Bowen Therapy

[Julia]

Does anyone know anything about this? Had any experience of its effectiveness or otherwise?

Any comments would be much appreciated.

With thanks

Julia

 

[macca]

Hi Julia,

I had it done once by a friend who is a practitioner (freebie )

It is not like a chiropractor, osteopath or physio.

It is very gentle and is said to be useful for those that require careful treatment.

I think it would be suitable for some people who suffer from contracted muscles, cramps, spasms etc.

Unhappy muscles can really effect our posture and freedom of movement, it is said to release the knots and spasms within our bodies.

I was a little disappointed because nothing happened at the time but apparently that is normal, my body was supposed to re-adjust over the next few days.

My friend has some patients who use it exclusively, particularly those with chronic ailments.

HTH

 

[wayneL]

FWIW

Thomas Ambrose Bowen was born on 18 April 1916 in Brunswick, Victoria, Australia, a suburb of Melbourne. From the 1950s until his death on 27 October 1982 he developed his unique soft-tissue therapeutic technique that is now known as The Bowen Technique.

Tom Bowen was not formally trained in any medical or alternative therapy discipline. He stated simply that his work was 'a gift from God'.
victoriaIt was through his general love of sports that Tom Bowen became interested in soft tissue manipulation.

One person who benefited from Tom Bowen's hands-on therapy was Rene Horwood, the wife of Stan Horwood, a friend of Bowen's from the Geelong Cement Works. The Horwoods credited Rene's recovery from a stroke to Bowen's hands-on therapy. In 1957, they invited him to use their home for seeing patients in the evenings after work. The front room of their home at 100 Autumn Street, Geelong, became Tom Bowen's first clinic.

Rene Horwood was receptionist and business manager in Bowen's practice. Rene together with Ossie Rentsch helped Tom Bowen develp some of his techniques. Rene died in September 2001 at the age of 93.

Bowen did not advertise his work but relied instead on word-of-mouth recommendations.

AutumnStTom Bowen treated an average of 14 patients per hour. Two main factors account for his ability to work at this phenomenal pace:

1. His uncanny ability to assess each person's needs with little verbal or hands-on interaction. He was aware of the specific 'moves' that were needed (as well as how much hands-on work might be too much for them) by observing them in the waiting room and treatment room. As he worked, his super-sensitive fingers would assess, treat, and monitor changes in their tissue, allowing him to get maximum results with the minimum number of 'moves'.
2. His assistants. These women escorted the patients into the treatment rooms, took their histories, helped get them onto the treatment beds in the appropriate position, and loosened their clothing so that Bowen could make best use of his time. He would move from room to room applying his technique as needed, and would signal his assistants by clicking his fingers to turn the patients over or get them up.

(Note: Nowadays, Bowen practitioners do not work at that rate; most see from one to six clients per hour. Without Tom Bowen's assessment skills, most practitioners need three, four, or more sessions to get the results that Tom Bowen often achieved in one or two. Even so, the Bowen Technique is remarkable for the speed with which it stimulates healing and the length of time that the results last.)

Before Tom Bowen rented his first outside clinic, he went to the authorities to register his practice. They told him that only physiotherapists were required to register; if he called himself anything else, he wouldn't have to register. He called himself an osteopath because that was his philosophical and practical approach to healing. In the early 1970s, however, the regulations were changed; osteopaths, chiropractors, and naturopaths would be required to be licensed and to register with the government. Tom Bowen asked Ossie Rentsch to accompany him and together be assessed by the Osteopaths & Chiropractors Board of Victoria for registration. Their application was denied on the grounds of not having a diploma from a registered academy and refusing to answer abstract questions – saying instead that they had to see and touch clients in order to know which moves would be appropriate in each particular case. After being denied recognition as osteopaths they changed their titles from ‘osteopathy’ to ‘manual therapists'.

Tom Bowen was demoralised by this rejection, in part because his patients would not become eligible for insurance coverage for his treatments. His concern for his patients' wellbeing and his lack of interest in money were legendary.

It is interesting to note that as from 2006 the Diploma in Bowen Therapy (Bowtech) is now nationally recognized training in Australia.

 

[chops_a_must]

Does anyone know anything about this? Had any experience of its effectiveness or otherwise?

Any comments would be much appreciated.

With thanks

Julia

As with all things, if you get a good practitioner, it will be effective. But yes, Bowen is very good, but can be expensive.

IMO you are better off finding a myofascial release specialist, or someone at least pretty good at it.

But that is just my personal bias with Bowen organisations. i.e. some will forbid other modalities to be used at the same time or therapists to use other methods at all.

 

[wayneL]

As with all things, if you get a good practitioner, it will be effective. But yes, Bowen is very good, but can be expensive.

IMO you are better off finding a myofascial release specialist, or someone at least pretty good at it.

But that is just my personal bias with Bowen organisations. i.e. some will forbid other modalities to be used at the same time or therapists to use other methods at all.

I think that's good advise... some of the Bowen mob can be a bit "sect" like, if you know what I mean (confirming Chops' comments).

Some are very good, but many fall into the category of reiki IMO.

 

[Ageo]

I went to a lady in the Castle Hill area (Sydney) after damaging my knee pretty bad in a soccer match. I had damaged cartilage and both the doctors and physio's told me i needed an arthroscopy (spelling?). After being referred to her by a friend my mum and i decided to go. After 5 sessions my knee is fulling functioning and i can sprint, run up hills and do everything i couldnt before. My mum has also been helped dramatically with walking as she struggled before (lower back pain etc..). For me its fantastic but its not for the non believer as you really dont feel anything and most people wont go back if they dont believe.

 

[chops_a_must]

For me its fantastic but its not for the non believer as you really dont feel anything and most people wont go back if they dont believe.

That's a great point. Whether it be Myofascial Release or Bowen, you aren't going to feel much unless you go into a physical or emotional unwind. You can have people question you in a session about what you are doing, even though you can see the changes right there in front of you. It's fun leaning on a trigger point after that.

But yeah, taking the pressure off the damaged cartilage, just shows you what effect these techniques can have, no matter how subtle or gentle. It probably corrected the problem that led to the damage in the first place...

 

[Julia]

Thanks for the replies. I've had one session following 7 treatments with zilch result by a physiotherapist for a persistent muscle spasm.

The one Bowen treatment yesterday did seem a bit strange and I have actually felt worse today.

As has been mentioned, the practitioner warned me adamantly about not having any other therapy before the next appt next week, plus other instructions which I found somewhat odd, e.g. no hot shower last night because it would "disturb the treatment". Swab the affected area three times a day with cider vinegar.

And contrary to what I've read and has been suggested here, it wasn't at all pleasant - really hurt me with hard pressure on the affected muscles.

I note the tacit suggestion that for it to work one has to believe in it or have I perhaps misinterpreted that? If that's the case, then I guess that increases my scepticism.

Ageo, did you feel some benefit after the first session or not really until the completion of all the treatment? I'm asking this following Macca's comment that it's not supposed to be effective immediately.

Having felt worse today and having also today spoken with someone who went to this same practitioner four times and declared she was far far worse after this, I am a bit nervous about persisting with it.

Chops, I live in a regional centre and the therapy you discuss is probably a bit sophisticated to be found here.

I just feel pretty damn vulnerable knowing someone who does the wrong thing can cause untold damage.

Thanks, Wayne for the background. I'm not sure that this bloke has a gift from God at all but perhaps I'm being impatient/unreasonable.

If anyone has anything else to add I'd be interested.

Thanks again, folks.

 

[Dukey]

Hi Julia - hope you get your problem sorted out somewhere ...

Just to add... Does anyone know of a guy called Steve Lockhart - who is in Sydney and has developed his own brand of what I take to be a kind of 'Myofascial' bodywork?? He calls it SLM ??

I can't say I specifically recommend him - as I havn't been treated by him. (been in Japan and travelling recently. now home in Oz - but in NQ.)

- but I did read alot of stuff on his website, some books he has written etc. and he makes alot of sense - to me a least.

Talks alot about muscle imbalances from old injuries, release points, switching muscles 'on and off' etc.

He has a few students around the traps... and I'll be looking them up when I get to the big smoke!!!

Anyone know of this bloke?
----------------------
Edit: re the SLM website: I've found it does have a bit of a 'give me your $$ - miracle cure' feel to it - but the e-book is free and makes a hell of a lot of sense (without him giving away too many secrets).

 

[zengin]

Hi Julia

I am a bowen threapist in victoria, and yes Bowen is a very gentle threapy and no you should not feel sore during the session. Some of my clients do fell tired,bit off feeling as well as very relaxed,unexplaned headaches the next day, but saying that some may fell nothing or they may have some other ( good) side effects such as not being constipated any more although that was not the reason they came to see me.Bowen sits some where between massage and chrio or phsio,it is a soft tissue therapy,what we do is we balance the whole body we dont just look at your initial pain and that is why some clients feel little bit worse off the next day because they may be detoxin.AFL and few rugby teams been using Bowen for few years.I hope this helps a bit.

 

[Julia]

Hi Julia

I am a bowen threapist in victoria, and yes Bowen is a very gentle threapy and no you should not feel sore during the session. Some of my clients do fell tired,bit off feeling as well as very relaxed,unexplaned headaches the next day, but saying that some may fell nothing or they may have some other ( good) side effects such as not being constipated any more although that was not the reason they came to see me.Bowen sits some where between massage and chrio or phsio,it is a soft tissue therapy,what we do is we balance the whole body we dont just look at your initial pain and that is why some clients feel little bit worse off the next day because they may be detoxin.AFL and few rugby teams been using Bowen for few years.I hope this helps a bit.

Thank you, Zengin. That's interesting. I did indeed feel unusually tired the evening of the treatment - almost as though I couldn't stay awake which is unusual for me in the evenings. And yesterday I had a headache which happens really rarely.

 

[Ageo]

Ageo, did you feel some benefit after the first session or not really until the completion of all the treatment? I'm asking this following Macca's comment that it's not supposed to be effective immediately.

hehe funny you say that as im very impatient also. Believe it or not my mum actually forced me to stick with it as the 1st few sessions i felt nothing (but then again she told me to do nothing as if i did it would ruin the work we had done) i thought she was full of it but i thought what the heck i might aswell go with it. After the 4 session i started to train lightly then by the 5th i was for some reason in full working order. Listen to everything she/he says as its pointless otherwise.

For me i dont care how she fixes it aslong as she does im happy with that

 

[zengin]

Hi Julia

Before and after your threatment make sure you drink lots of water,try not to exercise the injured body part and please dont get any other threatment at least for next 4 to 5 days and most importantly let your body heal it self. Bowen is also good for Animals. ( I know what you are all thinking but trust me I seen it happen, and it works)

Well I should be in bed now so see you all later, and hope all your trades are going up like aus dollar.

 

[wayneL]

Hi Julia

Before and after your threatment make sure you drink lots of water,try not to exercise the injured body part and please dont get any other threatment at least for next 4 to 5 days and most importantly let your body heal it self. Bowen is also good for Animals. ( I know what you are all thinking but trust me I seen it happen, and it works)

Well I should be in bed now so see you all later, and hope all your trades are going up like aus dollar.

I can vouch for that. There are a number of Equine Bowen specialists (as well as chiropractors, dentists, massage therapists etc etc etc)

 

[chops_a_must]

Bowen is also good for Animals. ( I know what you are all thinking but trust me I seen it happen, and it works)

Yeah, I've been treating a friend's cat. It has been licking one of its arms repeatedly and stripping the fur.

So I decided to look at its pecs, lovely cat. Trigger points galore surprise surprise. Didn't like having them done the first time, but actually began coming up to me and signalling for me to look at it, lol! So, I just do it everytime it wants it. It no longer licks its arm, which I'm sure was referred pain, and can easily jump to places it couldn't get to before.

I'm looking at getting into greyhounds as some rellies race them a bit.

Cheers.

 

[wayneL]

I'm looking at getting into greyhounds as some rellies race them a bit.

Dogs and horses = $$$$$$$$

Horse "chiropractors" (as generic term for this sort of thing) make a mint.

 

[Julia]

I've had two treatments now, the second yesterday. Much worse last night and today but none of the side effects I experienced the first time.
Is it worth persisting???

 

[Ageo]

I've had two treatments now, the second yesterday. Much worse last night and today but none of the side effects I experienced the first time.
Is it worth persisting???

How many sessions did your therapist say you might need?

 

[Julia]

How many sessions did your therapist say you might need?

He said usually three, sometimes four.
He did warn me that I would likely feel worse for 24 hours.
It is much more comfortable this evening.

 

[chops_a_must]

I've had two treatments now, the second yesterday. Much worse last night and today but none of the side effects I experienced the first time.
Is it worth persisting???

Julia,

The way I work, if you haven't had an improvement 24 hours after the first treatment, or most of the time, before this, I'm not doing the right thing. But that's just my process. This is except for MLD, which people wont notice the effects of, but the measurements more than make up for it.

So compare before treatment levels with levels 24 hours post treatment. Deep tissue massage can make you feel sore for this long as well, although most people describe it as a "good sore".

Just some thoughts as to how to evaluate it, and if to continue or not.