Figure 4

Schematic depiction of the basic neurological mechanism by which dysfunction confined to purely somatic structures is capable of producing signs and symptoms that are identical to those typically associated with primary dysfunction involving various internal organs.

It is now well-established that afferent fibers that transmit nociceptive information from deep somatic structures converge on the same central neuronal pools as do the independent afferent fibers that transmit noxious stimuli from regionally-related visceral structures. Unfortunately for the diagnostician, the subsequent relaying of either of these two sources of afferent information by this convergent pool of neurons into other common central pathways can often result in overt patterns of signs and symptoms that may be virtually indistinguishable with respect to their somatic vs. visceral etiologies.

As discussed earlier, the theory that somatic dysfunction is capable of actually causing true visceral disease (see Figure 3) is one for which scientific evidence is seriously lacking. On the other hand, the fact that somatic dysfunction can often mimic, or simulate, the symptoms of visceral disease (and therefore may be easily mistaken for it), is supported by an impressive amount of both experimental and clinical scientific data [65-350].