Do you find yourself feeling frequent stomach discomfort, vague pain that won’t go away, or just have a “gut” feeling that something is going on without a diagnosis?
The abdomen contains many organs that perform critical functions for the body. This includes digesting food, absorbing nutrients, and even maintaining proper hormone balance. When everything is working well, we typically don’t even know all of this is happening. The problem is, when everything isn’t working well, it can be a major source of difficulties. Far too often we talk to clients that have had extensive scans, tests, and medical workup without a clear answer as to why their gut doesn’t feel right. IBS, Leaky Gut and chronic constipation are common diagnoses that traditional medical intervention does not treat successfully.
At Peak Pelvic Health, we offer what is called Visceral Manipulation. This is a gentle, but specific set of techniques that our providers use to identify and treat gut dysfunction. Visceral Manipulation is oftentimes referred to as the missing piece when trying to solve nagging issues without success using traditional treatment.
An example of where visceral manipulation is indicated could be a case of general stomach discomfort along with poor posture, mid back pain, and even difficulty raising your arms above your head or bloating after meals. How can this all be related? Well, the stomach is anchored to several surrounding structures with attachments to the diaphragm and other nearby organs. If any of the tissue surrounding the stomach is tight, it can be pulling on other organs, your ab muscles, and even your spine! Oftentimes with just a few visceral manipulation sessions, people are able to breathe easier, twist and bend without as much spine tension, and even reduce gut inflammation.
This is all related to how well an organ can move. If the stomach moves freely, we improve its ability to perform its natural function, and also reduce secondary issues it may be causing. Each abdominal organ also shares nerve connections with certain levels of the spine to give the brain information about pain. A notable example of this is the shared innervation of the large intestine and the lumbar spine. Chronic low back pain and SI Joint pain can be related to tight ligaments and tissue connections at the large intestine. There are several specific techniques that our providers use which can reduce the ligament tightness around this area to alleviate symptoms that have not responded well to traditional treatment, such as spine adjustments, massage, stretching, and exercise.
Why do organs stop moving well? Any one of or a combination of these factors can influence the quality and mobility of the visceral tissues:
-Surgery
-Infections
-Physical trauma
-Repeated movements
-Emotional stress
-Poor diet
-microbiome dysfunction
Like all treatments, it often takes time to heal and correct long standing issues, but the goal of visceral manipulation is to encourage the body to restore balance.
French osteopath and developer of visceral manipulation, Jean-Pierre Barral, DO states it best:
“The purpose of Visceral Manipulation is to recreate, harmonize, and increase proprioceptive communication in the body to enhance its internal mechanism for better health.”
Every organ in your abdomen has a role to play in helping us feel well. The gut even has its own nervous system! If you are curious about how visceral manipulation can help you, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Sources
Visceral Manipulation Revised Edition, Jean-Pierre Barral & Pierre Mercier. 1988, 2005.
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