What is the Bowen Technique?
The Bowen technique is a gentle remedial therapy which stimulates the body to rebalance itself and promotes healing, pain relief and recovery of energy.
How did it get its name?
Tom Bowen was born in 1916 in Brunswick, Australia. He treated the aches and pains of the people with whom he worked in the cement works and woollen mill in Geelong. He had a particular interest in bad backs. In the 1960s, he opened his own clinic. During the 1970s, the Webb Report (Australian Government Report into Complementary Therapies) found that Tom Bowen was treating 13,000 people a year. He died in 1982.
The Bowen technique is now being taught to final year university students of Osteopathy in Australia.
Bowen treatment
Bowen therapists treat people holistically. People present with a wide range of aches and pains, injuries and health problems. There are no contra–indications to treatment. However, Bowen therapists will always advise people to consult their doctors if there is any doubt over whether or not to treat. (The Bowen Technique is not intended as a substitute for medical advice or treatment.)
Common conditions that are often treated
Back pain, neck pain, headaches & migraine, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, RSI, respiratory problems, hay fever, kidney problems, high blood pressure, arthritis, and knee pain.
Bowen can also be used for stress management, fatigue and sleep problems.
What is the treatment like?
The treatment is gentle and therefore appropriate for everyone, from new-born babies to the elderly and infirm. The therapist makes gentle rolling movements over muscles, tendons and ligaments on the body, mostly using their fingers and thumbs. No hard-tissue manipulation or force is used.
Bowen treatment is not usually mixed with other physical therapies, e.g. physiotherapy, osteopathy, massage, chiropractic etc. A gap of 7 days should be allowed between Bowen and any other physical therapy so that the subtle information supplied to the body during a Bowen session can be processed.
Treatment usually takes from 30 to 45 minutes and can be performed through light clothing. After treatment, the patient will be advised to drink lots of water to help their recovery.
Bowen for horses and animals
Tom Bowen treated race horses and other animals. There are now many equine therapies who have adapted their knowledge of Bowen to treat horses, incorporating ither useful moves to provide a unique therapy. Equine Touch and Equine Tension Release Therapy are two that include some elements of Bowen Therapy.
This information is sourced from the <a href=”https://www.bowen.asn.au/” target=”_blank”>Bowen website</a>, with thanks.
