By Sally LeDuc, PT |
Could the experience of a particular pain in the abdomen, which often times feels vague but sharp, come from the vital organs located inside the abdomen?
Sure. The organs of the body (the viscera) should be soft and pliable; they should not elicit pain or feel rigid when palpated when they are functioning well. When you visit a doctor, he or she usually probes or palpates specific areas of your belly to determine whether or not an organ may be causing a problem. He or she usually asks whether or not you feel pain or tenderness. In addition to your response, the doctor is feeling for the ‘softness’ or ‘hardness’ of the organ itself.
Could tightness in the stomach, liver, gall bladder, small intestine, colon, and even the bladder and prostate cause pain?
Yes. Organs are surrounded by connective tissue called fascia and some of the organs contain smooth muscle. Muscle can cramp or spasm and fascia can tighten. As a result, the organ becomes rigid, squeezed, and its sensitive nerve structures send pain impulses to various parts of your body and to your brain. For example, the liver and gall bladder can refer pain to the right shoulder region; the spleen, stomach, and pancreas to the left shoulder region; the sigmoid colon to the left low back and sacroiliac region, and the prostate to the sacrum. Chronic or longstanding irritations can cause inflammation, disease, and lead to significant dysfunction if not treated.
Besides medication, can anything else be done to help reduce tightness and alleviate spasm?
Yes. A gentle hands-on technique administered by a specifically trained and skillful therapist can help alleviate restriction, free the organ of tightness, and allow it to expand, contract, and function more normally again; blood, lymph, and the organ’s enzymes, hormones, and necessary drainage can be restored. The technique used to treat the organs of the body is called Visceral Mobilization.
Visceral Mobilization uses manual therapy (light hand contacts) specific to particular body points to treat restriction and dysfunction. Treatment can reduce an organ’s surrounding connective tissue tightness, free the organ, and reduce the pulling-force (to other parts of the body) produced by an organ in a state of dysfunction. These forces can affect how the skeleton works and even the body’s posture.
Treatment of the viscera can reduce pain and restore the normal mobility, tone, and motion of the organ itself. Pain, felt in various regions of the body, may not be caused by the internal organs of the body. However if other types of treatment did not offer relief, an examination of the viscera may be helpful in resolving a nagging and persistent irritation.
Can digestive problems be improved with Visceral Mobilization?
Indigestion, constipation and bloating, as well as pain are symptoms that can come from restricted organs or surrounding connective tissue. If your doctor’s examination and testing has not revealed a pathologic condition for these symptoms, hands-on treatment may be helpful.
References:
1. Weiselfish, S. & Giammatteo, T. (2007). DCR Dialogues inContemporary Rehabilitation. Center for Integrative Manual Therapy and Diagnostics: Bloomfield, CT.
2. Integrative Therapeutics. Materials retrieved on 12/2/2007 from www.integrativetherapeutics.com.
For more info, call Body Wisdom Physical Therapy 775-827-3777.
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