World-renowned French Osteopath Jean-Pierre Barral developed visceral Manipulation™. VM assists functional and structural imbalances throughout the body, including musculoskeletal, vascular, nervous, urogenital, respiratory, digestive, and lymphatic dysfunction. It evaluates and treats the dynamics of motion and suspension in relation to organs, membranes, fascia, and ligaments. VM aims to enhance proprioceptive communication within the body, thereby addressing pain, dysfunction, and poor alignment. It’s a low-force way of working with the body’s own intelligence.
There are 150 articulations in the thorax alone, and a single restriction in one area can disrupt the complex web that runs through us. The thorax protects the contents and also serves as a superhighway for communication, blood, nutrients, and oxygen exchange between the neck, abdominal, and pelvic organs.
Each day, from normal respiration alone, the thoracic articulations collectively undergo more than three million movements. In addition, the heart by itself undergoes over one hundred thousand daily movements. The Thorax D.O.
I was fortunate enough to be the demo person for the pericardium lab. The pericardium is the membrane that encloses the heart. Dr Ron Marriotti (my VM instructor) gently but firmly compressed through my sternum to about a 40% depth into my body. My tissues led him to a specific spot on my phreno-pericardial ligament (the ligament connecting the pericardium to the diaphragm). From there, he worked in partnership with my body- listening, following, and nudging until he felt an expansion and opening.
My chest cavity felt light and spacious afterwards. It was easier for me to breathe fully. Emotionally, I felt softer and “open-hearted”. Before the treatment, I felt irritable and tired. I was yawning every few minutes, but all of that subsided after the treatment. The interesting thing is that since I was a young teen, I would get random, INTENSE, sharp stabbing pains in my chest that would freeze me in my tracks and make it difficult for me to take in a breath. My doctor told me the pain was probably caused by scar tissue in my lungs. Now I wonder if it was the restrictions in my phreno-pericardial ligament causing the stabbing pain. I haven’t had the pain since the VM treatment, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
One of the many ah-ha moments I had during my training was the fact that internal organ restrictions can influence the individual ribs. Take, for instance, a rib that keeps “going out”. The chiropractor has to adjust it back into place every so often, but it doesn’t stay. The cause is not the rib itself, but most likely is restrictions in the parietal pleura that attaches to the chest wall…or restrictions in the liver, stomach, or other organ, depending on which rib is affected. For instance, restrictions in the pleural dome can pull the first rib out. Google an image for costo-pleural ligament, and you will see why. The Costo-pleural ligament undergoes movement with every breath. If it is restricted, it’s easy to see how it can interfere with natural rib function.
Once again, the root of the problem is not always where the pain is.
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.