Ottawa Holistic Health Centre
Multidisciplinary Health Care Practitioners
_edited_edited.jpg)
- Pre and Post Natal
Mother and Infant Care
- Adult and Pediatric Osteopathy
- Adult Osteopathy
-Athlete Osteopathy
-Visceral and Structural Osteopathy
-Athlete and Sports injury Osteopathy
-Cranial Osteopathy
-Visceral Osteopathy
-Structural Osteopathy
Visceral Osteopathy
Visceral osteopathy is concerned with the manipulation of the organs and their relation to the body. Treatment of painful but common disorders including sport injuries, bloating, migraines and other headaches, bladder, bowel, and intestine problems, and other symptoms can be relieved with visceral osteopathy.
Viscera is the collective name for the organs present in the chest and abdomen. Visceral osteopathy seeks to release tensions from the tissues of these organs to allow them to function freely.
A buildup of tissue tension in these organs may exert a pull on the spine through their ligamentous attachments. To avoid further stretch on the organs the body may unconsciously hunch forward. This may be a factor in chronic back and neck pain.
A buildup of tissue tension in these organs may exert a pull on the spine through their ligamentous attachments. To avoid further stretch on the organs the body may unconsciously hunch forward. This may be a factor in chronic back and neck pain.
All the viscera have thin membranous coverings which allow the organs to move smoothly on neighbouring organs. Each organ is attached to the spine or the walls of the body cavities by ligaments, so whenever your spine moves these organs must move with it.
Adhesions or tensions alter or restrict this free movement and may stress the organ. This may lead to stiffness and pain elsewhere in the body. When the organ can no longer move freely, the body reduces discomfort by "moving around the restriction". For example, tension in the front of the abdomen may tend to cause the body to bend forward to avoid stretching the area. Likewise with tension on one side, the body may twist towards that side. Over time the body may adapt its posture to deal with these restrictions.
Visceral Osteopathy involves gentle manipulation to affect the organs by virtue of their connective tissue support system. In health each organ expresses a subtle motility and is surrounded by fluid lined membranes that enable healthy motion.
The manual osteopaths will work through the body’s visceral system to locate and alleviate these abnormal points of tension throughout the body. There are many techniques that use gentle pressure to encourage normal movement of the viscera and their connective tissues. Trained practitioners use the rhythmic motions of the visceral system to evaluate how any abnormal forces interplay, overlap and affect the normal body forces at work.
How do visceral restrictions arise? These restrictions might arise in several ways. Restrictions may occur following surgery (such as cesarean) as tissues adhere to one another. The viscera can also be damaged following trauma- for example seat belt compression in a car accident can transmit physical shock to several abdominal and thoracic organs with a possible increase in organ tension. Poor posture can also have visceral repercussions. How are these restrictions treated?
As with all osteopathic treatment, the aim is to restore normal mobility and function. The specialized osteopathic techniques used aim to gently restore movement to the restricted area. These are generally small and precise to unlock the tensioned areas. Combined with the use of carefully directed pressure the tissues are encouraged to release.