Visceral Manipulation
Visceral Manipulation (VM) was developed by Jean-Pierre Barral, DO in France.  He noticed the relationship that fascia has to dysfunction within the body.  This dysfunction can be in the joints manifesting in the may we move to dysfunction of an individual organ such as the liver or gallbladder causing disease or pain.

At optimal health, the relationship between the organs (viscera) and the supporting foundations of the body (muscles, connective tissue and bones) remains stable.  Basically, meaning that the organs should easily glide smoothly against other organs and the surrounding supporting structures.  When an irritant comes along to disrupt this smooth gliding (biochemical imbalance, trauma, scalpel blade, etc), the organ can’t move in harmony with its surrounding viscera and can work against other organs and surrounding tissue.  This disharmony creates fixed, abnormal points of tension (abnormal tone, adhesions or prolapse) that the body is forced to move around.  When one organ cannot move freely in relation to other surrounding structures, tension is created and disease begins.

Visceral Manipulation (VM) is a gentle hands-on therapy that works through the body’s visceral system (internal organs and connective tissue) to locate and alleviate these abnormal points of tension throughout the body.  Visceral Manipulation (VM) employs specifically placed manual forces that work 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.

By complementing the body's natural healing processes, Visceral Manipulation (VM) is effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction, including:

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Chronic Neck and Back Pain
  • Pain From Scar Tissue (surgical, trauma)
  • Scoliosis
  • Colic 
  • Infantile Disorders
  • Stress and Tension-Related Problems
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

 

  • Prolapsed organs
  • Incontinence (fecal and urine)
  • Premenstrual Disorders
  • Constipation (slow transit)
  • Connective-Tissue Disorders
  • Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ)
  • Motor-Coordination Impairments
  • Orthopedic Problems

 
 



Experience pain to the full.  Do not try to run away from it, do not resist it by thinking of something else or by cursing fate.  Open your arms to it, embrace it, ask it to do its worst to you.  To go with it requires a moment's plucking up of courage; it seems to invite disaster, yet oddly enough it is the only salvation.


Alan Watts