CHIROPRACTIC AND COLIC
HEALTH WITHOUT DRUGS
By days 4 to 7 of this study, the number of hours of crying was reduced by 1 hour in the dimethicone group as compared to a reduction of 2.4 hours in the chiropractic adjustment group. This disparity became even greater at days 8 to 11, with a 2.7 hour crying reduction as opposed to 1 hour in the dimethicone group. Oh, and one thing that must be taken into account. 25% of the dimethicone group (as opposed to 0% of the chiropractic group) had to drop out of the study because of SIDE EFFECTS directly related to their treatment. This 25% was not counted in the final percentages (A COMMON PRACTICE). This means that the results would have been skewed much farther to the chiropractic side.
Interesting study, but this was not the first time that these Danish researchers found these sorts of amazing results. In a 1989 study, published in the same journal, researchers used chiropractic adjustments on 316 colicky babies and found that their crying soon diminished as well (nearly identical results — there was no “drug” group). Interestingly enough, CNN (a typically anti-chiropractic news outlet) had this to say about these studies. Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark reported that colicky babies who underwent spinal adjustments cried far less than those who received dimethicone drops, the standard and generally ineffective treatment. “Dimethacone — Ineffective Treatment for Collic“. That about sums up what the medical profession has to offer the parents of colicky babies!
To fully understand how a chiropractic adjustment can help a child with Colic, you need to read about an experiment done by a medical doctor in 1920 (HERE). Or maybe take two minutes to understand REX’S MIRACLE.
Unfortunately, most doctors haven’t a clue as to what causes Colic. Because of this, they also haven’t a clue as to how to successfully treat it. So, what have they historically done for colicky infants? Over the past 15 years, thousands upon thousands of fussy babies have been given dangerous medicines in the belief that their colic was caused by painful acid reflux —- so-called gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD).
From 1999-2004, the use of a popular class of liquid antacid (proton pump inhibitor, or PPI — see previous link) in young children increased 16 times. In case you were not paying close attention, re-read the previous sentence and let it sink in. And, from 2000-2003 there was another 400% increase in the number of babies treated with anti-reflux medications. By all accounts this rate of increase has been accelerating to the present. This despite a 2010 meta-analysis from The Annals of Medicine declaring these drugs to be, “not an effective treatment” for GI symptoms —- including Colic. In fact, a recent study done at Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital, concluded that GERD medicine is no better than water at reducing infant crying. But effective treatment was never the issue. It’s always been about the money — how many drugs you can sell to desperate mothers. The “EVIDENCE” proves this time and time again.
Prior to the recent surge of PPI’s, doctors used anti-spasmatic meds, depressants like VALIUM and phenobarbital, and even booze (sounds nicer when they refer to it as “ethanol“). Or they used “fun” skin / hair products like Dimethicone (
polydimethylsiloxane a silicone oil used in many skin and hair care products) given internally. I am not making this up. No matter how you slice it, these things were meant to cover symptoms — without ever dealing with the underlying cause! Most doctors do not use these things to treat Colic anymore. In fact, every one of these once-popular treatments have been all but stopped because of their potential for serious side-effects —- including death. So; what’s a person to do?For starters, hopefully they are still NURSING. Secondly, get them off ANTIBIOTICS and get them taking a quality form of HSO PROBIOTIC. Far too many children begin life with doctors prescribing antibiotics for everything. Antibiotics cause DYSBIOSIS at the same time they are destroying THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. Not surprisingly, a 2009 study done at the University of Texas revealed that colicky babies had a higher incidence of intestinal INFLAMMATION (otherwise known as LEAKY GUT SYNDROME) as well as a specific intestinal bacteria called Klebsiella — a bacteria associated with pneumonia, urinary tract infections, septicemia, ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS, and soft tissue infections. two studies published in the medical journal Pediatrics (2007 & 2010), showed that colicky babies given PROBIOTICS had reduced crying time by 74% after four weeks.
Even more important than avoiding antibiotics and being on the GUT HEALTH bandwagon is breastfeeding. Moms; it’s simple. Breastfeed your babies! If for some reason you can’t, go see an expert and figure out how to solve the problem. And do not give them store-bought cow’s milk or formula (see link on nursing above). Give them goat’s milk or make your OWN FORMULA.
This is certainly an interesting statement for Turrow to make. Particularly in light of the fact that chiropractors are trained and licensed to diagnose in all 50 states. Who would be better than a chiropractor at diagnosing the various problems that Turrow lists above. Niels Nilsson, D.C., M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of clinical biomechanics at Odense University in Denmark (and co-author of the two studies above), believes, as do the majority of chiropractors, that when it comes to Colic, the real trouble lies in the spine and back muscles. When the spine becomes SUBLUXATED (spinal vertebrates that loose subtle amounts of motion or alignment in relationship to each other), nerves begin to work improperly. This potentially causes not only Colic, but a wide array of other health problems.
It only stands to reason. The spine houses the part of the nerve system that connects your brain to your muscles and organs, controlling each and every function of the body. Does this mean that chiropractic adjustments are a cure-all? Far from it. However, if the nerve impulses from the brain are able to flow from the spinal nerves without any sort of mechanical / electrical irritation (like static on an old AM radio), the result is a better connection. When this happens, health happens.
For more on a very similar topic, make sure that you tune in Monday for the beginning of our series on CHILDHOOD EAR INFECTIONS.
