What is Visceral Manipulation?
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When searching for the cause of pain in the body many people look directly to the muscles, bones and joints and never once think there may be a problem happening internally.
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There are a number of different reasons why your organs could be responsible for the cause for your pain.
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The first is known as the Visceral Reflex. Our internal organs refer pain poorly. When your liver, gallbladder, or other internal organs are in pain – They usually send those places to other places in the body. If you think about it right now – Do you feel your gallbladder or pancreas most days? No! This is because sensation in the organs is treated differently by the nervous system.
Although it is possible to feel sensation in your organs – Most of the time they send sensation somewhere else. For just one example – It is common for pain in the right shoulder to be caused by problems in the liver or gallbladder. Pain in the pelvis can often come from the kidneys.
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Our internal organs are also quite heavy and attach to the body through a variety of important ligaments and fascia structures. They all are in some way directly or indirectly connected to the diaphragm and also attach to parts of the pelvis, ribs, spine, and more.
The internal organs are highly mobile and must glide over one another with each inhale and exhale. Each breathe creates a shape change in the abdomen and rib-cage that causes all of the organs to travel through a certain range of motion. If there are abnormal tension patterns caused by to poor posture, injury, or post-operative scar tissue this can cause restriction in the abdomen.
If the organs do not glide properly – It can cause problems in the hips/pelvic, ribs, spine or more! This can also create problems at a distance – Neck pain for example.
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VM may also cause physiological changes in the body leading to faster healing in the musculoskeletal system.
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Another important role that Visceral Manipulation has in Osteopathy is for treating actual visceral conditions.
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Visceral Manipulation may benefit patients with diabetes – By manually affecting the pancreas. Visceral Manipulation may also help with fatty liver, issues with the gall bladder, inflammatory bowel disease , headaches, IBS, hormone imbalances, acid reflux and more!
It may also help patients who have vascular edema, difficulty breathing, digestive issues, adrenal fatigue, high cortisol levels, and even woman’s health issues such as painful periods, endometriosis or the effects of menopause.
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Our organs are also said to be the center of our emotions. Visceral Manipulation can be helpful in treating patients with anxiety, grief, depression, PTSD, high stress levels, addiction and more.
There is also some evidence that visceral manipulation may help with fibromyalgia and chronic pain syndrome!
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Visceral Manipulation is always gentle and non-invasive. It is very safe when performed by a trained professional.
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(Please note: Visceral Manipulation is NOT a substitute for other types of medical care. You must always first consult your family Doctor about your condition. Visceral Manipulation although quite beneficial and effective should never be seen as the primary treatment for most conditions – Talk to a specialist or family physician to see if this is right for you)
