Bowen Therapy
Bowen Therapy the gentle treatment with a remarkable record of success for a wide range of conditions
Suffering from Chronic Pain, Back Pain, Sciatica, Lower Back Pain, Frozen Shoulder, Parkinson’s, Arthritis, stressed or simply unhappy with your posture (and posture alone can cause many problems), then come and give Bowen a try!
What is Bowen Therapy
Bowen therapy developed in Australia by Tom Bowen in the 1950s is a hands on, gentle, subtle, non-invasive, and relaxing treatment. It does not impose the will of the therapist but offers the body an opportunity to restore structural integrity, reduce pain, anxiety and bring the body back into balance.
Bowen consists of three moves which are skin slack, gentle pressure and then a series of precise rolling type moves with fingers and thumbs across muscle, tendon and fascia. It is not a form of massage. During the treatment there are a series of short breaks where the client is left resting to allow their body to respond to the moves. This is unique to Bowen Therapy and allows the body time to make the subtle and fine adjustments which help to relieve pain, tension and re-balance the body. Most client’s report a sense of relaxation and well-being at the end of the session.
How Does it Work
As humans, we have the ability to develop responses to stimuli extremely quickly so if we find ourselves in danger we quickly determine how to respond to it. This is the same for all situations. A Bowen therapist will only use the pressure that is appropriate to each person so that the movements do not provoke the body’s natural defence system. I always think of it as “asking the body permission to enter “ and by engaging this intention the body enjoys the Bowen moves and allows the changes to take place
Bowen Therapy helps the body remember how to heal itself. The gentle yet powerful Bowen moves send neurological impulses to the brain resulting in immediate responses of muscle relaxation and pain reduction. The moves create energy surges. Electrical impulses sent to the nervous system remind the body to regain normal movement in joints, muscles and tendons. This helps relieve muscle spasms and increase blood and lymph flow.
Bowen Therapy affects the body primarily through the nervous and the bioenergetics systems, to bring it into a state of balance.
Some people will feel shifts in their bodies during and after a Bowen treatment, and experience pain relief whereas for other people the improvements are likely to unfold over the next few days to a week.
What is Bowen Therapy Used For?
Bowen therapy can be used to treat a wide range of conditions including common physical problems like back, neck and shoulder pain as well as knee, ankle and foot problems.
Bowen therapy is also an effective treatment for neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s and Fibromyalgia, headaches, respiratory problems, ear infections, bowel problems and hormonal conditions. Despite being considered a form of body work Bowen therapy can also treat emotional conditions like depression, stress and anxiety through shifting the autonomic nervous system from sympathetic, which is turned on during stress and pain, to parasympathetic which is where is needs to be for the body to rest, relax and repair.
What is a Bowen Session Like
A treatment can be carried out through light clothing g or directly onto skin whichever you feel more comfortable with. For people with limited mobility the treatment can be carried out in a chair or wheelchair. It is non-invasive, gentle and there are no awkward manoeuvres.
The first appointment will be 75 minutes long and consist of a consultation where I will take detailed notes about you, your lifestyle, any concerns, occupation, hobbies etc. I will carry out assessments if they are appropriate and then conclude with a Bowen treatment. An important feature of this consultation is to ascertain what caused the problem in the first instance so that we can prevent it from re-occurring. I use my personal training knowledge to assess movement patterns and if necessary will prescribe exercises although almost always only one so that it is carried out!
Subsequent treatments are an hour in appointment. It is normally recommended in the cases of ongoing issues to book a course of three treatments although if it is a case of an acute pain such as you have just twisted an ankle, one treatment will normally suffice.
During an initial course of Bowen Therapy we recommend that no other physical therapy is carried out otherwise we will be uncertain as to whether it is the other therapy or Bowen which is helping. Although some therapies work very well with Bowen some will hinder because your body will be receiving too many different signals and end up confused.
I will never diagnose, prescribe or alter medication. Bowen Therapy is not intended as a substitute for medical advice or treatment.
Is it effective?
My clients would say Yes! Many feel immediate relief from pain when getting off the couch. For others it may take a couple of days for the subtle shifts in their bodies to settle down and the changes to take place. The moves we put in with Bowen continue to work for seven days after. It is however extremely rare not to feel relaxed after a treatment of Bowen and this helps to promote the healing.
Every person and how they respond to Bowen is different so there are no set number of treatments. Some people (particularly in the case of acute pain) or when the condition has first happened need only one treatment whereas if they have had the problem for a long time, it will generally require more. A course of three is normally recommended for long term conditions and at the end of this we would certainly expect to see significant change.
A couple of recent testimonials are:
“Thank you so much for the treatment. It has really helped everything – including the hayfever symptoms, much to my amazement. I have stopped taking the tablets. The stiff neck is feeling better too” ~A client with sciatica and other conditions
“Just an update. The pain has reduced quite substantially and I’m trying to do what you have suggested”. ~A client with rheumatoid arthritis that I advised her to look at her diet and see a nutritionalist
“Thanks for an amazing session today” ~A client suffering from depression, shoulder and neck pain
“Thanks for today and was a pleasure to meet you and for being so patient and understanding he’s deff feeling the benefit he’s even got his appetite back actually said he was hungry which he hasn’t been in ages so hopefully he’ll put some weight back on too”.~the wife of a client suffering with alzheimers and related conditions
The Lee Avery Technique – Body Mind Works and Bowen
Some people may be anxious about sitting and talking to a therapist and this is where the Bowen and Body Mind Works treatment combined works well. Bowen is such a gentle relaxing treatment it enables the person to relax very quickly.
Just one example of when Body Mind Works could be used with Bowen is if you have experienced a car accident and then are nervous about driving again. This is where a combination of Bowen Therapy and Body Mind Works together provides outstanding results. The Bowen Therapy will help with the realignment and reduction of pain and the Body Mind Works will help to change the thought process that the next time you get in the car you will have another accident
What our clients say about us
I understand that you are giving a talk to a group at a Fibromyalgia Group so I thought I would drop you a line and let you know who I have been since I saw you in Octobers last year and you may wish to quote my email in your chat.
When I came to see you I was in a lot of pain especially in my neck and shoulders and some in my lower back which was having a massive effect on my sleep and general well being. I had tried physiotherapy, Chiropractor and osteopath before having Bowen Therapy. Since my treatment with you I now rarely have any pain and now manage to get a good nights sleep which In turn has improved my quality of life which is why you haven’t seen me.
When I had my first treatment I must say I was sceptical (not sure if spelt right) and sometimes felt worse once I was home but after 4 sessions I decided to have a break from treatment and see what would happen and the the results have been amazing a complete life saver in my view. I no longer find that I am feeling depressed and am able to cope with life so much better and have even started exercising again.
I would say to anyone give Bowen a try and don’t dismiss it till you have at least a couple of sessions. After suffering for YEARS Bowen Therapy has in effect given me my life back. I am due to see a rhematoligist at the end of the month due to an unexplained swelling/lump that I have on my wrist which may or may not be the cause of intermittent pain I am getting in my thumb joint and also to see if I do indeed have Fibromyalgia (recently had lot of eye trouble which has been put down to dry eye) Always something with me but at least I am no longer in constant pain.
Late I know but thank you so much as you were a great.
Hi, just thought I would let you know that I spoke with my aunt last night, and she is very pleased with the service that you provide. Her feet felt great afterwards.
So, thank you, she thought it was a lovely experience.
I know that she has booked a second appointment so she has happy feet for Christmas! I am sure that she will spread the word amongst her friends.
Having developed a very painful and debilitating “frozen shoulder” which was impacting on my ability to lift my left arm higher than just a few inches, I was becoming concerned aboutthe amount of pain-killing drugs I was having to take to get through the day. I heard about the “Bowen Technique” through a friend and in desperation decided to book an appointment with Lee, to see if it could possibly help the condition. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but after just one pain free and relaxing session, I was amazed to find that the mobility in my shoulder had noticeably increased. Five treatments and about a month later, my shoulder was completely back to normal with its full mobility restored. That was seven months ago and my shoulder is still absolutely fine in every way. I can’t thank Lee enough for her help in using the “Bowen Technique” to completely cure my shoulder
So you can see I have a lot to THANK Bowen and you for…. There were times when I was going to give up – purely from the fear factor of not having a “loo” on that journey – but it’s amazing what you can “hold on to” …….I have been feeling very well and my body is improving almost weekly – my fitness is probably 100% up on this time last year and I feel positive, happy, calm in myself
Afternoon Lee Thank you for seeing me on Monday. I have made an appointment to see a doctor on Thursday and will let you know the outcome.The spasms around the ribs have almost gone, I am sleeping wonderfully and my neck is more flexible. I have been ambling around (and drinking water!) since Monday and this morning I’m feeling brighter. Looking forward to Monday! Kindest Regards Jo
HI Lee, Oh my its all better thank you so much can’t really believe the difference:you are magic. Thank you so much. Best regards and have a good Christmas if not seeing you before.
Since the start of my Bowen treatment I have had relief from pain that I have had for several years. I would recommend it to anyone who has any problems with their health. Also I find that my body and mind seem to be a lot more relaxed, feeling of well being.
Hi, I met you last week at Wexham Park Hospital, where you did a taster session
on myself. I’m very interested in having another treatment with you. I had great relief from the session I had with you.
Hi Lee
I just thought I’d give you an update after my therapy yesterday. I felt so relaxed for the rest of the day and my painful right shoulder really subsided as the day went on.
I woke up this morning and felt brilliant! Hardly any aches and pains at all. I’ve had a great day with boundless energy. I’ve achieved so much, silly little things really but they mean a lot to be able to do these things that a few weeks ago seemed impossible.
I eventually called it a day at 4.30 pm and took a good book into the garden with a large glass of wine!
For the first time in weeks I feel totally normal and still very relaxed.
I’m looking forward to my therapy next week.
See you then, Kind regards,Sue
Hello Lee,
I’ve been meaning to send you a progress report for a while. My second treatment was nearly 3 weeks ago now.
Everything is doing really well! My leg and right side feels very different and ‘connected’ again. I realise I had got used to it not feeling right and now I’m definitely noticing the difference. I’m sure I’m moving in a more balanced way. The improvement has been dramatic after the last treatment. I did have some recurrence of aches down the leg and/or sciatic area some days later but this didn’t last very long. I find it hard to believe that two sessions have achieved this result.
I am delighted with how you and Bowen have helped me. Thank you so much; it’s a wonderful therapy. I’m feeling sure that this change for the better is permanent – but I’ll certainly call you if I do have any concerns later.
I hope all is well with you.
Best wishes JC
As a well-established curtain manufacturing business in the Maidenhead area, I know how important it is to offer a personal, high quality service to my clients.
I would therefore like to thank you for reaching the same high standard in you recent dealings with me. I was recommended to use you by Sally Radford of the Amber zone after I was diagnosed with tendinitis in my knee. I was a little apprehensive a first but you put me at ease very quickly. The treatment is like nothing I have ever experienced before however, I don’t need to know how it works, all I know is that it does. Three sessions and I was pain free and now I am even able to dance in the kitchen (when no-one is looking).
Thank you for your help and I will find it easy to refer my client’s to you, knowing that they are in safe hands.
Many thanks