When Travel, Food & Inflammation Collide: How Visceral Manipulation Helped One Client With RA Feel Relief Again

Last week, one of my long-time clients came in for what we scheduled as a “maintenance” session.

She lives with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and multiple food sensitivities. Over the years, we’ve worked together to help her manage flare-ups, reduce systemic tension, and support her nervous system.

The week prior, she had been traveling for her daughter’s school event. Like many of us when we travel, her routine shifted. Meals were different. Ingredients weren’t always ideal. And yes — there was a celebratory glass of champagne.

Totally normal. Totally human.

But a week later, she was still bloated, uncomfortable, and feeling “off,” even after returning to her usual clean eating habits.

She asked:
“Can you help with this?”

The answer was yes.

What Happens When the Gut Gets Overwhelmed?

When someone has autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, the digestive system can be more reactive. Certain foods, alcohol, travel stress, and schedule disruption can:

• Increase gut inflammation

• Reduce motility (movement of the intestines)

• Create fascial tension around abdominal organs

• Increase pressure through the diaphragm and rib cage

• Stimulate the sympathetic (“fight or flight”) nervous system

When that happens, even after the trigger is gone, the body may stay in a state of irritation.

The abdomen can feel distended.
The diaphragm can feel restricted.
The nervous system can feel on edge.

And sometimes… the body just needs help resetting.

What Is Visceral Manipulation?

Visceral Manipulation is a gentle, precise form of manual therapy that works with the mobility and motility of the internal organs.

Rather than focusing only on muscles and joints, we assess:

• The small and large intestine

• The stomach

• The liver

• The diaphragm

• The mesenteric attachments

• The surrounding fascial connections

Organs are meant to glide, rotate, and move with every breath you take. When inflammation, stress, or irritation occurs, those tissues can become restricted.

Restriction doesn’t just create digestive discomfort — it can influence posture, rib mobility, pelvic mechanics, and even systemic inflammation.

What We Did During Her Session

Her session was highly focused.

I assessed tension patterns in her abdomen and found multiple areas of fascial restriction and decreased mobility — especially through the small intestine and mesenteric root.

Using gentle osteopathic techniques, I:

• Released abdominal adhesions
• Restored mobility to restricted segments
• Balanced the diaphragm
• Encouraged intestinal motility
• Finished with specific massage strokes that support digestive movement

No aggressive pressure.
No forcing.
Just listening to the tissue and guiding it back toward normal motion.

The Outcome

Later that day, she messaged me:

She felt lighter.
Less distended.
Less uncomfortable.
And more like herself again.

For someone living with RA and food sensitivities, that relief is significant.

Now — to be clear — visceral manipulation does not “cure” autoimmune disease.

But it can:

• Reduce mechanical restriction

• Improve organ mobility

• Support lymphatic drainage

• Encourage parasympathetic activation

• Help the body move out of a reactive state

And sometimes, that’s exactly what someone needs.

Why This Matters Beyond Digestion

Visceral restriction can contribute to:

• Chronic bloating

• Reflux

• Rib pain

• Pelvic tension

• Low back discomfort

• Nervous system dysregulation

• Feeling “inflamed” even after triggers are removed

For many women (especially 40+), this becomes part of the “new normal.”

But it doesn’t have to be.

Visceral Manipulation as Part of Your Healthcare

Manual therapy is not a replacement for medical care — especially with autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

But it can be a powerful complementary approach.

When paired with:

• Medical management

• Nutrition awareness

• Stress regulation

• Movement

Visceral work can help restore comfort and improve quality of life.

And sometimes, it’s the missing piece.

If you’ve been feeling bloated, restricted, or inflamed — even after you’ve “cleaned up” your diet — your body may simply need help restoring motion.

Your organs move.
And when they stop moving well, the rest of you feels it.

At Avalon Wellness & Performance, we look at the whole system — not just the symptom.

If this resonates with you, let’s talk.