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Dr. Shustina is an incredibly knowledgeable doctor who truly takes time to find root cause.
RG
Rochel Gordon
Service · Osteopathic Care
Visceral Manipulation
Visceral Manipulation is a gentle, hands-on therapy based on the principle that our internal organs — or “viscera” — have their own rhythmic movements. VM seeks to rectify any disruptions to those rhythms, aiming for a harmonious balance throughout the body.
What Visceral Manipulation Is
VM is a holistic therapeutic approach focused on the relationship between the internal organs and the surrounding connective tissues, nerves, and blood vessels. Using gentle manual techniques, we evaluate and improve the mobility and function of the organs within the body to enhance overall health and well-being. The technique recognizes the interconnectedness of the body's systems and addresses both physical and energetic aspects of health.
VM was developed by French Osteopath Jean-Pierre Barral in the 1970s, drawing on anatomy, physiology, and osteopathic principles. Barral's approach considers not only physical structures but also the subtle rhythms and energies that govern how the body functions.
The premise: normal mobility of the organs and their connective tissues is crucial for optimal health. Just as muscles and bones need to move smoothly, so do our internal organs. Over time, emotional and physical stressors — surgeries, traumas, infections, poor posture — can compromise that natural movement, setting off a cascade of structural and functional issues. Because all body systems are interconnected, a restriction in one organ can reverberate throughout the body and show up as seemingly unrelated symptoms. Restoring natural movement to the viscera produces a positive ripple effect across the whole system.
Treatment & Symptoms
VM can address a wide range of symptoms and conditions by restoring proper organ mobility and function. Using gentle, specifically placed manual forces, Dr. Shustina — an Osteopathic physician and Gastroenterologist — works to encourage the normal mobility of the affected viscera. That may involve direct manipulation of the organ to encourage it back to its natural rhythm, or work on surrounding tissues and structures to alleviate compressive forces.
All of our holistic treatments are tailored to the individual, recognizing that each person's body has its own unique history and needs. Traditional Chinese Medicine holds that we store emotions in our internal organs, and patients who experience VM often report a real release of emotional stress and a sense of feeling calm, balanced, and energized.
Conditions That Benefit from VM
Digestive Disorders
VM helps alleviate symptoms of various digestive issues — IBS, constipation, Crohn's Disease, acid reflux, bloating. Gently mobilizing and releasing tension in the gastrointestinal organs improves the overall function of the digestive system.
Chronic Pain
VM can be effective in relieving chronic pain conditions like back pain, pelvic pain, and even migraines. By addressing restrictions and imbalances in the organs and surrounding tissues, it restores alignment and reduces pain.
Emotional Well-Being
Holistic gastroenterologists recognize the intricate connection between emotions and gut health. VM can aid in releasing emotional tension stored in the organs, contributing to a real sense of emotional well-being and stress reduction.
Postoperative Healing
After surgical procedures involving the abdominal region, scar tissue and adhesions can develop, causing discomfort and limiting mobility. VM aids in breaking down scar tissue, improving circulation, and promoting postoperative healing.
General Wellness
Even in the absence of specific symptoms, VM can be used as a preventive measure to enhance overall health and optimize the body's self-regulatory mechanisms — a path toward true holistic wellness, not just symptom relief.
VM is a powerful tool that moves beyond symptomatic relief, aiming at the heart of physiological and structural imbalances. Its real strength lies in the understanding that true health is a symphony of many parts working in harmony — and that by ensuring our viscera move and function as nature intended, we support not just relief but the body's innate healing capacity.
Our approach
Why Whole Gut Health is different
At Whole Gut Health, we go beyond conventional symptom management and traditional functional medicine protocols. We trust your body's innate ability to heal itself when given the right support.
In Dr. Shustina's many years of practice, she has seen that many digestive diseases have their root cause in emotional traumas and unhealed wounds. When these underlying causes are healed, the body can heal from the inside out in a lasting way.
We focus on the mind-gut connection, incorporating energy healing techniques, personalized nutrition that evolves as you heal, and integrative approaches addressing mind, body, and spirit. If this resonates with you, contact our office to schedule your consultation and take the first step on your healing journey.
Reviews
The body remembers when it's finally heard
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Dr. Shustina goes to the root level of the issue, not only superficial, so there's healing.
LG
Leah Glickman
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She has significantly improved my health. I was suffering from Ulcerative Colitis and now live normally.
ML
Monica LaBadia
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Dr. Shustina has helped me change my lifestyle and heal my gut in a way I thought impossible.
DL
Dalit Lonstein
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She listens to patients and treats conditions, not symptoms.
GS
Gabriela Salazar
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Dr. Shustina is the best doctor I have ever been to. She assesses the root of the problem.
MS
M. S.
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She is an outstanding doctor who understands the body's ability to heal itself and holistic remedies.
SS
Sibel Sebi Sharabi
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Dr. Shustina has a wealth of knowledge and is helping me heal years of gastrointestinal issues.
DC
Daniela Chaparro
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Dr. Shustina is an amazing doctor. She diagnosed my cancer early and saved my life.
MW
Mordechai Weinstein
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After one session with Dr. Shustina, my digestive pain went away.
TP
Taryn Parascand
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Doctor Shustina is the absolute best. She has helped me resolve numerous issues other doctors dismissed.
RS
Rachel S.
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Dr. Shustina is a fantastic doctor who truly cares. Her holistic approach attacks the root cause.
CS
Clay Simonsen
Begin
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