For example within your digestive system you have a set of little valves which control the movement of food from one part of the digestive system to the next. This helps to create a well organised digestive process. If one of these valves is unable to open fully or to close fully - you get an upset in the 'scheduling' of food movement through it. The stomach is the only part of your digestive system which digests protein. So if the food moves on too fast the protein will be undigested, if it moves on too slowly, the carbohydrate content of your food will go rancid in your stomach because it is the next stage of digestion which handles carbohydrates. At times this is a mechanical restriction, other times it can be an inflammatory problem. The valves can actually swell shut if your digestive system is inflamed.
In addition to the mechanical movements of organs it may be important to consider their internal function too. For example, a patient who has a poor diet and develops irritable bowel syndrome will subsequently develop inflammation around the bowel which will restrict its movement within your abdomen. While visceral work can fix the mechanical restrictions, we would need to discuss other aspects of your lifestyle to fix the cause of your dysfunction.
Not all organ function can be assessed via visceral osteopathy. In cases where we are concerned that more complex dysfunction may be present we will co-operate with other medical professionals in order to get you additional imaging, testing or procedures as necessary.