Visceral
Manipulation
The
Therapeutic Value of Visceral Manipulation
Like and
motion are intertwined. Although we can have motion without life, we cannot
have life without motion. Of particular importance are those motions
– not ordinarily visible – that take place within the human
body. They’re linked to many levels of activity, from cellular
pulsations to rhythmic contractions of the heart, diaphragm, even the
craniosacral system.
The
Visceral system relies on the interconnected synchronicity between the
motions of all the organs and structures of the body. At optimal health,
this harmonious relationship remains stable despite the body’s
endless varieties of motion. But when one organ cannot move in harmony with
its viscera due to abnormal tone, adhesions or displacement, it works
against the body’s other organs and muscular, membranous, fascial and
osseous structures. This disharmony creates fixed, abnormal points of tension
that the body is forced to move around. And that chronic irritation, in
turn, paves the way for disease and dysfunction.
Imagine
and adhesion around the lungs. It would create a modified axis that demands
abnormal accommodations from nearby body structures. For example, the
adhesion could alter rib motion, which could then create imbalanced forces
on the vertebral column and, with time, possible develop a dysfunctional
relationship with other structures. This scenario highlights just one of
hundreds of possible ramifications of a small dysfunction – magnified
by thousands of repetitions each day.
Thanks to
the dedicated work of Jean-Pierre Barral, an osteopathic physician and
registered physical therapist, healthcare practitioners today can use the
rhythmic motions of the visceral system as important therapeutic tools.
Barral’s research and clinical work with the viscera led to his
development of a form of manual therapy that focuses on the internal
organs, their environment, and their potential influence on many structural
and physiological dysfunctions. The term he coined for this therapy was
Visceral Manipulation.
Visceral
Manipulation relies on the palpation of normal and abnormal forces with the
body. By using specific techniques, therapists can evaluate how abnormal
forces interplay, overlap and affect the normal body forces remove abnormal
effects, whatever the sources. Those effects can be global, encompassing
many areas of bodily function.
How
Does Visceral Manipulation Help You?
Visceral
Manipulation is used to locate and solve problems throughout the body. It
encourages your own natural mechanisms to improve the functioning of your
organs, dissipate the negative effects of stress, and enhance general
health and resistance to disease.
Visceral
Manipulation is based on the specific placement of soft manual forces to
encourage the normal mobility, tone and motion of the viscera and their
connective tissues. These gentle manipulations can potentially improve the
functioning of individual organs, the systems the organs function within,
and the structural integrity of the entire body.
Harmony
and health exist when motion is free and excursion is full – when
motion is not labored, overexcited, depressed, or conflicting with
neighboring structures and their mobility. Therapists using Visceral
Manipulation assess the dynamic functional actions as well as the somatic
structures that perform individual activities. They also evaluate the
quality of the somatic structures and their functions in relation to an
overall harmonious pattern, with motion serving as the gauge for
determining quality.
Due to the
delicate and often highly reactive nature of the visceral tissues, gentle
force precisely directed reaps the greatest results. As with other methods
of manipulation that affect the body deeply, Visceral Manipulation works
only to assist the forces already at work. Because of that, trained
therapists can be sure of benefiting the body rather than adding further
injury or disorganization.
Today, a
wide variety of healthcare professionals perform Visceral Manipulation.
Practitioners include medical doctors, doctors of chiropractic, doctors of
Oriental medicine, naturopathic physicians, physical therapists,
occupational therapists, massage therapists and other licensed body
workers.
