With its numerous benefits, it’s little wonder that osteopathy is growing in popularity as a treatment for numerous ailments that Singaporeans face. There are various branches of osteopathy, each with their own focus and strengths to help improve one’s health. Learn more about what visceral osteopathy is and how you can benefit from a visit to an osteopathic clinic in Singapore
What is Visceral Osteopathy?
Visceral osteopathy is a branch of osteopathy that specialises in manual therapy of your body’s internal organs, addressing problems that may arise from their restricted mobility. It gets its name from viscera, which are the inner organs in our bodies such as the stomach, liver, and lungs; as well as the soft membranes in your body.
Similar to how the joints in your body have a certain range of motion, our viscera are also attached to the walls of your body cavities and spine through ligaments. And just as joint restriction can lead to reduced mobility, the ligaments that your internal organs are attached to may also be unable to move properly, leading to stiffness or pain in your body, as well as poorer function of the affected organs. Some factors that can give rise to your organs’ restricted mobility include past infection or illnesses, traumatic injuries, scar tissue from previous injuries, as well as prolonged poor posture.
Osteopaths specialising in visceral osteopathy are able to assess, diagnose, and treat the restriction of these organs improving the patients’ quality of life. They undergo comprehensive training in the process of attaining their degree, learning about the anatomy and physiology of the human body, effective osteopathic techniques, as well as biomechanics and nutrition. With their experience, they can create personalised treatment plans with an evidence-based approach, allowing them to adapt their treatments based on patients’ responses for optimal outcomes.
What health benefits does Visceral Osteopathy bring?
By improving and restoring the motion of internal organs, visceral osteopathy helps to restore balance and facilitate holistic health across your entire body. Visceral osteopaths utilise visceral manipulation to treat a variety of conditions. Visceral manipulation is a type of manual therapy where osteopaths engage in light and gentle movements using their palms on specific parts of the body. The generation of manual forces helps to encourage normal mobility, tone and inherent tissue motion of viscera, their connective tissue and other areas of the body where motion has been impaired.
Visceral manipulation is helpful in eliminating various conditions that patients may have, such as chronic lower back pain, chronic neck pain, shoulder pain, pelvic and hip dysfunction. Other conditions that visceral osteopathy helps to treat include constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, as well as bladder incontinence.
When visiting an osteopathy clinic in Singapore, our trained osteopaths will first discuss with you on your presented symptoms, before gently locating the source of tension in your body. They will then utilise manipulative therapy to apply compression, mobilisation, and elongation to the tissues in the affected area. A session generally lasts 30-40minutes, and your osteopath will discuss with you on the number of subsequent sessions needed for your symptoms to improve.
Visit Edge Healthcare and arrange for a visceral osteopathy consult at our osteopathy clinic in Singapore.