Is Bowen Therapy Spiritual

A Bowen treatment consists of a series of tiny movements performed at changing pressures at different points on the body. The treatment is relaxing because therapists utilize mild, cross-fibre muscle, tendon, or ligament manipulation rather than forceful manipulation.

A normal treatment lasts between 30 minutes to an hour. It can be supplied by wearing a light layer of clothing, although you may be asked to remove heavy or thick clothing. The therapist may leave the room for two to five minutes at a time during this time. This gives your body enough time to adjust to the treatment and make the appropriate modifications before moving on to the following set of routines.

What is the Bowen technique used for?

The Bowen Technique is a well-known hands-on complementary therapy that many people turn to for significant relief from bothersome aches and pains, as well as (often) to address long-term difficulties where clients say they've tried everything else.

Bowen therapy, we believe, helps the body see where it needs to change, aids the natural healing process, and helps you relax… releasing muscular tension, increasing posture, flexibility, and reducing pain.

Does the Bowen technique actually work?

I'm face down on a fold-out couch in my living room, wrapped in a towel and wearing only underwear and a bra, wishing I'd turned up the heat. Outside the door, Bowen technique practitioner Guy Mitchell is crouched. He prodded my lower leg after asking me to strip and lie down, then left the room. He's putting himself outside my “energy field,” he claims. We stand there for a minute as my body purportedly “resets and heals itself.”

Tom Bowen, who modestly stated that his healing talent was “only a gift from God,” invented the Bowen technique in Australia in the 1950s. People from all around Australia came to him with their incurable illnesses after hearing about him. The majority of people who use the therapy have chronic pain, such as backache, that traditional treatment hasn't been able to alleviate. Bowen practitioners, on the other hand, claim that it can treat anything from asthma to PMT, bunions to anxiety.

Bowen therapy is less concerning than bone-crunching osteopathy. There are no unexpected movements or sounds. Instead, the practitioner uses a series of gentle prods on specific muscles that have been fine-tuned to channel “natural energy” into trouble areas, according to the practitioner. “They will boost the body's inherent powers to heal itself,” Mitchell explains. The specific mechanism by which this occurs is a heavenly mystery. However, with 9,000 practitioners worldwide, it must be working for someone.

Mitchell found Bowen after a vehicle accident paralyzed both of his shoulders. Doctors warned him he'd always be in pain, but after a Bowen treatment, he felt like a new man.

I'm hoping that the treatment would relieve my nagging lower back discomfort and make me feel better in general. Mitchell asserts that it will, and proposes a “body balance.” Most patients who get Bowen for the first time may expect a series of gentle pokes to the back, knees, shoulders, and neck throughout this 30 minute session. The “cross-fibre muscle manipulations” feel like a thumb pressed deep into the muscle, twiddled slightly, and then released.

The therapy turns out to be rather pleasant once I've gotten used to Mitchell slinking in and out of the room and have stopped thinking about whether it'll hurt. I assume my body is doing something because I feel less cold and my muscles even tingle a little for the entire 30 minutes of companionable stillness.

I'm relaxed when it's done, but then again, I should be: I've been lying in silence for half an hour with nothing to do but stare at a white ceiling. I can't pinpoint any particular release or uplift, but I'm not crying, thank goodness. Mitchell said that some individuals cry afterward because the release is so powerful. He informs me, though, that the benefits can be gradual.

I wiggle my head about a little while getting dressed in the hopes of noticing a difference in my stiff neck. Mitchell dashes over, prods three times, and the stiff left side is instantly released. Bowen is excellent for a specific ache, based on this immediate, palpable improvement. Mitchell concurs. If you come to him with tennis elbow, for example, you'll get a “Body Balance” first, followed by more precise, supplementary exercises on the problematic area. He goes on to say that the outcomes should be long-lasting.

There's a lot of talk about energy flows, but not a lot of hard evidence, as with most complementary therapies. Bowen literature promises to “embrace the physical, chemical, emotional, and mental elements of each person getting therapy,” as well as “penetrating to a deep cellular level” and “the discharge of poisons.” These are significant claims. However, since practitioners claim it works on animals (one woman claims to have treated horses with fantastic results), the benefits can't be solely psychological.

It didn't help my lower back, but it was only a first treatment, so judging it only on that basis is probably unfair. Bowen would be worth a try if conventional treatment has failed you, based on the effects on my tight neck.

Is Bowen therapy evidence based?

Bowen Therapy is an effective but mild and non-invasive method that works on the fascia, or soft connective tissues of the body, with therapists employing light motions over muscle, tendon, or ligament without any forced manipulation.

Can Bowen Therapy help frozen shoulder?

The range of motion of the shoulder joint in the treatment group improved by 23 degrees in a unique random trial looking at Bowen technique for frozen shoulder. Overall, 67% of patients in the study reported considerable improvement in their symptoms.”

What can you not do after Bowen therapy?

You may notice a variety of reactions in your body following your Bowen treatment. The following is a list of things you should and shouldn't do after your treatment. Contact Christine on 0402 106 603 if you have a reaction and are unsure what to do.

Reactions

Bowen Therapy may help to address a structural problem. Some patients may have odd reactions from time to time, especially after early treatments. If you do, there's no need to be concerned. These are signals that the body is going through the essential healing process. You might feel stiff, have acute pains on occasion, heat or brief shivering, headaches, or even be weary or emotional. As your body heals, such reactions are usually fleeting. If you have a response and are unsure what to do, call Christine at 0402 106 603.

Especially for Back Problems:

• Please do not sit for more than 30 minutes at a time for the rest of the day and night to promote relaxation and back rehabilitation following treatment. Getting out and about on a daily basis can help with the healing process. It's fine to lie down.
• Increase your flexibility by walking for at least 15 minutes every day. Walk on flat terrain, paying attention to footpath gradients, to maintain pelvic balance.
• Reduce your chances of re-injury. Please be mindful of your movements following therapy. When picking up an object, bend your knees and avoid overreaching or twisting. To properly pick up an object, get close to it before lifting it, strengthening your stomach muscles as you do so.
• Don't lean on one side or hunch on one hip. The pelvic region and back are overworked as a result of this. Simply ‘break' the back of the knees ever-so-slightly if you are obliged to stand in one spot for any amount of time while keeping your body weight even. Alternatively, lean against a wall with your buttocks and back flat against it and relax while keeping your weight evenly distributed on both feet.

When we get out of an automobile, we usually extend one leg and begin walking. Swing the legs out and place both feet on the ground together to avoid extreme strain on the pelvic region in particular, keeping knees together as much as possible. When we get into the car, we usually throw our left leg across the seat and the rest follows. Instead, sit on the back of the seat and swing your legs in together.

Make sure your legs aren't crossed. It could put too much strain on your body, particularly your pelvic. It's a nasty habit that you can break.

When you sit, objects in your back pocket may induce a pelvic imbalance, causing issues or hindering the healing process.

Keep your hip pocket free of items.

Heat & Ice

Please wait at least 48 hours before applying heat or ice to your skin (hot showers, spa, hot water bottle, electric blanket), as the massaging action and/or temperature variations may interfere with the “messages” of your treatment. If discomfort persists after treatment, do not use heat-inducing products. This is a momentary ache that will subside as your body adjusts to the healing process.

Other Bodywork

For at least 5 days, refrain from using any other sorts of bodywork treatments, including self-applied massage, to allow your body to heal as a result of Bowen Therapy.

Jaw Treatments

For the first 24 hours after a jaw treatment, do not open your mouth wide to bite or eat hard, chewy items like apples, steak, nuts, ice, and so on.

Water

Staying hydrated is crucial to the efficacy of your Bowen Treatment. A daily intake of roughly two litres is recommended… more if you are busy in the sun. We become dehydrated as a result of coffee, tea, and alcohol, as well as air conditioning and tension. It is preferable to consume water that is not too chilly.

Is Bowen therapy good for arthritis?

Arthritis can create a variety of unpleasant symptoms, and many people have found relief via Bowen Therapy.

Arthritis is a condition caused by inflammation and eventually destruction to the cartilage that protects the joint. It can be caused by aging, trauma, or infection. The surrounding swelling that the body produces to defend the joint causes the joint to stiffen as a result of the damage.

Bowen Therapy promotes healing and lowers inflammation in joints, which is why it is good to persons with arthritis. Bowen treatment uses gentle rolling movements over specific spots in a holistic, non-invasive, and relaxing manner. The actions are accomplished by applying light pressure with the thumbs and fingers, which combine to generate ‘procedures' that work on a deep, dynamic, and often profound level.

Feel Bowen's Arthritis Treatments rebalances soft tissue such as muscle, fascia, ligaments, and tendons, as well as energizing circulation and lymph, restoring nervous system balance.