The Bowen Technique

 

 

The Bowen Technique is a holistic remedial therapy which typically involves gentle 'rolling' type movements along and around the soft tissue of the body, i.e.: specific muscles and muscle fascia, tendons and ligaments. It is a 'hands-on, hands-off' treatment whereby the therapist leaves the room between each set of movements performed, to allow a response within the body to take effect.

 

What can I expect from a Bowen treatment?

 

A basic treatment involves a series of light rolling moves over the client's back, legs, shoulders, neck and head, by the therapist's fingers and thumbs. A client usually feels very deeply relaxed during the treatment, often falling asleep. Many clients report still feeling the therapist's hands on them after the therapist has left the room.

 

Further procedures for specific problematic areas may be added, i.e.: for the hamstrings, diaphragm and face. The moves are gentle and little, or no, discomfort should be experienced during a treatment, although some areas may be tender or sensitive. The therapist exerts little in the way of physical effort, so it is an ideal alternative to the more physical-based treatments such as physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic.

 

Treatments can be performed through light clothing so the removal of an item of clothing for a Bowen treatment is always optional, although many therapists do prefer to work directly on the skin. Jeans and slippery leggings can be tricky to work with so it is advisable not to wear thick denim or Lycra!

 

How might I feel after a Bowen Technique treatment?

 

There is no way to predict an outcome as everyone's experience is different. What we are hoping for after a Bowen treatment is change, and sometimes this change is actually for the worse for a few days following a treatment, before the situation starts to improve. This is part of the healing process, as the body is taking on board the changes brought about by the treatment, and the body responding to it by making adjustments.

 

The body heals itself; the therapist does nothing except facilitate this change. Common reactions may include fatigue, stiffness of the muscles, headaches or 'flu-like symptoms. Many people experience a little tiredness and in some cases there is no reaction at all. Symptoms can occasionally appear to be temporarily worse, but any reaction is an indication that the treatment is prompting the body's own healing response, so this is can be viewed as an excellent and positive sign. Drinking lots of water following a treatment can ameliorate any negative reactions such as headaches and muscle stiffness.

 

Following a treatment it is important the client does not sit for more than half an hour at a time, on the day of treatment. Moving around for a few minutes reminds the body that it has undergone treatment, can "re-boot" the Bowen treatment and keep the process of detoxification of the muscles going.

 

What sort of problems may benefit from a Bowen Technique treatment?

 

It is a principle of Bowen, along with many complementary therapies, that we do not diagnose, we do not treat specific ailments and we do not make claims. There are never any guarantees, whether we are talking about orthodox medicine or complementary, holistic therapies. That being said, the wonderful thing about Bowen is that there is no condition where it cannot be used safely and effectively.

 

Many people seek help for back and neck pain, for shoulder restrictions ("frozen" shoulder) and for general aches and pains. As well as structural and muscular problems, The Bowen Technique has been known to have a profound effect on a whole host of conditions, i.e.: ME, MS, hayfever, IBS, asthma, migraines, constipation, eczema, tennis elbow, Crohn's disease, pelvic pain, kidney stones, sciatica, fibromyalgia, mastitis/breast-feeding difficulties, incontinence, high blood pressure, sports injuries, oedema, amongst many more.