Visceral Mobilization

Visceral manipulation is a manual therapy consisting of gentle, specifically placed manual forces that encourage normal mobility, tone and inherent tissue motion of the organs, their connective tissue and ultimately the body as a whole. We see many people for this as a stand-alone intervention but more often this is a component of comprehensive physical therapy treatment.  

Visceral mobility is the movement of the viscera in response to external forces.  The simple activities of daily living as well as movements of exercise require that the organs of our body move.  Similarly, internal movements such as our respiratory diaphragm (the main muscle of breathing) working and pelvic floor movements up and down create forces that push and pull on our internal organs.  For our organs to function properly, each organ needs to glide and slide in relation to all the other tissues without restriction.  A restriction or adhesion (sticky spot) to another structure can cause impairments and pain.

The concept of organ mobility and stability is key to understanding dysfunctions of the pelvic floor. If organs cannot expand fully because of fibrotic attachments, adhesions from endometriosis or scarring from trauma/surgery, symptoms can be:

  • Pelvic pressure

  • Pelvic pain

  • Constipation

  • Urinary frequency

  • Painful sex

If organs aren’t stabilized in their proper positions because of weakened or torn muscles and ligaments, problems such as 

  • Pelvic organ prolapse

  • Pelvic pain, pressure and/or heaviness

  • Constipation

  • urinary retention

A fine balance of mobility and stability of structures maintains pelvic health.  Chronic pressure on organs leads to inflammation.  Organs are meant to move as organs interpret immobility as pressure.  Organs are also meant to be stable as too much laxity leads to prolapses and hernias.  Tissues lose their normal motion when they become inflamed.  Infections, direct trauma, repetitive movement, diet, environmental toxins and (indirectly) emotional stress can all all cause tissue inflammation.  Motion is life and our bodies need movement to be healthy.  For an organ to be healthy and have optimal function there needs to be motion.  

How we can help:

  • Evaluation of organ motion 

    • The mobility of an organ caused by pushes and pulls of surrounding tissues

    • The motility of an organ– this is the organ’s own intrinsic, active motion 

  • Treatment of areas of decreased/altered motion and restoration of better physiologic motion/function

The non-exhaustive list below includes a lot of medical jargon, but we list this out in hopes of connecting people with a potential missing link to heal.

IN THE CLINIC

Things that we see in patients that would lead us to use visceral mobilization to at least evaluate if not treat an organ: 

Krystle Howald