The uterus must be mobile for proper physiological function. When the uterus is fixed in one position, fibrosis of the ligaments can result and impair local circulation. When circulation is impaired, the cells won’t get proper nutrients (oxygen), and as a result, acidity, pain, and cell death may follow. There are 3 main types of movements the uterus exhibits: mobility, motility, and contractions. I’ll briefly cover them below.
Mobility
Ideally, when you inhale, you create an elastic load to the pelvic floor and internal organs, and when you exhale, there is an attractive force that pulls the organs towards the diaphragm. The attractive force diminishes further away from the diaphragm, but the uterus can still be pulled upward by up to 2cm. MOBILITY is also produced by external sources that push and pull on the organs, such as walking, twisting, manual manipulation, and pressures from surrounding tissues. The action can be seen on fluoroscopy and ultrasound imaging.
Several factors inhibit this action. For instance, actions that inhibit proper breathing and therefore alter organ mobility:
- Holding tension in your belly by “sucking the stomach in”. Find out where your organs go when you suck in HERE.
- Bypassing the rib cage expansion by shallow upper chest breathing. See how breathing affects the colon HERE.
- Lifting the ribcage to “stand/sit up straight.” See an example of rib thrusting HERE.
- Sitting on your sacrum (posteriorly tilted pelvis)
Other things that may cause restrictions in the organs and restrict mobility.
- scar tissue from surgery
- adhesions from inflammation
- adhesions from infection
I wrote an entire article on abdominal adhesions HERE.
I also have a self-care class for abdominal scars & adhesions.
Tip: Dancing is good for the uterus.
Motility
Uterine motility is defined as an intrinsic movement that is consistent regardless of where a woman is in her cycle. It’s a very subtle movement that can be detected with experienced hands, but is difficult to feel and can easily be confused with restrictions in the surrounding area. It’s something I practice feeling every single day. Sometimes it’s evident to me, and sometimes, not so much. Motility evaluation is a method used by Osteopathic physicians and practitioners trained in Visceral Manipulation™ to detect restrictions. The theory for this movement’s particular pattern is that it’s a cellular imprint following the migration pattern during embryological development. Each internal organ processes its own pattern based on this theory.
Image of a page from the Barral Institutes guide titled Visceral Mobility and Motility Testing.
Contractions
Contractions help to propel fluids to where they are needed, depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle. Check out this fascinating video on uterine contractions. It’s not as exciting as the Dancing Uteri video, but it’s still pretty cool.
What Does the Uterus Do All Day Long? from Michael Hughey, MD on Vimeo.
So what is one to do?
If you are experiencing reproductive issues, you may want to see a practitioner who specializes in Visceral Manipulation™. Make sure you see someone who has completed VM 3 (the pelvic organs). If you are in the Ludington, Michigan area, come to visit me. Or, find a practitioner in your area by visiting the Barral Institute’s website. Visceral Manipulation™ is more specific to mobility and motility. I also offer an online class in Womb Care where I teach you self-abdominal massage and other Womb Care techniques.
Author: Barbara Horsley has more than 26 years of experience as a licensed massage therapist. She specializes in abdominal massage and Visceral Manipulation™ and is an NCBTMB-approved educator. In addition to being certified in abdominal massage, she also studied biomechanics and restorative exercise. She is also a Certified Women’s Herbal Educator and a graduate of the IWHI Perimenopause & Menopause Certificate Program.