The Short-term Effect of Spinal Manipulation in the Treatment of Infantile Colic: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial with a Blinded Observer

This section is compiled by Frank M. Painter, D.C.
Send all comments or additions to:   Frankp@chiro.org

FROM:   J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999 (Oct);   22 (8):   517–522

Wiberg JM, Nordsteen J, Nilsson N

Center for Biomechanics, Odense University, Denmark


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 suburb 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.

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