What is Visceral Manipulation and How Can It Help Me?
Visceral Manipulation (VM) is one of the main components of Osteopathy. VM is used to help find and release restrictions in the abdomen fascia and in the body’s viscera (organs) such as the stomach, liver and gallbladder. By releasing the restrictions, we are encouraging normal movement and function in the body’s organs. Visceral Manipulation can help you feel better and can be the key to banishing recurring chronic musculoskeletal pain and bio-mechanical dysfunctions.
How are the restrictions released?
Your Manual Osteopath will use gentle palpation to look for restrictions and changes in texture of the fascia, primarily in the abdomen area. Often these areas will also be tender or painful. Once the Manual Osteopath has found restrictions, light massage, gentle compression and mobilizations are used to release the restrictions and encourage motility of the organ. While there may be some pain or discomfort during VM, it is very gentle and many patients find it relaxing.
What can cause restrictions in the viscera?
There are many different situations that may cause a lack of mobility within the organs, such as physical traumas/injuries, surgeries, infections and illnesses, sedentary lifestyle, air pollution, poor posture, unhealthy diet and pregnancy/delivery. All of our organs are attached to other structures within the body, so when restrictions are formed, the body is forced to compensate. These compensations create tension which causes functional and structural problems throughout all aspects or systems of the body – musculoskeletal, nervous, respiratory and digestive, to name a few.
How might I know if I need Visceral Manipulation?
As previously mentioned, Visceral Manipulation works on the body’s organs. It can be beneficial for any pain, concerns or conditions that are not necessarily muscle or joint related such as digestive issues, diarrhea or constipation, IBS, heartburn, migraines, PMS or menopause symptoms and more. However, often muscle and joint pain and restrictions or pain in the viscera go hand in hand. Sometimes restrictions in our viscera can cause muscle and joint pain or vice versa. This is why VM can assist in eliminating chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Common organ and joint/spine relationships:
As mentioned above, our organs, certain vertebrae and our joints are directly related. Here are some of the common relationships:
- Stomach – mid back left side, sometimes lower neck, some right shoulder issues
- Gallbladder – lower neck and mid back
- Liver – lower neck vertebrae and mid back, some right shoulder issues, some cases of left sciatica
- Lungs – mid and upper back
- Small Intestine – mid-lower back pain
- Large Intestine – left side low back pain
- Spleen – left mid back pain or left lower ribs
- Kidneys – low back, some cases of right leg sciatica (right kidney)
- Pancreas – left side SI joint, some left shoulder issues
Organs, emotions and stress:
You have probably been nervous at least once in you life and chances are when you felt nervous, you also had an uncomfortable feeling in your stomach. Our organs and our emotions have a strong relationship. Emotional reactions, especially those that occur over long periods of time, can have a very negative effect on the related organ. The organ will then send this negative feedback to the brain which will continue this cycle of recurring pain. This relationship may also cause symptoms like nausea, headaches, heartburn, insomnia, heart palpitations and ulcers. Here are some of the common organ-emotion relationships:
- Stomach – over-thinking, concerns with social status/self-image/negative self-esteem, spontaneous anger or aggression, organ of masculinity
- Gallbladder – anger, irritability, stress you put on yourself
- Liver – anger, irritability, depression, pessimism, self-being
- Bladder – fear, guilt
- Lungs – grief, anxiety
- Small Intestine – joy, organ of femininity
- Large Intestine – grief, anxiety, overprotectiveness
- Spleen – over-thinking, reserved grief
- Kidneys – fear and phobias, feelings of abandonment, depression
- Pancreas – deep grief, feelings of mortality
If you feel like you may be in need of some Visceral Manipulation or if you have any questions regarding VM or Osteopathy in general, you can book a complimentary 15 minute visit or phone call (click here) with our Manual Osteopath, Shannon Uppington. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
