By some estimates, 40 percent of infants develop colic. In some cases, the daily bouts of crying can persist for over a year.

Brooks said in many cases, she believes colic is caused by pain from skull bones that aren’t quite in the right place, perhaps misaligned in childbirth.

“That creates an increase in pressure, which gives them what I tell moms is almost like a big headache,” Brooks said. “And, that really all stems from the cranial bones not being where they need to be and sometimes the cervical spine not being in proper alignment.”

Using just her thumbs, Brooks uses extremely gentle pressure to guide the bones back to where they belong. It’s called craniolsacral therapy. It’ snot a one-time treatment, though some patients experience relief quickly.

“I usually see babies twice a week for two to four weeks, and then once a week until they’re done,” Brooks said.