How is Kate’s treatment different to other Physiotherapy?
Kate’s approach is very holistic. She assesses the whole body to feel where the greatest restriction lies. Your body will effectively ‘hug’ the lesion (restriction), just like if you were hit in the stomach by a football your instinct would be to protect the area that has been hit. Kate’s aim is to release tissue tension in these areas, to improve pain, stiffness and increase blood flow, neurodynamics etc.
Kate’s interest is getting the root cause of the problem, not just treating symptoms. This treatment can be so effective that often only 2-3 sessions are required to restore the body’s balance, rather than having persistent problems and being reliant on practitioners for regular and on-going treatments.
Kate has completed extensive additional training through the Barral Institute which specialises in treating the nerves, cranium and viscera as well as the muscles and bones.
What is Visceral Release?
“Viscera” relates to the internal organs of the body, such as the liver, kidneys and intestines. Visceral Manipulation is a gentle manual therapy that aids your body’s ability to release restrictions and unhealthy compensations that cause pain and dysfunction. Visceral Manipulation, or VM, does not focus solely on the site of pain or dysfunction, but evaluates the entire body to find the source of the problem. The VM therapist feels for altered or decreased motion within the viscera, as well as restrictive patterns throughout the body and then applies VM techniques. VM therapy re-establishes the body’s ability to adapt and restore itself to health.
Our bodies need movement to be healthy. Tissues can lose their normal motion from a variety of reasons, such as direct trauma, repetitive movement, diet, pregnancy, environmental toxins and emotional stress. When an organ becomes restricted, the body has to compensate and this may in turn lead to muscular aches and pains, eg. low back pain.
Ok so how does this explain my pain/stiffness?
Kate takes a very holistic approach to each treatment. She is fascinated by how all the systems in the body interconnect and how ‘every body tells a story’ so the car accident you had in your 20’s or the hysterectomy you had 5 years ago is likely contributing to how your body feels today. Even old scars can tug and pull on neighbouring tissues and cause issues elsewhere.
The body prioritises each system. Your neurological and visceral system (organs) being right at the top. You can live without an arm or a leg but you can’t survive without a stomach! The musculoskeletal system is at the bottom of the list and so often takes the brunt for adaptations the body has had to make, to keep the more important systems working. So the back pain you feel may be as a result of IBS or a past kidney infection, for example.
Some of the common conditions treated with this technique include:
Chronic musculoskeletal pain
- Headaches and Migraines
- Nerve related pain eg. Sciatica, brachial plexus injuries etc.
- Back, hip and knee pain
- Repetitive strain injuries, e.g. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Whiplash and other physical trauma
- Shoulder periarthritis and capsulitis
- Restricted range of motion
- Vertigo
- Post-surgical pain and Scar tissue
- Post-cardiac surgery
- Swallowing difficulties
- Acid Reflux and Heartburn
- Women’s health issues
- Endometriosis
- Fibroids and Cysts
- Bladder incontinence
- Crohn’s Disease
- SIBO
- Liver disorders
- Digestive disorders
- Emotional disorders
- Anxiety and Depression
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- and much more..
Kate has trained under the Barral Institute, world leaders in Visceral Manipulation. www.barralinstitute.co.uk
For further information, Kate is available via email kp@elkstonegrove.co.uk or
call 07974370572.
Testimonials:
Dr Alex Ryan October 2019:
‘Kate is a superb therapist and has moved me quickly from despair to recovery. Despite being an active person, I have become almost totally inactive after a period of illness, injuries and major life stress events. I was in constant pain, losing sleep and couldn’t work out what was wrong. Visceral manipulation was new to me and has been an absolute godsend – it zoned in on post-surgery complications I had not realised were causing me trouble. The treatments quickly reduced both my pain levels and movement limitations, getting me active again.
Kate has terrific skills and sensitivity – she treats the whole person, not just the symptoms, which is so critical if you are facing complex issues and can’t find the way forward. Highly recommend – thank you Kate, you have truly been a shining beacon at a dark moment in my life – you’re a talented therapist and I’m so grateful for the help you’ve given me!
Kay Harrison April 019:
”This type of intervention enabled me to take a leap in terms of my movement (for frozen shoulder). In terms of the type of intervention I had it was the most effective and I can only be grateful that my physiotherapist, Kate Pilkington was skilled in this technique.”
Margaret June 2019:
“Physiotherapy has clearly moved on. You way you can connect all my symptoms and look at me as a whole is amazing. No-body else has done that before. Thank you so much because now I can eat without getting indigestion and my back is feeling so much better!”.
