Visceral Manipulation is a modality that assesses the relationship between organs/viscera and other structures in the body. Receiving these techniques can feel very gentle, or it can be tender depending on the severity of the tension and scar tissue there is in the abdomen and thorax.

Organs and Viscera play a major role in our bodies. They obviously fulfill their function of helping us breathe, digest our food, and circulate blood (to name a few), but they also help our body move by being able to slide against each other and against the structures they attach to. It would be challenging to bend forward if our diaphragm and digestive tract were static structures. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, organs and viscera are intimately connected to emotions, and certain emotions can cause dysfunction in the body. For example, lungs are associated with grief and sadness, so if you’ve experienced grief that has then been stored in your lungs, this could potentially create tension in that area, leading to shortness of breath or even upper back pain.

The goal of Visceral Manipulation is to release tension around an organ or viscera to improve its mobility and blood flow, thereby improving its function, to address symptoms experienced by the patient.

Visceral Manipulation was introduced in the 80s by French Osteopath Jean-Pierre Barral, and the popularity of using this method has grown since then. But Mr. Barral was not the first manual therapist to think of working with these structures: Arvigo Therapy - work based on ancient Mayan abdominal work, and Chi Nei Tsang - traditional Chinese massage that specifically targets the abdomen and internal organs, are two other types of Visceral Manipulation used in the world.

The point of the last paragraph is: no matter the Visceral Manipulation background of the therapist, it is a very valuable modality for someone to receive when dealing with either acute or chronic issues. Visceral Manipulation can help with:

chronic back and neck pain that has not resolved with other kinds of treatment
GERD and acid reflux
pelvic pain
intestinal transit problems: constipation and/or diarrhea
sciatica
chronic inflammation issues
headaches
shoulder dysfunction and/or pain
chronic issues from a trauma like Motor Vehicle Accidents

Visceral Manipulation can be the final push to unlock the root cause of your issues, or it can be used in tandem with other modalities to fully release the tension (ie: mobilizing your right SI joint as well as working on your cecum, which sits in front of the SI joint, to have a 360 release of the tension causing the dysfunction).

The Benefits of Visceral Manipulation