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- A "miracle," according to some, is transforming healthcare. Others say it can have a profound effect on people's lives with just a few touches. According to some, the Bowen Technique, also known as Bowen Therapy, can transform our lives in just three short sessions. What's the matter?
To begin with, it's an odd concept. In contrast to osteopathy, chiropratic procedures, or even plain old massage, Bowen Therapy is a hands-on system of healing designed to alleviate pain for people of all ages. It is a therapy in and of itself, and relies on short bursts of thumb-and-finger massages.
The practitioner actually leaves the room between each burst, ensuring that the patient is left alone until he or she returns. The technique's effectiveness is attributed in part to an unusual combination of short touches and longer pauses, as well as the extreme precision with which the moves are executed.
The Origins of the Bowen Method
Not surprisingly, an Australian with the last name of Bowen pioneered this rather unusual technique. Tom Bowen, a self-taught healer in the 1950s, was regarded as a gifted healer despite his lack of formal medical training. As for what he had or claimed to have, it was the ability to sense vibrations in the muscles, soft tissues and ligaments of an individual.
Mr. Bowen claims that once he became aware of these vibrations, he was able to locate areas of tension in the body and alleviate it with the help of his fingers and thumb. Even though he claimed his ability was a "gift from God," he set out to spread the word. This was made possible thanks to the establishment of a clinic using his methods. A receptionist helped him keep track of the nearly 300 patients he saw each week, and he was said to have an 88 percent success rate.
He continued to treat patients even after he lost both of his legs to diabetes. Oswald Rentsch, who met Bowen in 1974, was the first to spread the Bowen Method around the world after his mentor's death. From Australia and New Zealand to North America he brought it by the time he married Elaine in 1990.
Detailed Step-by-step Instructions
The Bowen Technique is based on a number of principles, as are many other similar complementary therapies. They include:
* Our bodies can get out of whack from time to time, and we need to get them back in order to be healthy.
The nervous and energetic systems, the body's two primary regulatory systems, can be helped to restore the equilibrium we so desperately need.
In order to maintain good health, we all require that the Chi, or universal life energy, in our bodies flow properly. Chi, the life force, was considered essential to the health of the body in ancient Chinese medicine. The Bowen Method aims to accomplish this.
It is common for patients to be asked to lie down on a massage table, but they may also sit. They don't have to take anything off. Initial treatment focuses on rebalancing the lower back, upper back, and neck by having the practitioner perform three basic sequences. Additional sequences will be performed later based on the client's specific needs and wants, or the problems he or she is seeking to address.
It is not unusual for a client to fall asleep during a session, which is designed to be gentle and relaxing. While receiving this type of "massage," they report feeling a release of tension from their muscles. Bowen Therapy does not use joint cracking, crunches, or violent twists like other chiropractic techniques, so there are no unpleasant surprises.
It's important to have pauses between sections. They help the patient's body respond adequately to each movement by allowing enough time for it to do so. When a patient is allowed to leave the room, they can unwind, reflect, and feel at ease. Patients can use their own body as a healing tool as part of the holistic treatment plan.
However, it's debatable whether or not it actually works. There have been few scientific studies to date to determine whether or not the Bowen Technique is a viable method for healing or reducing pain. However, the study's ethics were called into question, and the results were subsequently retracted. A second study, which compared the heart rates of fibromyalgia patients and a control group, lacked scientific credibility as well. The results of a third study are pending publication.
- Member since:
- Mar 25, 2022
