Spinal Manipulation for Infantile Colic

December 15, 2003

OTTAWA — “There is no convincing evidence that spinal manipulation alone affects the duration of infant colic,” said Don Husereau, lead author of a recent systematic review by the Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment (CCOHTA).

Fueled by the controversy surrounding the use of chiropractic manipulation in children, the review assessed the potential benefits and harms of this alternative therapy in colicky babies. Spinal manipulation in infants usually involves quick, specific fingertip pressure to the spine.

Colic, characterized by excessive and inconsolable crying, affects about 25 per cent of babies between the second and sixth weeks of life. While the cause is unknown, colic tends to resolve on its own by three months of age. There is no “gold standard” for treatment. A number of remedies have been tried, including spinal manipulation.

CCOHTA’s report reviewed four randomized controlled trials that compared chiropractic spinal manipulation to other therapy. None of the trials met a high standard of quality.

“Beneficial effects on sleep time, parental anxiety or quality of life could not be determined from the available evidence,” Mr. Husereau said. “Neither could we draw any conclusions about the potential harm of spinal manipulation because none of the trials reported on adverse events during treatment.”

It is estimated that up to one in six families may seek professional advice for their infant’s crying. In rare cases, excessive crying from colic may be a trigger for physical abuse such as that seen in “shaken baby syndrome.”

CCOHTA is an independent not-for-profit organization that provides unbiased, reliable information about health technologies. CCOHTA delivers a health technology assessment program and the Common Drug Review. CCOHTA is funded by the Canadian federal, provincial and territorial governments.

For more information contact:
Kirk Fergusson: Director, Communications, CCOHTA
kirkf@ccohta.ca