How Can a Chiropractor Help My Baby’s Colic?
If you’re here, chances are you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, and searching for answers. Or maybe, you aren’t sure what is going on with your baby.
Colic—commonly defined as crying for 3+ hours a day, 3+ days a week, for 3+ weeks—can feel relentless. Many parents are told to “wait it out,” but when your baby is uncomfortable and nothing seems to help, that advice can feel frustrating and dismissive.
As a chiropractor in Franklin, TN specializing in prenatal, pediatric, and family care, I want to offer a different perspective—one that focuses on supporting your baby’s nervous system so they can naturally feel better and function better.
Understanding Colic: A Symptom, Not a Diagnosis
Colic isn’t a root cause—it’s a signal.
In my clinical experience, colic is often a sign of underlying discomfort in a baby’s body. Discomfort in a baby can come from a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:
Tension from positioning in utero
Stress during the birth process
Digestive or feeding challenges
Nervous system imbalance
Rather than “treating colic” as a condition, my goal is to identify and address areas of stress in your baby’s body—especially within the nervous system.
How Chiropractic Care Supports Babies with Colic
Your baby’s nervous system controls everything—feeding, digestion, movement, sleep, and overall regulation.
When there is stress or tension in the spine or cranium/skull, it can interfere with how the brain and body communicate. That tension may present as a misalignment, or subluxation.
One key player here is the vagus nerve, a cranial nerve that connects the brain to the gut, helps regulate digestion, and also helps balance between “fight or flight” and “rest and digest.”
Through gentle, specific chiropractic care, I focus on:
Releasing tension in the upper neck and skull
Supporting vagus nerve function
Improving communication between the brain and digestive system
Reducing overall stress in the body
My goal as a chiropractor isn’t just less crying—it’s helping your baby feel calm, comfortable, and thrive. Less crying is a bonus!
What to Expect at Your Baby’s First Visit in Franklin
Every baby is different, so care is always personalized.
Your first visit starts with a detailed conversation about:
Pregnancy and birth history
Current concerns (colic, feeding, sleep, etc.)
What you’ve already tried
Your health and even lifestyle goals as parents
From there, I perform a gentle and thorough assessment, including:
Range of motion
Primitive reflexes
Cranial nerve function
Muscle tone and tension
A detailed spinal and cranial (skull) exam
After reviewing findings with you, I provide very gentle, precise adjustments to the spine and cranium, along with soft tissue work if needed.
We also discuss ways to holistically support baby at home:
Feeding and digestion support
At-home stretches or positioning
Easy modifications to support your baby’s comfort
Real Results: What I’ve Seen in Practice
Over the past four years, I’ve cared for hundreds of infants—and colic is one of the most common concerns I see.
Here are a couple of real examples:
Newborn with severe colic (<1 month old)
This baby was only sleeping about 1 hour at a time and staying in a constantly curved, tense position. After just one adjustment, he slept a 4-hour stretch and the parent were shocked. Over just a few weeks of consistent care:
His body relaxed
Sleep continued to improve
He could lie flat comfortably
Even car seat tolerance improved
Infant with colic, poor weight gain, and torticollis
This baby had multiple challenges, including feeding difficulties and head shape concerns. With precise, consistent care:
Feeding became easier and more frequent
Tension decreased throughout her body
Weight gain improved
She became noticeably happier and more relaxed within weeks
While every baby is different, these kinds of changes are what I strive for—helping babies feel better so families can enjoy this stage of life.
Is Chiropractic Care Safe for Babies?
This is one of the most common—and important—questions.
Many parents picture the twisting, “popping” adjustments used on adults. You know…the ones on TikTok and viral reels? That is not at all what pediatric chiropractic care looks like.
In my practice, adjustments for infants use:
Gentle, sustained pressure
About the same force you’d use to check if a tomato is ripe
No twisting or cracking or any forceful motions
In fact, it often looks more like light touch than anything else—but it is highly specific. methodical, and deeply intentional.
Throughout my examination, I also:
Walk parents through every step
Encourage questions
Demonstrate the pressure on your own hand if needed
My purpose is for you to feel empowered, informed, and comfortable every step of the way.
Why Not “Just Wait It Out”?
You may have been told that colic will resolve on its own—and sometimes it does.
But the real question is:
Why wait if your baby is uncomfortable now?
By addressing nervous system stress early, many families notice not just improvement in colic, but also:
Better sleep (for all family members!)
Improved feeding
Increased comfort in movement
Progress in developmental milestones
Improved head shape and posture
Chiropractic care is about more than symptom relief—it’s about supporting your baby’s development from the very beginning.
Empowering You as a Parent
If you’re considering chiropractic care, it’s okay to have questions.
I always encourage parents to:
Ask questions
Do their own research
Make informed decisions that feel right for their family
If you’ve heard conflicting opinions—from pediatricians, family, or friends—I’m always happy to have an open, respectful conversation and address specific concerns.
You deserve to feel confident in the care you choose for your child.
Final Thoughts
Colic can be one of the most stressful and emotional challenges of early parenthood—but you don’t have to navigate it alone.
By supporting your baby’s nervous system and addressing underlying tension, chiropractic care offers a gentle, proactive approach to helping your baby feel better—and helping your whole family enjoy the new journey..