What is colic?
Colic is when a healthy baby cries, for no obvious reason. It is the prolonged crying that makes it colic. Crying for three hours a day, three or more days a week, for at least one week, is termed colic.

The baby may also:

Clench their fists when they cry

Be hard to settle or soothe when they’re crying

They bring their knees up to their tummy

They arch their back

Their crying peaks in the late afternoon or evening

If you have a baby with colic, you’ll know you have a baby with colic. It can feel distressing, worrying, and upsetting for the parent.

What causes colic?

There’s no definitive cause of colic, which makes is hard to solve.

One thing that may help with colic is Paediatric Osteopathy.

Paediatric Osteopathy for babies is incredibly gentle.

What is Osteopathy?

The General Osteopathic Council describes Osteopathy as a system of diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of medical conditions.

It works with the structure and function of the body, and is based on the principle that the wellbeing of an individual depends on the skeleton, muscles, ligaments and connective tissues functioning smoothly together.

What is Paediatric Osteopathy?

Paediatric Osteopathy is a specialism of Osteopathy that uses incredibly gentle techniques specifically for treating babies, children, teens and perinatal mums.

Each technique used is specific to the baby and is individual to them. The methods used for babies are very gentle, but nonetheless powerful, requiring specialist skill and knowledge.

It takes a minimum of six years to become a paediatric osteopath, first achieving a four-year full-time (five years if part-time) bachelor’s degree in osteopathy (including a minimum of 1,000 clinic hours), before progressing to a post-graduate qualification in paediatric osteopathy.

How can Paediatric Osteopathy help my baby’s colic?

Paediatric Osteopathy may help the baby’s digestive tract. The vagus nerve are the main nerves of the parasympathetic nervous system. This system controls specific body functions such as your digestion, heart rate and immune system.

Paediatric Osteopathy uses gentle techniques to open up communication in the vagus nerve, which may relax the digestive tract, and help with the baby’s colic.

Other gentle techniques used in Paediatric Osteopathy may help to:

• Alleviate wind
• Help the bowels to empty
• Balance the rib cage and diaphragm
• Release tension in the neck

About Michele McBain – Paediatric Osteopath

Michele McBain is our specialist Paediatric Osteopath. Michele has a longstanding interested in health and the holistic harmony within. She was born in Hong Kong, and grew up with the concept of the interconnection of the equilibrium of body, mind and spirit, and the different stages in life has their specific demands on the body functions and its health.

Michele gained a Master of Osteopathy in 2014, at the University College of Osteopathy (formerly known as British School of Osteopathy). She then completed a post-graduate course with The Sutherland Cranial College of Osteopathy and spent a year practising paediatric osteopathy at the Osteopathic Centre for Children in London.

While studying at the Osteopathic Centre for Children Michele learned a range of gentle techniques for babies and children. These include: physical manipulation, stretching and massage, and other gentle techniques such as cranial.

Cranial techniques are safe, gentle, and non-manipulative. They are often used when treating young children and newborn infants. Very gentle osteopathic techniques can help to release and balance areas of physical tension, helping to soothe and relax as well as promoting freer movement where the muscles have been tight.

There’s no minimum age for a baby or child to visit the Osteopath. Michele has helped babies from as little as five days old.

Michele is available at our Slade Clinic in Plumstead. To make an appointment with Michele call 020 8316 5316 or visit our online booking page.