What is Osteopathy?
Traditional Osteopathy, as presented by the Canadian College
of Osteopathy, is defined as:
“A natural medicine which aims to restore function in the body by
treating the causes of pain and imbalance. To achieve this goal
the Osteopath relies on the quality and finesse of his/her
palpation and works with the position, mobility and quality of the
tissues.”
Philippe Druelle, DO
The ability to detect minute modifications in the quality of the
tissues is the assessment skill that allows the Osteopath to help
prioritize a patient's course of treatment. These tissue qualities
include, congestion, dehydration, scarring, stiffness, density or
loss of resilience, as well as motility that is an infinitesimal
movement inherent to all living tissues. It is this sensing of the
quality of the tissue, in combination with the position , mobility
and vitality of the tissues, that allows the Osteopath to determine
the tissues or systems that need immediate attention.
What is Visceral Manipulation (VM)?
VM is a gentle hands-on therapy that locates restrictions or
imbalances involving the organs (viscera), their supportive
connective tissues, or the musculoskeletal system of the body.
When one organ cannot move in harmony with its surroundings,
it works against all the body's organs and structures. This
disharmony creates points of tension that the body is forced to
move around. That chronic irritation, in turn, paves the way for
disease and dysfunction. VM helps restore normal function and
tone to the organs, and often relieves long-standing pain
anywhere from the hips up into the neck, shoulders and arms.
In addition to removing blockages and restoring balance, VM is
usually very relaxing, and most clients leave a session feeling
peaceful and in touch with a deeper part of themselves.
What is the Origin of the Visceral System and Its Therapy ?
Methods such as Visceral Manipulation have been part of the
medicinal cultures in Europe and Asia since prerecorded times.
Indeed, manual manipulations of the internal organs has long
been a component of some therapeutic systems in Oriental
medicine. So it's no surprise that practitioners in many parts of
the world have incorporated manipulations designed to work with
the internal organs and their functions.
Working with Dr. Arnaud, Barral followed patterns of stress in
the tissues of cadavers and studied biomechanisms in living
subjects. This introduced him to the visceral system and the
notion that tissues have memory, which was fundamental to his
development of Visceral Manipulation.
In 1974, Barral earned his diploma in osteopathic medicine from
the European School of Osteopathy in Maidstone, England.
Working primarily with articular and structural manipulation, he
began forming the basis for Visceral Manipulation during an
unusual session with a patient he's been treating with spinal
manipulations.
During the preliminary examination, Barral was surprised to find
appreciable movement. The patient confirmed that he felt relief
from his back pain after going to an "old man who pushed
something in his abdomen."
This incident piqued Barral's interest in the relationship between
the viscera and the spine. That's when he began exploring
stomach manipulations with several patients, with successful
results gradually leading him to develop Visceral Manipulation.
Does it integrate into my style of Yoga, workout, or discipline?
Will it cure what I got?
How can Visceral Yoga help my back pain?
What is an adhesion and how do I get them?
For more details on these and other questions you have, email
me at the following address:
RickWilliams@VisceralYoga.com
