Visceral Manipulation Massage 101

Visceral manipulation is a gentle manual therapy, distinct from a traditional massage, that uses soft-tissue techniques like compression, mobilization, and elongation to address restrictions and improve the natural movement, function, and health of internal organs, fascia, and related structures. It aims to relieve pain, improve digestive issues, and restore the body's ability to self-regulate by finding and releasing fascial restrictions and adhesions that impede organ mobility.
  

What is Visceral Manipulation (VM) Massage?

• Manual Therapy: Visceral manipulation massage is a hands-on treatment involving gentle, passive, and targeted pressure to the internal organs (viscera), their surrounding connective tissues (fascia), and ligaments.  
• Focus on Movement: The primary goal is to restore the natural mobility and "glide" of organs, which can become restricted by inflammation, scar tissue, or adhesions.  
• Whole-Body Approach: Unlike a traditional massage that might focus on a sore spot, VM therapists evaluate the entire body to find the source of the problem, which may be located far from the area of pain.  

How Visceral Manipulation Massage Works:

1. Evaluation: A trained practitioner (Julie with Posture Massage) assesses the entire body for restrictive patterns, identifying decreased or altered motion in the organs and their surrounding tissues.  
2. Gentle Techniques: The therapist applies precise and gentle manual forces to the specific soft tissues.  
3. Releasing Restrictions: These techniques aim to break up fascial adhesions and release tension, allowing the organs and connective tissues to move more freely.  
4. Restoring Function: Improved organ mobility enhances their normal physiological functions, such as digestion, breathing, and immune responses.  

Potential Benefits:

• Relief from back and neck pain
• Improved digestive issues like constipation and cramps
• Reduced pelvic pain
• Treatment for nerve problems and anxiety
• Improved organ function and overall quality of life  

What to Expect:

• Gentle and Soft: The treatment feels soft and gentle, with no sharp sensations.
• Varying Duration: Sessions can be brief (a few minutes) or longer, depending on the area being treated. Average sessions are an hour in length.  
• Restoration Period: The body uses the released restrictions to adapt and restore itself, with benefits often lasting for weeks to months after a session. It is crucial that you hydrate following Visceral Manipulation massage to help your tissues expel waste and rehydrate.
• Julie's Guidance: Julie will guide you on the process and how many sessions might be needed. She also believes that sharing knowledge with clients is ideal so that they can work on their own bodies when they can't make it in to Posture Massage. Come on in and give it a try!