For some, this "miracle" is changing healthcare forever. According to some, a few simple touches can have a profound effect. The Bowen Technique, also known as Bowen Therapy, is claimed to have a profound effect on how we feel in just three short sessions. There you go.
Starting with the oddity of the premise, let me say this: No matter how old you are, you can benefit from Bowen Therapy's hands-on approach to healing because it doesn't use osteopathy, chiropratic procedures or even plain old massage techniques. It is a therapy in and of itself, and relies on short bursts of thumb-and-finger massage.
The practitioner actually leaves the room between each burst, ensuring that the patient is left alone until he or she returns.. The effectiveness of this technique is attributed in part to the peculiar combination of short touches and longer pauses, as well as the extreme precision with which the moves are executed.
History of the Bowen Method
That an Australian with the last name of Bowen developed this rather unusual method is no surprise. Although he had no formal medical training, Tom Bowen was regarded as a gifted healer in the 1950s. What he had, or what he claimed he had, was the ability to detect vibrations in an individual's muscles, soft tissues, and ligaments.
Using his fingers and thumbs, Mr. Bowen claims to have helped the body's tension dissipate once he became aware of these vibrations. Even though he claimed his ability was a "gift from God," he set out to spread it. By establishing a clinic using his methods, this objective was met. An 88% success rate was reported for him treating nearly 300 patients each week all by himself (with the help of a receptionist to keep track of everyone).
Bowen, who tragically lost both of his legs to diabetes, continued to treat his patients even when he was sick. Oswald Rentsch, who met Bowen in 1974, was the first person to spread the Bowen Method around the world after his death. From Australia and New Zealand to North America he brought it by the time he married Elaine in 1990.
The Methods of Operation
The Bowen Technique is based on a number of principles, as are many similar complementary therapies. In order, they are as follows:
In order to be healthy, we need to reestablish a state of equilibrium in our bodies.
The nervous and energetic systems, the body's two primary regulatory systems, can be helped to restore the equilibrium we so desperately need. *
Every person's body requires a healthy flow of Chi, the universal life force. An unhindered flow of Chi is considered essential in traditional Chinese medicine. This is what the
Sports Massage is designed to accomplish.
It is common for patients to be asked to lie down on a massage table, but they can also sit. Their clothes can stay on. To begin, the practitioner will perform a series of three basic sequences aimed at rebalancing the lower back, upper back, and the neck. Later, the practitioner will perform additional sequences based on the client's specific needs and wants, or the problems he or she is seeking to address.
As the sessions are meant to be calming and relaxing, it is not uncommon for clients to fall asleep during them. It's not uncommon for them to feel a release of tension during this type of "massage." In contrast to other chiropractic techniques, Bowen Therapy does not use cracking joints, crunches, or violent twists.
The pauses between sequences are critical. Patients benefit from them because they give their bodies enough time between movements to react appropriately. Patients can unwind, reflect, and feel at ease when they leave the room. The effect is designed to be completely holistic and allow the patient to use their own body to encourage healing.
However, it's debatable whether it actually works or not. According to scientific research, the Bowen Technique has not proven itself as a viable method for healing or relieving pain. A study on shoulder pain found that it did have a significant impact, but the study's ethics were severely questioned after it was published. Fibromyalgia patients were divided into two groups, one of whom received a placebo and the other of which received no treatment. This second study, too, lacked scientific validity. A third investigation has been conducted, but the results have not been released.
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