WHAT IS IT ?
Bowen Therapy also known as the Bowen Technique - is an Australian system of healing. It is a light and gentle touch therapy to aid self-healing and is a truly holistic treatment invented by
Tom Bowen of Australia in the 1950s. Treatment
is gentle and non-invasive and can help with a broad range of conditions and illnesses.
Its ability to re-align and balance the body means it is effective for most conditions. A treatment consists of a series of gentle moves on skin or through light clothing, with the client usually
lying on a bed or treatment couch, although it is possible to be treated seated.
During your first appointment your Bowen therapist will spend time discussing your medical history and assessing
your suitability to the treatment. They will then explain the therapy and the
course your treatment will take.
Bowen Therapy usually takes place with you lying down on a massage couch or bed but if this proves difficult
it can be carried out with you in a sitting position. Pillows or cushions will
be used to support pregnant women and some Bowen practitioners use a special couch that can recline to 45 degree angle.
The therapy begins with your practitioner performing sequences of gentle movements on the skin. These sequences,
known as 'procedures', take place in groups on between two and eight points of the body. The pressure is gentle although you
may feel a twinge as it is applied. After each procedure, the Bowen therapist will allow the body time to rest and respond
before commencing with the next group of movements.
The sensations you will experience during Bowen Therapy may include heat, tingling or a feeling that the therapist's
hands are still applying pressure, even though they have stopped.
Bowen Therapy sessions generally lasts about 60 minutes. Your first
session may take longer as the Bowen therapist discusses your medical history and explains the therapy to you. The cost is from £35 - £55. Home visits are sometimes available
but may incur additional costs. Bowen Therapy has proven to give results after
3-5 sessions.
REPORTED USES
Bowen Therapy is deeply relaxing and releases tension throughout the body.
Some people experience emotional changes or muscle aches after receiving Bowen Therapy but however disruptive this
may feel, it is a sign of the body responding to the treatment. A session usually
lasts up to an hour and frequently results in a deep sense of relaxation, allowing the body to recharge and balance itself.
Bowen Therapy can provide from numerous conditions, including those conditions that have been unsuccessfully
treated by Chiropractic treatment, Physiotherapy, Massage, Accupuncture and more.
Mny sports men and women choose Bowen Therapy over other remedial therapies.
hildren in particular have benefited from Bowen Therapy as the methods used mean they don't have to be still for too
long
Chronic problems that have developed over a number of months may take longer to treat than the 4-5 sessions
usually advised.
May people continue to use Bowen Therapy for injury prevention and to benefit overall health.
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
Bowen Therapy, also know as Bowen Technique, was developed by Australian Thomas Ambrose Bowen in the mid-20th
century. Bowen had no formal medical training and his interest in massage and
soft-tissue manipulation started from his love of sport. Bowen would observe
sports trainers treating athletes and footballers. From his observations, he
developed his own techniques to treat colleagues at the cement factory where he worked.
In 1957, Bowen set up his first clinic at the home of Rene Horwood. Horwood
was the wife of Bowen\'s co-worker and benefited from Bowen Therapy after suffering a stroke. Rene
Horwood later became his business manager and helped develop Bowen Therapy further. By
the 1970s, Bowen Therapy was helping nearly 250 people a week and in 1974 Bowen allowed natural therapist Oswald Rentsch to
train with him and document his treatment techniques.
Whilst practising and developing Bowen Therapy, Bowen and Rentsch called themselves 'osteopaths' but when
regulations changed to stipulate that osteopaths have formal qualifications, they changed their title to 'manual therapist'.
Ironically, Australia now has a recognised diploma
qualification in Bowen Therapy. After Bowen's death in 1982, in 1986 Rentsch
fulfilled his promise to teach the Bowen Technique throughout Australia
and New Zealand and introduced Bowen Therapy to America
and the UK.
HOW DOES IT WORK
Bowen Therapy works directly on the muscles, ligaments and tendons releasing tension and enabling the body
to heal itself. Using gentle techniques, and allowing soft-tissue to rest after
each technique is applied, Bowen Therapy treats the body as a whole by correcting structural problems, increasing energy levels
and aiding pain relief.
Healing takes place as the nervous system responds to the manipulation of the soft-tissue. The Bowen therapist applies gentle rolling movements that trigger electrical impulses in the nerve endings,
sending information to the brain. The body is then rested to allow absorption
of the information and time to respond to it. After this brief period of rest,
further movements can be applied.
Bowen Therapy looks to return the body to its natural state by releasing blockages. The Bowen Technique is beneficial to musculo-skeletal function and respiratory or circulatory problems.
The deep levels of relaxation also benefit the immune and hormonal systems.
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REPUTED BENEFITS
The reputed ailments where benefits are claimed to be experienced include:
Abdominal Pain, Allergies, Arthritis, Asthma, Back Pain, Blood pressure, Breathing disorders, Catarrh, Chronic
Fatigue, Chronic Pain, Constipation, Diarrhoea, Digestive Problems, Disc Problems, Ear Ache, Flat Feet, Frozen Shoulder, Headaches,
Heart Burn, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Joint Pain, Lumbago, Multiple Sclerosis MS, Muscle cramps, Neck pain, Neck stiffness,
Osteoporosis, Repetitive strain injury, Rheumatism, Sciatica, Scoliosis, Shoulder pain, Sinusitis, Spinal Injury, Sports injuries,
Sprain (Ankle, Knee), Stomach cramps, Whiplash.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
If under medical supervision or taking prescribed medication, all clients are best advised to verify in advance
that their medical adviser has no objections to them receiving this technique.
Most insurance companies would expect practitioners to take due note of the following partial and total contra-indications
and, where appropriate, only give treatments subject to medical adviser permission.
There are certain Bowen Therapy procedures that should not be carried out on pregnant women and the therapy
should be avoided during the first trimester of the pregnancy.
MEMBERSHIP BODIES
There is no Governing Body.
A number of organisations train therapists and may offer them access to group insurance schemes for a membership
fee.
These include:
The Bowen Forum
8 Longfellow Drive
Abingdon
Oxon
OX14 5NU
Telephone: 01235 527858
E-mail: info@bowenforum.org.uk
Website: www.bowenforum.org.uk
The Bowen Association (BA(uk))
Telephone: 07002 698324
Website: www.bowen-technique.co.uk
Bowen Therapists’ European Register (BTER)
Telephone: 08445 617173
Website: www.bter.org
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