Visceral Manipulation, Osteopathic Techniques

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, or OMT, is a set of hands-on techniques used to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. Using an OMT approach, a therapist moves a patient’s fascia, organs, nerves, muscles, and joints using techniques specifically designed to mobilize the precise anatomic structure. Movement = Health.

Viscera means the internal organs. Visceral Manipulation (VM) is a manual therapy consisting of light, gentle, specifically placed manual forces that encourage the normal mobility, tone, and inherent tissue motion of viscera, their connective tissue, and other areas of the body where physiologic motion has been impaired. Visceral Manipulation is organ-specific fascial mobilization.

It is said that over 90% of neuro-muscular-skeletal dysfunction have a visceral component associated with them. According to Jean-Pierre Barral, DO, “The purpose of Visceral Manipulation is to recreate, harmonize and increase proprioceptive communication in the body to enhance its internal mechanism for better health.”

Visceral Manipulation may be included in the PT session and may be very helpful in eliminating chronic low back pain, chronic neck pain, shoulder pain, pelvic and hip dysfunction, constipation, bloating, and digestive complaints.