I first got interested in visceral manipulation because I enjoy gentle, hands-on therapies that are both therapeutic as well as relaxing. I had already been exposed to and practicing craniosacral therapy and Reiki for years, so I knew the benefit of subtle therapies. Even though techniques like visceral manipulation and craniosacral therapy are more subtle in nature—as opposed to stronger manual therapies like chiropractic adjustments and deep tissue massage—it does not mean they are any less effective. Gentle therapies work well both as stand-alone treatments and complementary treatments with the stronger manual therapies. So when I heard about visceral manipulation, I jumped at the chance to learn another subtle hands-on technique.

Visceral manipulation is a relatively new technique and was developed by Jean-Pierre Barral, DO and Pierre Mercier, DO, two European osteopathic doctors. Both chiropractic medicine and osteopathic medicine traditionally have focused heavily on examining and treating the musculoskeletal system to reduce pain. However Drs. Barral and Mercier wondered why equal focus was not paid to the body's organs, also known as the viscera. All tissues in the body are surrounded by something called connective tissue. Connective tissue contains fibers, cells including immune system cells, and what is known as the extracellular matrix, which helps to give structure to the connective tissue. Connective tissue performs just as it sounds—it actually forms a connection around and between every single muscle, bone and organ in the body. Trauma from events like car accidents, surgeries, exercise or sports injuries, etc. can cause scar tissue formation in the body's connective tissue. Scar tissue formation can lead to pain and decreased mobility in the body. Musculoskeletal-focused treatments like osteopathic manipulation, chiropractic manipulation and massage help reduce scar tissue (as well as help treat other trauma like muscle spasm and skeletal nervous system dysfunction) around the muscles and bones, but does not treat the scar tissue around the viscera. For example, if someone gets into a car accident, they may develop back pain. A common course of treatment is chiropractic manipulation and massage to help relieve back muscle spasms and pain. However, more than just the muscles around the spine experience trauma from the car accident. The viscera can also be jarred, causing connective tissue damage and scar tissue formation, which also can cause back pain. Visceral manipulation helps relieve this connective tissue damage and scar tissue formation around the viscera.

Visceral manipulation examination and treatment actually has two different aspects: mobility and motility. Mobility pertains to the physical aspect of the organ itself and the quality of the tissues surrounding the organ. To assess the mobility of an organ, the practitioner gently compresses the tissues around the organ to test for organ motion as well as general restriction of the connective tissue. Treatment involves stretching and mobilizing the organ and its surrounding connective tissue. Motility pertains to the inherent motion of an organ. Drs. Barral and Mercier discovered each organ has its own subtle movement from embryonic origin to its current position and back. This movement should be equal in both directions and if it is not, the practitioner helps the organ balance its motility. Both mobility and motility can be used separately, but when used together the treatments tend to be more effective.

I find visceral manipulation very useful when dealing with patients who have had long-term pain. Usually these patients have had multiple traumas over the years. Since it is not a very well-known therapy, I am excited that I can provide people with yet another alternative treatment to help alleviate pain and bring balance to the body.