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Visceral Osteopathy
Osteopathy – More Than Just Bones
Recognising and Treating Problems in the Gut Can Lead to Weight Loss - by Bruce Smart BSc (Hons) Ost
Osteopath Bruce Smart at the Dubai Physiotherapy and Family Medicine Clinic explains some of the many ways osteopathic care can identify and treat a variety of health issues.
While it is fairly common knowledge that osteopaths specialise in the treatment of back and neck pain and problems involving nerve, joints, muscle tendons and ligaments, the body’s parts cannot be considered in isolation. The human body is an intricate and co-dependent machine where everything is connected, and that includes organs such as the digestive tract, stomach, bowel etc – collectively known as the viscera.
Sometimes the cause of back pain can stem from problems in other areas of the body, and in the course of an osteopath’s examination and conversation with the patient, it is possible to identify and treat conditions such as post-operative scarring, digestive problems, malabsorption syndromes, hiatus hernias, irritable bowel syndrome, irregular bowel habits and constipation through what is known as “visceral osteopathy”.
For example an accumulation of tension within the organs and suspensory ligaments pull on the spine and vice versa. The patient avoids stretching the gut and adopts a protective hunched posture which can be seen in the vertebrae of the back. Adhesions of the gut prevent regular movement and a downturn in organ efficiency and spinal function causing stiffness and pain.
In the course of an examination, an osteopath will talk to the patient about problem areas, pain, lifestyle, work, hobbies and sporting activities, in order to draw up a comprehensive picture of the patient’s condition. By palpating the abdomen and finding areas of tenderness, blockages and restrictions, the osteopath will use a variety of techniques to neutralise these restrictions. Small precise movements and manual osteopathic adjustments are used to great effect on the surrounding tissues, allowing them to realign, settle and function normally, leading to a complete remedy.
Once correctly diagnosed and treated, the organs return to their normal balance and the patient is more energetic, moods improve, and the patient is able to move more freely. An additional benefit is weight loss.
The practice of osteopathy involves the careful and specific application of a highly developed sense of touch, in both diagnosis and treatment of mechanical problems, affecting any part of the body. This, combined with a detailed understanding of human anatomy, physiology and pathological processes, as well as a thorough working knowledge of classical clinical examination methods, allows the osteopath to treat patients by releasing and promoting the body’s self healing mechanisms. A medical referral is not essential for a consultation although osteopaths work closely with GPs to ensure a patient’s overall care.
Bruce Smart is a British trained and a certified osteopath who graduated from the London School of Osteopathy and is registered with the General Osteopathic Council in the UK.
