Visceral manipulation, also known as organ massage, is a manual therapy established by French osteopath Jean-Pierre Barral in the 80s. When working in a dissection lab at a lung disease hospital, Jean-Pierre found that the connective tissue around our organs can tighten and trigger a variety of physical problems and this led him to develop the treatment.
‘Viscera’ refers to the internal organs, such as the liver, kidneys and intestines, the movement of which is transmitted through fascia – a thin connective tissue – to other parts of the body. When you are healthy, all of the different structures move with an interconnected fluidity. Organs can, however, lose their mobility for a number of reasons, such as physical trauma, infections and pollution. When they are no longer freely mobile they become fixed to other structures and the body is forced to compensate. This disharmony creates abnormal points of tension which cause functional and structural problems throughout the body – musculoskeletal, vascular and respiratory to name but a few.
Visceral manipulation is designed to aid the body’s ability to release these restrictions and unhealthy compensations. The practitioner doesn’t focus solely on the site of the pain, but evaluates the entire body to find the source of the problem. They will feel for altered or decreased motion within the viscera as well as restrictive patterns and then softly compress, mobilise and elongate the soft tissues using their hands. As the tensions are undone, symptoms will decrease, although this can take several days after a session to occur. The therapy can help to alleviate a vast range of issues, including endometriosis, anxiety and depression, digestive disorders and back, hip and knee pain, and most people will benefit from it even without a specific complaint that needs resolving. To find out more visit discovervm.com
On trial
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Beneath your pain is a compensatory pattern created in the body with the initial source of the dysfunction often being far from where the discomfort is felt. The therapist will search for this pattern and the source and treat the related issues. The number of sessions necessary varies from patient to patient – many experience significant improvement within three to five appointments but others may require a longer course of treatment. With your practitioner you will develop a plan based on your needs and how your body responds to the therapy.
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Lynne Franks
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