In A Nutshell

 

The Bowen Technique is a gentle, non-invasive remedial therapy that offers effective treatment for a wide range of ailments.  It is a system of bodywork developed by an incredibly talented body worker called Tom Bowen in Australia some 50 years ago. The Bowen Technique is now available on many private healthcare policies and is recognised by the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council.  It has been practiced in the UK for approximately 40 years and has earned the reputation of being one of the most sraightforward and effective treatments available.

 

Bowen aims to bring balance by correcting tensional pulls through the muscle and fascia of the body. These tensional pulls throughout the body are often what causes points of pain. During the treatment, a series of gentle, rolling type moves are made over muscle at key points of the body using fingers and thumbs.  Each set of moves is followed by a rest period of roughly two minutes to allow your body to respond with maximum effect. There is no adjustment or deep tissue manipulation and it is not a form of massage. For this reason it is suitable for all age groups including the very young and the very old. Treatment can be performed directly on the skin or through light clothing.

 

My sessions normally last approximately 1 hour and three to five treatments, at weekly intervals, are usually sufficient to achieve lasting relief.  

 

Treatments cost  £50 (From 1st June 2024, last increase 2020)

 

Babies and Children under 16  £25

 

Concessions Available - Treatment should be accessible to all who need it, please know that I am happy to discuss making your treatment affordable.

 

 

A Little More Detail

 

 

Bowen treats the person, not the symptoms. I have found that focusing treatment on the area of pain alone is a mistake, as the area of pain is often caused by several different tensional pulls through the body.  Treating the area of pain alone may bring temporary relief, but releasing the pulls through the entire body will allow the body to relax and optimum alignment is more likey to be acheived.

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The human body is a complex mechanism and is constantly trying to maintain homeostasis, or balance.  The brain receives millions of messages every minute and is constantly sending signals around the body to maintain this balance.

 

The reasons why pain and imbalance or dis-ease remain are not clearly understood, but one theory is that the brain does not prioritise these signals or that the signals become confused. By applying enough pressure to strategic points of the body and leaving the body to rest for a minute or two, it would appear that we can re-establish the neurological pathways to the brain and prompt the brain to initiate the healing response.  This  could be the reason that Bowen holds so well - the body has adjusted itself after prompting and I as a therapist haven’t caused a temporary repair by forcing the issue.

 

During treatment, a move can be performed over a very 'tight' or 'knotted' muscle and when re-checked after the rest period that muscle has changed dramatically.  I see this time and again during treatment and it is evidence that less really can be more.

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The body works mechanically as a whole, and therefore it is possible and in fact usual that a chronic back ache actually originates from tight hamstrings, or that a shoulder problem has started in the neck etc. I aim to get to the root cause of a problem and address it from there.  Through receiving treatments for unrelated problems, clients have also noticed improvements in conditions such as IBS, hay fever, hormonal imbalances, high blood pressure, depression, sleep disorders, constipation, headaches and many more.