Visceral manipulation, as we know it, was developed by French osteopath Jean Pierre Barral.
Viscera, (internal organs) move in two basic ways. Each has its own internal rhythm, rather like a pulse, or the CranioSacral Rhythm, and, as well, its own natural way to move within the context of the moving body. For instance, if one bends sideways, the ribs move over the liver, or the liver moves under the ribs, or both. Any restriction of this normal visceral mobility can be reflected in somatic or musculoskeletal restriction, pain, or dysfunction.
Examination is by palpation, and treatment is by manual mobilization / manipulation.
Like CranioSacral Therapy the forces applied to the body are in the order of grams.
In our practice, primarily responding to pain and biomechanical dysfunction secondary to injury, we have typically used a few particular Visceral Manipulation findings and techniques as adjunct treatment to complement our other approaches.
For more information on Visceral Manipulation, to find a practitioner in your area or to learn how to add this modality to your practice please check The Upledger Institute.
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