Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
Volume 22, Issue 8 , Pages 517-522, October 1999

The short-term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic: A randomized controlled clinical trial with a blinded observer☆☆

Received 7 January 1999; received in revised form 2 February 1999

Abstract 

Objective: To determine whether there is a short-term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Setting: A private chiropractic practice and the National Health Service's health visitor nurses in the uburb Ballerup (Copenhagen, Denmark). Subjects: Infants seen by the health visitor nurses, who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for infantile colic. Intervention: One group received spinal manipulation for 2 weeks, the other was treated with the drug dimethicone for 2 weeks. Outcome Measure: Changes in daily hours of crying as registered in a colic diary. Results: By trial days 4 to 7, hours of crying were reduced by 1 hour in the dimethicone group compared with 2.4 hours in the manipulation group (P = .04). On days 8 through 11, crying was reduced by 1 hour for the dimethicone group, whereas crying in the manipulation group was reduced by 2.7 hours (P = .004). From trial day 5 onward the manipulation group did significantly better that the dimethicone group. Conclusion: Spinal manipulation is effective in relieving infantile colic. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999;22:517–22)

Keywords:  Infantile Colic, Chiropractic Manipulation

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 15.00 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

 Submit reprint requests to: Jesper M. M. Wiberg, DC, Hold an vej 5, 2750 Ballerup, Denmark.

☆☆ Supported by the Danish Health Insurance Fund and the research committee of the Danish Chiropractors Association.

 The preliminary results from this study have been presented in Bürgenstock at the continuing education course of the Association of Swiss Chiropractors, September 11–13, 1997.

PII: S0161-4754(99)70003-5

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
Volume 22, Issue 8 , Pages 517-522, October 1999