the nail on the head. Too often practitioners confuse the terms “common” with “normal” and parents are led to think this sleep deprivation for themselves and their baby is a right of passage.
Chiropractic care may play a role in improving sleep patterns in infants by addressing potential discomfort and nervous system dysregulation due to subluxations (spinal misalignments causing a neurologic deficit). Gentle spinal adjustments aim to reduce factors that may disrupt sleep and can help the brain better coordinate sleep awake cycles. One study surveyed 2,001 mothers in 2019 and showed that the mothers reported statistically significant improvements across all aspects of infant behavior studied, “including feeding problems, sleep issues, excessive crying, problems with supine sleep position, infant pain, restricted cervical range of motion, and time performing prone positioning” (Miller et al., 2019). The mothers were also scored for depression, anxiety, and satisfaction with motherhood and they also demonstrated statistically significant improvement in all categories. Not only did chiropractic care help the infant’s sleep and quality of life, but the parents too!
Constipation
Digestive issues, including constipation, are common in infants and can cause significant discomfort. This is probably why I see babies with this complaint more than any other. Its difficult to watch your baby struggle, scream, and squirm as they try to get relief from gas and constipation. It’s also not something that a baby can avoid doing. Babies should poop several times a day and be comfortable doing so. When I treat a baby suffering from constipation, I always tell the parent that the baby should poop by the end of the day or to give me a call. They almost always poop immediately after the adjustment or on the way home!
Chiropractic care has been associated with improvements in digestive health for children and adults. Studies suggest that gentle adjustments can help alleviate conditions like constipation by enhancing nervous system function, which in turn may improve bowel motility (Gocuris Chiropractic, n.d.). Most of the nerves that control the bowel and peristalsis (the coordination of gut movement through muscle contractions along the bowel) are located at the tailbone and lumbar spine. I will often find restricted pelvic or lumbar motion in infants and gently adjusting and mobilizing these joints provides instant improvement to the body’s ability to pass gas and fecal matter.
One study reviewed three separate cases of chronic constipation in children under 2 years of age and found that chiropractic treatment plans lasting for a duration of 3 weeks to 3 months in three different patients resulted in an increase in frequency of bowel movements from once a week or once every 3-4 days to once every 1 to 2 days. Furthermore, “the bowel movements were described as soft without the accompanying straining, pain and rectal bleeding” (Alcantara et al., 2008). Most parent’s primary care providers recommended to use laxatives or fiber additive daily for the treatment of their child's constipation, but this does not address the root cause of the symptoms which is the vertebral subluxation. Chiropractic is a safe and cost effective way for long lasting relief that addresses the root cause.
Immune Health
A well-functioning nervous system is integral to maintaining a robust immune system. Chiropractic care focuses on optimizing nervous system function, which may indirectly support immune health. While direct evidence linking chiropractic adjustments to enhanced immunity in infants is limited, the holistic approach of chiropractic care aims to promote overall wellness, potentially contributing to a better immune responses (Ohm & Alcantara, 2012). This evidence linking chiropractic adjustments to enhanced immunity do however exist in adults. Therefore, I believe the evidence should be applicable to younger immune systems as well. Despite the limited studies, there is still strong evidence that supports a correlation between chiropractic and children’s immune health.
One study from 1989 tracked the health of 200 pediatric patients under traditional pediatric medical care and 200 pediatric patients managed by chiropractors. The study found a significant difference in the occurrence of inner ear infections with, “69% of the chiropractic children never experiencing otitis media, compared to 80% of medical children who did”. This also resulted in higher antibiotic use in medicalized children who also struggled with increased rates of asthma and gut/immune allergy issues. The children managed by chiropractors also had fewer instances of childhood illness, despite using less antibiotics and only 25% being vaccinated compared to 96% of medical children being vaccinated (Van Breda, W. M., & Van Breda, J. M. 1989). Now, I did not include that aspect of the study to say anything about vaccines and their efficacy, but to show that the adjustment in itself is a powerful tool to help naturally increase a child's immune function.
For more information explaining the evidence based literature supporting chiropractic care and its influence on the immune system, see our blog post titled “Improving Immune Function” at drsupershouseofhealth.com.
(https://www.drsupershouseofhealth.com/blog/improving-immune-function)
Torticollis
Torticollis, is a condition where an infant's head becomes tilted due restricted positions in utero during the last weeks of pregnancy, breech lie, birth trauma/forces during delivery, and late gestational age (Lacerte, F. 2020). The three main types of congenital torticollis including postural, muscular, and a sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) mass can benefit from chiropractic interventions. Gentle manipulations and stretches performed by a skilled chiropractor may help release muscle tension and improve the range of motion in the neck. Early intervention is crucial to prevent potential developmental delays associated with untreated torticollis (International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, n.d.).
Often, parents are referred to PT to correct their baby’s head posture and treatment occurs 2-3 times per week for up to 8 months. I had one parent glow after her baby’s torticollis was fixed within 3 visits and she was able to cancel 8 months worth of PT. She was overwhelmed with the amount of doctors visits and high deductible costs and told us “I got my life back and can just enjoy being with my baby now”. I often like to co-manage torticollis with our massage therapists to help with gentle tissue release and lymphatic care. An infant massage only takes 15-30 minutes since their body is so small! Parents are advised to consult healthcare providers to develop a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to their child's needs, but I always recommend trying chiropractic as well to help co-manage these conditions. .
Safety Considerations
The safety of chiropractic care in infants is a paramount concern. An extensive review conducted by Safer Care Victoria in Australia found very little evidence of harm associated with spinal manipulation in children under 12 years of age. Most of the instances of harm were manipulations performed by osteopaths, cranial-sacral therapists, physical therapists, or unspecified providers. The review identified only three individual case reports of serious harm, none of which were related to chiropractic practices in Australia. While transient or minor adverse events were noted, their prevalence was very low, suggesting that chiropractic care, when performed by qualified practitioners, is generally safe for infants (Safer Care Victoria, 2019).
Another literature review from 2015 also found no serious adverse side-effects to chiropractic care for children. This study reviewed literature on adverse events in infants and children treated by chiropractors or other manual therapists. The authors found that serious adverse events are rare, with three reported deaths associated with various manual therapists, but none linked to chiropractic care. In each instance of death, an underlying and undiagnosed condition was involved that caused the outcome. The article went on to explain, “because underlying preexisting pathology was associated in a majority of reported cases, performing a thorough history and examination to exclude anatomical or neurologic anomalies before applying any manual therapy may further reduce adverse events across all manual therapy professions” (Todd, A. J et al., 2015). As chiropractors, especially pediatric-specific ones, we are trained in detailed infant examinations and understand when it is safe to adjust and when we need to dig deeper before treating.
My infant exam is about 20-30 minutes, not including treatment time, and includes a variety of orthopedic, neurologic, and reflex assessments as well as active and passive range of motion assessments. Most parents are astonished that most babies love treatment, are relaxed, smiling, and often asleep by the end of the visit! Once a parent sees how we perform our examination and treatment any fear they have had dissipates. It is such an honor to build trust between my profession and parents in my community and my greatest goal is to raise healthy and well adjusted children so we have healthy and well adjusted adults.
Chiropractic care for infants is a topic of growing interest among parents seeking gentle, safe, and effective treatments for various pediatric conditions. Chiropractic care offers a gentle and non-invasive approach that may provide relief for various conditions in infants, including colic, sleep disturbances, constipation, immune support, latch issues and torticollis. Chiropractic care is also a cost and time-effective treatment option that gives more power and options to the parent during a time when they may feel that there is so much out of their control. Parents considering chiropractic care for their infants should consult with experienced pediatric chiropractors and ask lots of questions so they fully understand the benefits and treatment options.
Feel Well and Do Good,
ADIO
Dr. Super
References
Alcantara, J., Ohm, J., & Kunz, D. (2010). The safety and effectiveness of pediatric chiropractic: A survey of chiropractors and parents in a practice-based research network. Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing, 6(5), 290-295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2010.06.002
Sergueef, N., Nelson, K. E., & Glonek, T. (2007). "Palpatory diagnosis of plagiocephaly and its effect on infant feeding." Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies, 11(4), 324-329.
Ferrari, F., Bertoncelli, N., Gallo, C., et al. (2013). "The effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment on gastrointestinal function and length of stay of preterm infants: a randomized controlled trial." BMC Pediatrics, 13(1), 65.
Holzman, M., Duncan, B., & Miller, J. (2018). "Effectiveness of chiropractic care in pediatric feeding difficulties: A systematic review." Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, 17(2), 34-42.
Wiberg, J. M., Nordsteen, J., & Nilsson, N. (1999). The short-term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic: A randomized controlled clinical trial with a blinded observer. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 22(8), 517-522. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0161-4754(99)70003-8
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Gocuris Chiropractic. (n.d.). Benefits of pediatric chiropractic care for children. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://gocuris.com/chiropractor-for-kids-benefits-of-pediatric-chiropractic-care/
Alcantara, J., & Mayer, D. M. (2008). The successful chiropractic care of pediatric patients with chronic constipation: A case series and selective review of the literature. Clinical Chiropractic, 11(3), 138–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clch.2008.07.001
International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. (n.d.). About the Webster Technique. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://icpa4kids.com/training/webster-certification/webster-technique/
Ohm, J., & Alcantara, J. (2012). The Webster Technique: Definition, application and implications. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic, 2012(3), 49-53. https://icpa4kids.com/media/1160/webster_technique.pdf
Van Breda, W. M., & Van Breda, J. M. (1989). A comparative study of the health status of children raised under the health care models of chiropractic and allopathic medicine. Journal of Chiropractic Research—Research Forum, 5(4), 101–103.
Lacerte, F. (2020). Positive outcome from a chiropractic multidisciplinary approach for congenital torticollis in an infant three-weeks of age: A case report. Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, 19(1), 1638–1642
Safer Care Victoria. (2019). Review of chiropractic spinal manipulation of children under 12 years. https://www.safercare.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-10/20191024-Final%20Chiropractic%20Spinal%20Manipulation.pdf
Todd, A. J., Carroll, M. T., & Robinson, A. (2015). Adverse events due to chiropractic and other manual therapies for infants and children: A review of the literature. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 38(9), 699–712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2015.09.00