You’d usually visit your Osteopath for a musculoskeletal complaint. It isn’t uncommon for these to come with associated symptoms that may cause some upset to the physiological systems of the body, including how your viscera (internal organs) function. This is why your Osteopath asks questions about the physiological systems of the body during their medical screening stage of the case history to rule out any serious pathology but secondly to investigate associated symptoms and whether the viscera is the source of your mechanical pain.
The relationship between the structure and function of the body is regarded highly within the Osteopathic precepts, and the physical connections between the nerve supply and region of these structures. All of your viscera, whether this be your stomach, liver, or another organ are innervated by spinal nerves that arise from your back. Each segment of the spine has a sensory, motor and visceral nerve, however when these nerves relay messages back there can be some interruption and overlap firing a signal message back to the brain.
Visceral Osteopathy allows your Osteopath to approach the movement and imbalances within the internal connective tissues and the quality of the organs themselves in relationship to the structural complaint like back or neck pain. The interconnections between these structures have an important involvement in how our body functions on an individual organ level but more significantly on the whole body level.
We commonly see patients with dietary intolerance's presenting with back pain around the spinal levels for the stomach (mid back region). Without understanding and identifying the viscera-somatic link, if we solely worked on the mechanical complaint the patient would return with little improvement to their symptoms. To achieve optimal results and prevention of ongoing recurrences in this type of presenting complaint, both treatment of the visceral and musculoskeletal components alongside dietary advice or referral to a dietitian or nutritional specialist.
Interested in learning more about Visceral Osteopathy contact us here.
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