Visceral Manipulation (VM) is a gentle hands-on manual therapy approach involving the release and mobility of organs (viscera) and the surrounding connective tissue network (fascia, ligaments, mesentery etc). Visceral manipulation was first developed by french physiotherapist and osteopath Jean-Pierre Barral and was named “one of the top healing innovators to watch in the new millennium”. Visceral Manipulation evaluates to whole body to find the source of dysfunction instead of focusing on the site of pain. After all, pain can lie. 

The body is like a matrix, with interconnected components which include muscles, bones, nerves, connective tissues (fascia) and organs. Every second you are alive, your organs are in constant movement.  When you breathe, twist, bend, flex or run, your physical (external body; container) and your visceral (internal body; content) move in relation to one another. It is important to keep in mind that the amount of mobility within the internal body, will reciprocally affect how well your external body moves and gets utilized.

For example, when we breathe, the kidneys move up and down a total of 2.5cm.  With deep inhalation, the kidneys can move a total of 10cm.  In one day, that’s approximately 0.8km. The expansion of the lungs onto the ribs, the expansion and depression of the diaphragm pushes the abdominal content and transmits this movement to the organs through the fascia and other structures of the body. Mobility of the inside and the outside body happens freely when both are moving optimally.

The mobility of an organ remains optimal when there is no physical trauma, surgery, dysfunctional posture or infection just to name a few examples.  When an organ is restricted, the surrounding structures will start to compensate.  For instance, a fall on your right side could affect the mobility of the liver. The liver has strong ligaments holding the organ anchored in place onto the ribs.  With trauma, like a fall, the ligaments experience a “whip”, and can be placed into constant tension creating abnormal points of stress as well as compensations and adaptations in the rest of the body.  With an example such as this one, a clinical presentation could display itself as “difficulty twisting and tension around the ribs when taking a deep breath”. Lack of mobility in the mid back, if left untreated, can lead to back pain or even shoulder pain and tendonitis down the road for example. Maybe it’s time to reconsider what else could really be causing your physical pain and limitations!

Another great example where VM can be beneficial is scar tissue on a section of the lungs. If you are someone with a history of chronic bronchitis or pneumonia, most likely you have adhesions or even scar tissue that you may be unaware of.  Scar tissue and adhesion (anywhere in the body), act like duct tape.  In the example mentioned, adhesions along the lungs will make taking a deep, or even sometimes a normal inhalation more challenging. This requires more effort from the muscles between the ribs, the neck, shoulders and diaphragm, leading to chronic muscle tension. The gliding surfaces of the tissues surrounding your lungs, as well as all the connective tissue assisting in breathing, need to glide freely with little to no resistance. This assures optimal movement, efficiency and ease in the body.  If adhesions and scars are left untreated, this can lead to cascading events, and could explain why sometimes pain can show up far away from the source of dysfunction.  In the example mentioned above, the ribs can start shifting, creating tension in the muscles, which in turn can pull on the spine. 

What does it feel like?

Visceral Manipulation, along with other manual therapy techniques can be a gentle way of nudging your body into a state of equilibrium. You might feel a light compression, elongation and mobilization in the soft tissue.  The treatment is not painful at all.  Some might feel a subtle shift, while others might feel a great release at the point of contact or even elsewhere in the body. Changes are usually felt within 24-48 hours, however the integration period can be longer and can take a few days to feel the full effects of the treatment.