Colic, Fussiness & Difficulty Settling
You have fed them. Changed them. Rocked them. Walked the house. Tried another position. And they are still crying.
Caring for a baby who is frequently uncomfortable or difficult to soothe can be exhausting—especially when you know something feels different but cannot figure out what your baby is trying to tell you.
You are not imagining it, and you are not failing your baby.
Crying is one of the primary ways infants communicate. Sometimes the reason is easy to identify. Other times, babies may seem tense, overwhelmed, uncomfortable, or simply have a harder time settling. Rather than focusing only on the label "colic," we believe it is helpful to step back and look at the whole baby.
Have a Baby Who's Hard to Settle? Let's Take a Closer LookDoes This Feel Familiar?
Parents may describe a baby who:
- Cries for long periods without an obvious reason
- Is particularly fussy during the late afternoon or evening
- Seems difficult to comfort
- Frequently clenches their fists
- Pulls their legs toward their belly
- Stiffens or arches their body
- Appears tense during or after feeding
- Has difficulty relaxing into certain positions
- Wants to be held or moved constantly
- Struggles to transition into sleep
- Seems uncomfortable lying in certain positions
- Turns or positions their body predominantly toward one side
- Settles temporarily but becomes upset again quickly
Some babies may appear perfectly content between crying episodes. The pattern—and everything happening around it—can provide useful information.
Colic Describes a Pattern, Not One Known Cause
Colic is commonly used to describe frequent, prolonged, intense crying or fussiness in an otherwise healthy infant when no clear cause has been identified.
Traditionally, colic has been described using the "rule of threes"—crying for approximately three or more hours a day, three or more days a week, for three or more weeks.
But parents do not need to wait until their baby meets a formula before asking for help.
There is no single known cause of colic. Babies cry for many reasons, including hunger, fatigue, overstimulation, feeding difficulties, illness, discomfort, or simply needing support during a period of rapid development.
That is why we do not assume every fussy baby has the same problem—or needs the same solution.
What Is Their Body Telling Us?
A baby cannot tell us:
- "My neck feels tight."
- "I don't like turning that direction."
- "This position is uncomfortable."
- "I am tired and overwhelmed."
Instead, babies communicate through behaviors, movement, feeding patterns, sleep, facial expressions, and crying. When a baby is difficult to settle, we want to understand more than how often they cry.
We may ask:
- How was the pregnancy and birth?
- How is feeding going?
- Does baby prefer one side?
- Can baby comfortably turn their head both ways?
- Do they frequently arch or stiffen?
- How do they tolerate tummy time?
- Are there positions they strongly dislike?
- How are they sleeping?
- When does the crying usually happen?
- What helps them settle?
- Does their body seem relaxed between episodes?
These clues help us build a fuller picture of how the baby is moving and adapting.
Babies Experience Their World Through Movement
A newborn is constantly receiving sensory information from feeding, touch, movement, sound, light, position, and interaction. Regulation develops gradually as the nervous system learns to organize and respond to that input.
When a baby also demonstrates physical tension, arching, head preference, limited mobility, or difficulty tolerating positions, those physical patterns may be worth evaluating.
Healthy joint mobility gives babies the opportunity to comfortably explore these different positions and movements. When areas of the body are not moving comfortably, babies may compensate by favoring certain positions or developing tension patterns.
Our role is not to say that restricted joint movement "causes colic," but to determine whether mobility, physical tension, or asymmetrical movement patterns may be additional factors worth addressing.
Looking Beyond the Crying
Mojica Chiropractic Care does not diagnose or treat colic.
Instead, Dr. Liz evaluates whether there are physical or movement patterns that may deserve attention. Depending on your baby's age, history, and presentation, we may assess:
- Head and neck mobility
- Spinal and joint mobility
- Body symmetry
- Head preference
- Physical tension patterns
- Comfortable positioning
- Feeding-position preferences
- Tummy-time tolerance
- Early developmental movement
- Birth and pregnancy history
- Patterns of arching or stiffening
- Nervous system regulation
- Overall movement quality
The goal is to understand how your baby's body is functioning—not simply try to stop the crying.
Gentle Support for a Body That Is Learning to Adapt
Infant chiropractic care at Mojica Chiropractic Care is gentle, specific, and adapted to a baby's developing body.
Dr. Liz evaluates spinal and joint mobility and uses age-appropriate chiropractic techniques when areas of restricted movement or physical tension are identified.
The goal is to support:
- Comfortable movement
- Joint mobility
- Body awareness
- Symmetry
- Adaptability
- Nervous system regulation
- Greater ease moving through different positions
We do not adjust a baby to "treat colic." The focus is: Does the baby have the physical comfort and mobility needed to move, rest, feed, and adapt through different positions?
Instead, chiropractic care may provide a conservative way to address movement or tension patterns that exist alongside the concerns parents are observing. Every baby's needs are different.
Begin by Understanding What Your Baby Needs
When a baby is otherwise healthy but seems tense, uncomfortable, asymmetrical, or difficult to settle, many families appreciate beginning with gentle approaches that help them better understand their baby's movement and physical function.
After ensuring there are no medical concerns requiring treatment, a pediatric chiropractic assessment can take a closer look at mobility, positioning, tension, and how the baby's body is adapting.
Additional support may also be appropriate depending on what is identified.
Our goal is not to rush families into multiple therapies. It is to help parents understand what they are seeing, determine whether chiropractic care may be appropriate, and guide them toward additional resources when their child needs something beyond our scope of care.
Fussiness May Overlap With Other Concerns
Latching Difficulties
Is feeding stressful, uncomfortable, or easier on one side?
Torticollis & Head Preference
Does your baby consistently prefer one direction or become upset when turning the other way?
Reflux & Digestive Concerns
Does crying frequently occur during or after feeds, along with spit-up or other digestive concerns?
Sleep Challenges
Does your baby have difficulty settling into sleep or seem uncomfortable when resting?
Birth Stress & Difficult Deliveries
Could pregnancy or birth history provide useful context for the patterns you are seeing?
Sometimes Simple Things Help
Every baby responds differently, but parents may find it helpful to experiment with:
- Holding and comforting their baby
- Offering feeding when baby shows hunger cues
- Checking diapers and temperature
- Reducing stimulation when baby seems overwhelmed
- Gentle rocking or walking
- Skin-to-skin contact
- Quiet background sound
- Adjusting feeding or holding positions
- Creating consistent calming routines
- Offering supervised movement and tummy time while awake as age-appropriate
Your baby's cues matter.
Sometimes the goal is not to immediately stop every cry, but to help your baby feel safe and supported while you continue looking for what they may need.
A Crying Baby Can Be Overwhelming
Persistent crying is exhausting. Feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, or desperate does not make you a bad parent.
Ask for help when you need it.
If your baby's crying is becoming too much, place your baby safely on their back in their crib or other approved safe sleep space and step away briefly while you regain your composure.
Never shake a baby.
Reach out to someone you trust or your healthcare provider when you need support. Caring for you is also part of caring for your baby.
Crying Can Sometimes Mean Something More
Excessive crying should be discussed with your baby's pediatrician, especially when the pattern is new, severe, or has never been evaluated.
Seek prompt medical guidance when your baby:
- Has a fever, especially during the first three months of life
- Is unusually sleepy, weak, or difficult to wake
- Is having difficulty breathing
- Is vomiting repeatedly or forcefully
- Refuses feeds or has noticeably fewer wet diapers
- Cannot be comforted for an unusually prolonged period
- Looks or acts very sick, or has any symptom that makes you feel something is wrong
Trust your instincts. You know your baby better than anyone else.
Gentle Care for the Littlest Members of Your Family
Babies require a completely different approach than adults. Dr. Liz is certified in chiropractic pediatrics and uses gentle, age-appropriate techniques while considering each baby's movement, comfort, developmental stage, and individual needs.
Explore Pediatric Chiropractic CareSupporting Development From the Beginning
The early months are filled with rapid neurological and physical development.
As babies grow, movement becomes increasingly complex—from head control and tummy time to rolling, sitting, crawling, and beyond. We continue to pay attention to how each new skill builds upon the movement experiences that came before it.
For children who later need deeper developmental support, Rooted Pathways: A Neurodevelopment Program will provide a more comprehensive approach to developmental movement, sensory regulation, primitive reflex assessment and integration, and brain-body communication.
Learn About Rooted PathwaysLearn More
Why Is My Baby So Fussy?
A parent-friendly look at common reasons babies cry and why observing patterns can be helpful.
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Why Does My Baby Arch Their Back When Crying?
Explore several reasons parents may notice arching or body tension and when it deserves additional evaluation.
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Colic or Something Else? What Parents Should Notice
Explain what colic means, what parents can observe, and when pediatric evaluation is appropriate.
Read MoreHave a Baby Who's Hard to Settle? Let's Take a Closer Look
Sometimes all a parent knows is: "My baby just doesn't seem comfortable."
That is enough reason to ask questions. We will listen to what you have been seeing, look thoughtfully at your baby's movement, mobility, positioning, and physical patterns, and help you determine what the next appropriate step may be.