Colic Isn’t a Diagnosis: Understanding What’s Really Going On and How Bodywork Can Help
If you’ve ever been told your baby has colic, you may have noticed how unsatisfying that word can feel. Colic sounds definitive, but in reality, it’s a placeholder. It describes a set of symptoms, not an explanation.
Traditionally, colic is defined as prolonged, inconsolable crying in an otherwise healthy infant, often following the “rule of threes.” Crying for more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, for more than three weeks. Helpful for research categories, maybe. Comforting for exhausted parents? Rarely.
What’s important to understand is this: colic is not a diagnosis. It’s a blanket term used when no clear cause has yet been identified.
Colic as a Signal, Not a Label
Babies cry to communicate. When crying becomes intense, persistent, and difficult to soothe, it’s often a sign that something in their system is under strain.
Common underlying contributors that can be grouped under “colic” include:
Digestive discomfort or gas
Feeding challenges, including latch or milk transfer issues
Oral tension or asymmetry
Nervous system overwhelm
Physical tension from pregnancy, positioning in utero, or the birth process
Sensory sensitivity or difficulty with regulation
Many of these issues don’t show up on standard medical tests. When growth is appropriate and obvious pathology is ruled out, parents are often told their baby will “grow out of it.” Sometimes that’s true. But waiting doesn’t always feel acceptable when everyone in the household is running on fumes.
The Role of the Nervous System
One of the least discussed aspects of colic is nervous system immaturity.
Newborns are learning how to regulate everything at once: digestion, breathing, sleep cycles, sensory input, and emotional states. Some babies transition smoothly. Others struggle, especially if their system experienced stress before or during birth.
When a baby’s nervous system is stuck in a heightened state, digestion can become inefficient, muscles may hold tension, and soothing becomes harder. Crying, in this context, is not misbehavior. It’s communication from a system that needs support.
How Bodywork Fits In
Gentle infant bodywork, including craniosacral therapy, does not aim to “fix” colic. Instead, it works by addressing possible contributors beneath the surface.
Bodywork may help by:
Reducing physical tension in the head, neck, jaw, diaphragm, and abdomen
Supporting vagus nerve function, which plays a key role in digestion and regulation
Improving comfort during feeding by addressing oral and postural restrictions
Helping the nervous system shift out of constant alert mode
Supporting more efficient digestion and gas movement
Parents often notice changes such as:
Shorter or less intense crying episodes
Easier feeding sessions
Improved sleep stretches
Better ability for baby to settle with soothing
These changes don’t always happen overnight. Many babies need a series of sessions combined with feeding support, environmental adjustments, and time. But when the underlying stressors are addressed, the symptoms we call colic often soften or resolve.
What Bodywork Is and Is Not
It’s important to be clear about expectations.
Bodywork is:
Gentle and non invasive
Baby led and responsive
Focused on comfort, balance, and regulation
Bodywork is not:
A replacement for medical care
A guarantee of immediate results
A one size fits all solution
If a baby shows signs such as poor weight gain, projectile vomiting, blood in stools, fever, or lethargy, medical evaluation is essential. Bodywork works best as part of a collaborative care approach, alongside pediatric providers and lactation support when needed.
Reframing the Conversation Around Colic
When we stop treating colic as a personality trait or a phase to endure, and instead view it as a message, the conversation changes.
Instead of asking, “How do we survive this?”
We can ask, “What might my baby be telling us, and who can help us listen?”
For many families, bodywork becomes one of the tools that helps decode that message, easing the load on both baby and parents.
If you’re navigating colic right now, know this: persistent crying does not mean you’re doing something wrong, and it does not mean your baby is broken. It means support matters.
Sometimes, the difference is not waiting it out, but gently tuning in.
If you’re curious about whether bodywork could support your baby, or you’d like help exploring possible contributors to feeding or regulation challenges, I’m always happy to talk through options and collaborate with your care team.
