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Bowen Technique

'Quite simply one of the most straight forward and effective 'hands on therapies available'

Topics click on the following links to view.

What is The Bowen Technique?

Bowen and Migraine Relief

Bowen and Frozen Shoulders

Dentists check here for - TMJ problems quickly resolved.

Sues client case studies

 

Bowen in the News    Newspaper/Magazine articles about Bowen.

 

!!!VIDEO VIDEO VIDEO VIDEO!!!

Click on the link below to watch a

Video of Bowen being performed

 

 

"Three effective 45 minute (approx) sessions will normally be sufficient to dramatically improve or completely take away the patients condition.
Chronic or complicated conditions may require further treatments.
Following the initial consultation and first treatment, an informed estimate of recovery time will be given to the patient during their second visit."

 

 

You can claim for Bowen treatments with Sue via your private health insurance with....

Sue has claim forms available in her clinics.

 

The Bowen Technique

Description - Who or what is The Bowen Technique
 
     
  The Bowen technique is a soft tissue remedial therapy, named after its innovator Tom Bowen. The technique involves the therapist using fingers or thumbs to move over muscle, ligament tendon and fascia in various parts of the body.

The work is very subtle, relaxing and gentle involving no hard or prolonged pressure. During a session the client will lie on a therapy table or bed, although the work can be effectively carried out with the client in a chair.

Most of the work can be performed through light clothing, although some therapists prefer to work on skin. The ultimate choice should be that of the client's however. Although each session will vary according to the skill and experience of the therapist, as well as the presenting problems of the client, an initial treatment will address the whole body. As a general rule, moves will be made over the lower and mid back and legs, the upper back and shoulders before finishing with neck moves with the client supine (face up).

A feature of the work is that between sets of moves the therapist will leave the room and allow the client to rest. This is a key element of Bowen and is a defining aspect of the technique as well as being one of the most important. The break allows the body the opportunity to create a decision about what action needs to be taken in response to the moves given.

As humans we create appropriate responses to most situations. We can clearly establish where danger is present and determine how we should respond. Similarly we are able to define appropriate responses to other stimuli, whether it be sexual, social, pain, heat, cold etc.

With a Bowen move the response mechanism is thrown into a degree of confusion as to what the appropriate response should be. The moves aren't painful and so therefore defence isn't called for. There is no friction or rubbing so no need to increase fluid to the area. The breaks give the nervous system a chance to establish the correct actions. In the process other information can be gathered by the body and it is common for areas not being directly treated to respond to the treatment.

A session will last generally around 45 minutes to one hour although this again will vary according to the way that individual therapists work. Treatments should be scheduled for between five and seven days apart and an initial set of three treatments is recommended in order to establish whether the client is likely to respond to treatment.

Reactions to treatment are not uncommon and include tiredness, increase in original symptoms, stiffness, headaches, flu like symptoms, increased dream activity. Aftercare advice given to each client will emphasise the importance of movement, the drinking of water and the return for treatments. It is vital that a client does not cease the treatment in response to a strong reaction. The moves are so subtle that if a strong reaction is experienced it demonstrates how profound the work can be and further treatments are essential if the full effect is going to be felt.

Most people will have responses within three to four sessions, when even long standing chronic pain can be relieved. Other conditions might need to be treated more often, but in either case it is recommended that clients return for regular treatments every six to eight weeks to maintain optimum health

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
 

 

 

 

bullet What is The Bowen Technique?
bullet How does it work?
bullet How is it different from other therapies?
bullet Does Bowen work on meridians?
bullet Is Bowen a form of massage?
bullet How Many treatments will I need to have?
bullet What can it treat?
 

What is The Bowen Technique?

The Bowen Technique is a remedial therapy tool. That is, it is used by therapists to mainly help people who are in pain or discomfort for one reason or another. It is a gentle therapy that works over the soft tissue of the client and features lots of rests in between moves to allow the body to start working with the information. Developed by Tom Bowen, many valid forms of his work exist in the world today.

 

How does it work?

There have been many theories put forward in the past relating to why Bowen works and many still, who with a simple naivety believe that we don't need to know. They may have a point, but these days there is much more that we can understand and acceptance from the medical community and wider use of the technique by health professionals, will come from a better understanding of what happens during a Bowen treatment. Recently the concept of the way in which the brain reacts to neural stimulus has been looked at in more detail and is the subject of ongoing research by ECBS.

The brain emits in the region of 600,000 signals per second, all of which both send out signals and in turn receive information from the body. A muscular movement for example begins from the primary motor cortex at the front of the brain and is sent, via the spinal cord, to the arm or leg where it is translated into movement. In order to gauge this however, the brain needs to receive a signal telling it what is happening and what to do next and this it does via the parietal lobe of the brain.

The effect is a kind of looping circuit travelling at massive speeds, sending and receiving information. A Bowen move which is a series of gentle rolling moves, followed by breaks at certain intervals, interferes with this signal and creates another set of parameters for the brain to examine. Once the brain starts to reorder the signals it is also able to reinterpret the information coming from other areas, an example of why Bowen will often set of reactions in areas that haven't been treated.

An example of this kind of signalling comes from Dr V. S. Ramachandran, a neurologist in the USA. In his work with amputees who suffer from phantom pains, he came across one man who was experiencing a clenching sensation in his amputated hand. By using a mirror to reflect the intact hand, the looping signal from the brain that was creating pain, was changed, as the brain 'saw' two hands and stopped the "clench" signal to the amputated hand.

Research is continuing in this area but explains a lot of the peculiarities surrounding Bowen, especially the serendipity of the treatment, whereby areas not treated are often affected by Bowen.

 

How is it different from other therapies, such as Chiropractic, Osteopathy or physiotherapy?

All these therapies are excellent therapies, but Bowen differs in several respects. Osteopaths and chiropractors often use adjustments, or 'cracks' to realign the structure of the body. They will make a diagnosis of the patient and treat the area of concern along with a holistic  body treatment in mind. With Bowen therapy the approach is rather different. The therapist will take a case history, but the treatment does not set out to treat specific conditions or ailments, nor will the therapist diagnose. Instead the body is treated as a whole unit, without referral to named disease. For instance if someone came to a Bowen therapist with cancer, we would not claim to be able to help the cancer or even to treat it. Instead we are trying to help the individual.

for more info' on osteopathy see www.osteopathy.org.uk.

 

Does Bowen work on meridians or acupuncture points?

While one can see that there are points that are on or very close to acupuncture points, this is not the approach that is taught. Many practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine comment on the moves and their relationship to meridian points, but there is nothing consistent enough to draw comparisons. Tom Bowen drew much of his knowledge from books and an understanding of meridian points seems quite probable.

Is Bowen a form of massage?

No not really. The treatment can be performed through light clothing and no oils or prolonged pressure is used. At the same time there is no rubbing or friction in the move, which uses the movement of skin to effect a rolling type of action over the muscle.

 

How Many treatments will I need to have?

There are no guarantees here, because everyone responds differently, but on average the number of treatments required for say, a stiff neck or back is around three. Some problems need more treatments and some even less, but what won't happen is that you will be required to have a long course of treatment, only to find that it hasn't helped. Although there are never any promises, you should in most cases start to see change fairly quickly.

What can it treat?

Although we say that we do not treat specific conditions, there are of course many cases of certain conditions being helped with The Bowen Technique.  In any situation there is no condition which Bowen therapists would not offer treatment. Even in very serious or acute conditions, where an injury has just occurred, Bowen can be used to very good effect. As well as bad backs and necks, Bowen also is extremely effective on more complex or organic problems, such as Asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, stress.

 

information taken in entirety from the European College of Bowen Studies www.thebowentechnique.com

 

Information for dentists

Usually if you have a patient with TMJ problems it's a lengthy procedure with exercises and orthodontic pieces. I can correct most TMJ problems within two treatments, 1 week apart. I regularly now get referrals from dentists who find that I am reliable and get results quickly, with the minimum amount of fuss. If you would like to check out my work before referring your patients, please contact me to discuss this further.  

Sue: 0114 2470576

 

 

 

 


Bowen and Migraine Relief

The Bowen Technique National Migraine Research Program

London-based Bowen Technique practitioner Nikke Ariff recently completed The Bowen Technique National Migraine Research Program, which sought to determine the efficacy of The Bowen Technique in the treatment of the migraine condition. The Bowen therapists were all fully qualified and experienced in The Bowen Technique.

  Selection of candidates: The Volunteer Group
No parameters were set before the research program to attract a certain 'profile' of migraine sufferer. This was deliberate to ensure that the Volunteer Group was random but united by the fact that they were willing to try something new in the treatment of their migraine condition.
From the number of applicants for the program, the final migraine volunteers incorporated the following factors: ·
  1. diagnosed as a migraine sufferer by a GP or hospital specialist ·
  2. women were well represented at different stages of their menstrual life, i.e., regular periods; pre-menopausal; menopausal with/without hormone therapy; post-menopausal; hysterectomy. ·
  3. as far as was ascertainable, the migraine condition was their main health complaint ·
  4. that the migraine volunteer did not have known food intolerances that were being ingested on a daily basis ·
  5. that the migraine volunteer could be successfully paired to a conveniently located Bowen Therapist.

There were a total of 105 migraine volunteers at the outset. Of this group, 42 took part in the study. The rest of the volunteers were not able to participate due to the presence of an additional complicated medical condition or because there was no Bowen therapist available in their area.

Of the 42 who began it, 39 completed the research program. The three not completing the programme did not meet the completion requirements due to a) an alteration of medication by their GP during the course of the program, b) failure to return a completed Final Questionnaire and c) withdrawal from the program due to a healing crisis.

The 39 migraine volunteers consisted of 37 women and 2 men. 13 of them had been suffering from migraines for one to fifteen years; 17 of them had been having migraines for sixteen to thirty years and 9 had had migraines for over thirty years. The causes, according to The City of London Migraine Clinic, can range from hormonal imbalances, exercise, food sensitivities, allergies, missing a meal, a change in sleeping pattern and many other triggers, in isolation or in combination. The migraine pattern for each individual is unique, as are their warning signs, levels of stress, emotional make-up and combination of trigger factors.

The volunteers recorded any changes in their migraine patterns, according to frequency and severity, over a six-week period. This comprised a two-week treatment period during which the volunteer received three Bowen treatments in the first two weeks of the program (i.e. Day 1, Day 7 & Day 14), followed by a four-week observational period. The migraine volunteer kept a Migraine Diary throughout the 6-week period, recording any migraine attack experienced during the Research Period.

 

 

 

The Results:
Of the 39 participants:

bullet7 registered no change in their migraine condition
bullet11 experienced a decrease in frequency of attacks
bullet9 experienced a decrease in severity of their migraine
bullet11 experienced a decrease in severity and frequency of attacks
bullet1 participant experienced an increase in frequency

In all, 31 participants experienced a positive result, representing 79.5% of participants - a very impressive response rate showing significant improvement. At the end of the program, 36 of the 39 volunteers said they would recommend Bowen as a treatment to a friend or colleague.

Ann Turner, Director of the Migraine Action Association writes, "The results from the Bowen Technique National Migraine Research Programme are very encouraging. It confirms that this gentle, non-invasive, holistic therapy can help a wide range of migraine sufferers. The results confirm the findings of the pilot study and the fact that several different therapists were involved illustrates that it is the Bowen Technique which is effective not just one skilled or gifted practitioner."

As a holistic therapy, The Bowen Technique treats the individual as an integrated biodynamic system as opposed to treating an isolated ailment. Migraines can be triggered by any one or a combination of factors ranging from hormonal, sleeping patterns, head & neck pain, exercise, travel, lack of food, allergies, stress levels of the individual etc., etc. These factors are so varied, that a holistic therapy like Bowen must be considered as a valid option for the treatment of the migraine condition.

Nikke says of the outcomes: "I am very pleased and not at all surprised at the success rate documented by The Bowen Technique National Migraine Research Program. I trust that more people will be encouraged to approach complementary therapies with an open mind for the maintenance of their health and well being."

For a list of accredited practitioners contact:
The Bowen Therapists' European Register (B.T.E.R.) Tel: 07986 008384 Email: info@bter.org Website: www.bter.org

For a full course prospectus of training courses: European College of Bowen Studies, 38 Portway, FROME, Somerset BA11 1QU Tel/Fax: 01373 461 873 Email: info@thebowentechnique Website: www.thebowentechnique.com

Nikke Ariff is a Bowen Therapist based in London W1. She can be contacted at: Mind Body Positive Ltd - Tel: 07941 417441.

 

 

Bowen and Asthma

THE TIMES
IT WORKS FOR ME - THE BOWEN TECHNIQUE

Kick the inhaler into touch

A gentle therapy can be a breath of fresh air for asthma sufferers. Celia Dodd reports

Simon Thomas won’t go anywhere without his inhaler. Simon, 35, an assistant transport manager, has suffered regular asthma attacks all his adult life. Winters have always been the worst: last year he suffered a slight attack nearly every day and, if not nipped in the bud, they became severe several times a week. “I would have to sit down and try to catch my breath and use the inhaler to get the attack under control.”
His job means that he can’t avoid two key triggers: cold weather and diesel fumes. Fur, feathers, hay fever and any kind of exertion could also set off an attack.
But now, after ten months of Bowen Technique therapy, Simon is thinking seriously about leaving his inhaler at home for the first time in 20 years. After just four weeks of the therapy – which involves gentle manipulation of the soft tissue in specific areas of the body – the attacks decreased dramatically. Last month he used his inhaler just once, when he visited friends with a pet rabbit.

Simon had never heard of the Bowen Technique until he saw an advertisement last January for volunteers to take part in a nationwide study into its effect on asthma. He was pretty sceptical, but he thought it was worth a try.
Besides asthma, Bowen is used to treat muscular-skeletal problems in the back, neck and knees, and a widening variety of problems, from migraines and irritable bowel syndrome to anxiety and even chronic infection.
In Simon’s first hour-long session, Janie Godfrey, the Bowen therapist, took note of what triggered his asthma, how it behaved at its worst and how it responded to medication. She then used the standard Bowen procedure, followed by the treatment specifically for asthma. Both consist of a series of “moves”, which Godfrey describes as a “tiny, rolling motion over the muscles”.
Between each set of moves there are breaks during which the therapist leaves the room for a few minutes while the patient remains relaxing on the bed. Janie explains this unique feature of the technique: “As we understand it, the breaks give the body a chance to respond, to take on board the moves that have been made. It’s as if you get into a dialogue with the body.”
Simon was impressed: “The treatment was gentle, although some of the moves felt strange at first. You wear loose clothing and lie on the bed, covered in blankets, apart from the area of your body that is being worked on. It’s pleasant, and afterwards you feel relaxed.
“What I found really surprising was that during the first few sessions I started to have muscular spasms, in the thighs or in my upper body – not in the area Janie had just worked on. But as the sessions went on the tremors decreased and then stopped entirely.” The asthma attacks decreased, too, and his hay fever, which he usually has for two months, this summer lasted a week. Janie explains: “It seems that Bowen works by breaking a trigger. The body knows how not to have asthma, so you just need to find ways to help it not to be triggered to have an asthma response. If the body is capable of dealing with a condition, Bowen is usually able to trigger its ability to do so. It has a profound effect on stimulating the body’s own systems to sort themselves out.”

According to Janie, most Bowen patients experience a significant improvement, and often total recovery after about four sessions, although some asthma patients need as many as 12. Most patients come back for top-up treatments, which serve as a reminder to the body.

All asthma patients are told to come back if they have an attack. They are also taught an emergency move, which involves pushing your thumb into the soft stomach area and is illustrated on www.relieve-childhood-asthma.com . Janie wishes everyone knew how to do it, because it can break even quite dangerous attacks.

For Simon the acid test will be the next few months of chilly 3am starts. He says: “If I get through to the new year without an attack I might leave my inhaler behind. But it will be odd to give it up – it’s a crutch I had always assumed I would need for the rest of my life.”

WHAT IS IT?
THE BOWEN TECHNIQUE is a soft tissue manipulation therapy that is applied to the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the body very gently and with minimum pressure. No one – perhaps not even Tom Bowen, the techique’s Australian creator – has fully understood how the moves work, although it is thought that the unaccumstomed stimulation they cause, may lead the brain to investigate the area and release any tension.

SUITABLE FOR children and adults for a whole range of conditions, indlucing asthma, hay fever, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines and stess, as well as sports injuries, bad backs, stiff necks and frozen shoulders. The emergency move for an asthma attack is illustrated on www.relieve-childhood-asthma.com

COST From £20 to £70 a session, depending on where you live.

CONTACT
The European College of Bowen Studies, 38 Portway, FROME, Somerset BA11 1QU Tel/Fax: 01373 461 873 or visit: www.thebowentechnique.com

Bowen Therapists' European Register (07986 998 384 , or visit www.bter.org)


WHAT’S THE EVIDENCE?
DR TOBY MURCOTT

CAN THE BOWEN TECHNIQUE REALLY CURE ASTHMA?
Bowen practitioners do not claim to cure asthma, but do say that it can be very effective in managing the condition. Many patients, particularly children, report that they found relief with the technique. There are two studies currently under way in Britain that hope to provide a clearer picture of whether it works. The Bowen Technique National Asthma Research Programme is two thirds of the way through its year-long study of 30 patients and 19 therapists. The other, on childhood asthma, is being run by the Bowen therapist Alastair Rattray, who is hoping to recruit 100 children.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER AILMENTS?
Professor Bernadette Carter, of the University of Central Lancashire, has published a pilot study on the Bowen Technique and frozen shoulder. This is a common, painful complaint that is particularly difficult to treat and can take years to clear up. Professor Carter found that between three and five Bowen sessions improved the patient’s shoulders considerably. In fact, she was so surprised by the results that she repeatedly checked them to make sure she’d got them right. This backs up another larger but unpublished study by the European College of Bowen Studies that found it very effective for frozen shoulder.

HOW ACCEPTED IS IT?
The National Asthma Campaign (www.asthma.org.uk) recognises that many asthmatics find complemtnary therapies useful, but advises patients to consult their GPs beforehand and always to continue to take their medication. It is gaining acceptance, not through a scientific understanding, but because some doctors and physiotherapists find it helps patients.

CAN BOWEN BE EXPLAINED BY SCIENCE?
The basic idea of drawing the brain’s attention to a problem then allowing the body to heal itself does not fit in with a conventional view of physiology. It’s likely that working with a kindly, interested therapist will make anyone feel better, but it’s harder to explain the reported emergency asthma treatment and frozen shoulder studies in this way.

Dr Toby Murcott is a former BBC science correspondent
 

 

    

Bowen and Frozen Shoulders

European College of Bowen Studies FROZEN SHOULDER RESEARCH PROGRAMME
Helen Kinnear and Julian Baker

ABOUT THE AUTHORS This research is a collaboration between the Research Director Helen Kinnear and Julian Baker, Director of the European College of Bowen Studies. Julian has been a Bowen practitioner and tutor for some time and has been instrumental in setting up a professional training structure for Bowen therapy in the UK and Europe. Helen has been interested in Bowen for the past three years and has been using Bowen within her busy sports injuries practice in south Wales. Helen is particularly interested in the use of Bowen for sports injuries and is currently working towards a Ph.D. investigating the effect of Bowen on hamstring injuries in professional football.

The following report is an 'interview' type of report, designed to give an overview of the study.

TELL US ABOUT THE STUDY We wanted to investigate the effect of the Bowen Technique on patients with long term shoulder pain and stiffness. We used qualified Bowen therapists and set up a clinical trial to monitor the effect of treatment over a six-week period. We also wanted to gather evidence that would clearly address the frequently expressed opinion of the medical profession that complementary medicine works purely as “a placebo”.

HAS THIS BEEN DONE BEFORE? As far as we know, this is the first UK Bowen study to be completed. We started planning the protocol in late 1997. Bowen is a complementary soft tissue therapy and although it has been in use for some time, there seemed to be a shortage of data to quantify its effect. To rectify this, we decided to monitor the treatment process to investigate the effect of Bowen on a specific condition, in this case non-specific chronic shoulder pain with restricted range of motion - the “frozen” shoulder.

WHO WAS INVOLVED? The study was a collaboration between the Research Director Helen Kinnear and Julian Baker of the European College of Bowen Studies. Julian has been a Bowen practitioner and tutor for some time and has been instrumental in setting up a professional training structure for Bowen therapy within the UK. Helen has been interested in Bowen for the past three years and has been using Bowen within her busy sports injuries practice in South Wales. Helen in particularly interested in the use of Bowen for sports injuries and is currently working towards a Ph.D. investigating the effect of Bowen on hamstring injuries in professional football.

Helen says, “Bowen is a very valuable therapy and I was immediately intrigued by how effective it is. I seemed to be using it more and more, both in clinic and on the sports field, but I was a little curious about why it was working. There didn’t seem to have been many studies or clinical trials on the effect of Bowen on soft tissue injuries and I was always searching for answers. In the end, Julian suggested we set up a research study to objectively assess its effects and here we are.”

SO WHAT IS BOWEN THERAPY? The Bowen Technique is a remedial and holistic form of ‘hands-on’ bodywork, gentle and effective. The practitioner uses thumbs and fingers on precise points of the body to perform Bowen’s unique sets of rolling-type moves which stimulate the muscles, soft tissue and energy within the body. These careful moves prompt the body to reset imbalances and heal from injuries and even long-standing complaints, promoting relief of pain and recovery of energy. The experience of a treatment is gentle, subtle and relaxing. There is no manipulation and no force is used. A very wide range of complaints can be resolved with The Bowen Technique. The body normally responds quickly to The Bowen Technique, making it a very time- and cost-effective treatment option.

WHY STUDY THE “FROZEN” SHOULDER? This particular shoulder condition was chosen because it is such a common problem and one that results in frustrating debilitation for its sufferers. There can be many reasons for the onset of shoulder pain but in many patients the initial complaint leads to a chronic condition with pain, loss of function and resulting stiffness. The initial pain could be a result of adhesive capsulitis, bursitis, tendonitis, referred cervical pain, etc. but the restricted range of motion can often be self-perpetuating and progressively debilitating. The pain causes an initial reluctance to use the shoulder and this perpetuates the condition, as the shoulder becomes stiffer and stiffer. Bowen therapists have found many patients presenting with these symptoms and it seemed a natural progression to study a condition that was so common. In fact, on requesting volunteers for the study the response was enormous and an incredible 3,000 patients applied for the programme. This shoulder condition was also chosen as its restricted range of motion could be objectively assessed both before and after treatment. This meant there would be no need to rely on the more subjective measure of pain level and any improvements could be measured directly.

HOW IS IT USUALLY TREATED? Conventional medical treatment can take many forms and might consist of anti-inflammatory medication, cortisone injections, physiotherapy and possible surgery to manipulate the joint under anaesthetic. There are also options within the complementary medicine field, including acupuncture, remedial massage, homoeopathy and aromatherapy.

HOW IS THE BOWEN TECHNIQUE DIFFERENT? Bowen is a gentle, non-invasive treatment and the study was designed to discover the improvement that could be gained without resorting to invasive treatment.

Julian Baker says: "It is often described as physical homoeopathy. It allows the client’s body to restore its own physical well-being without relying too much on the diagnosis or the intervention of the therapist. It is adaptable to any situation or circumstance with no contra-indications".

DID YOU TREAT THE RESEARCH VOLUNTEERS YOURSELF? No. Due to the number of patients involved, we were unable to do the treatment ourselves. There were 100 patient volunteers in clinical trial. We used existing, experienced Bowen therapists around the country, who were all then specially trained in the research therapy itself and the assessment methods that were going to be used in the clinical trial.

WHAT TREATMENT WAS GIVEN? Patients were randomly assigned to either a treatment or placebo group and the actual treatment procedure depended on which group the patient was assigned to - treatment or placebo.

WHAT IS A PLACEBO GROUP? This group did not receive Bowen treatment but was given non-Bowen work in a way that would suggest a true treatment. The trial was blind and the patients did not know whether they were receiving treatment or not. This was absolutely crucial to the study.

WHY WAS THIS SO CRUCIAL? Complementary therapies are often described as having merely a placebo effect, so the research protocol was designed to distinguish between actual recovery resulting from Bowen and the recovery that could be expected due to the placebo effect, just by the patient believing they were being given treatment. It was also important to determine the strength of the placebo effect. the placebo moves had been previously tested and were known to have no effect on the shoulder condition. Equally important, the placebo moves were also tested to ensure they did not worsen the existing shoulder condition. All placebo patients were treated with Bowen therapy after the first three session.

HOW MUCH TREATMENT WAS GIVEN? Both groups of patients received three sessions over a six-week period, the normal Bowen protocol for shoulder pain. They were also given exactly the same aftercare advice. None of the patients had received Bowen therapy before and the therapists were told to give the same description of the technique to both groups. There was no deviation to treat any other conditions that may have been present and the therapists followed the strict protocol exactly.

THIS MUST BE DIFFICULT. WHAT IF THERE ARE OTHER PROBLEMS? Yes, it was difficult but all therapists and patients were aware of this before they became involved in the study. The research protocol needs to be kept as tight as possible to minimise the factors that could be thought to contribute to recovery.

Helen says: “It was particularly frustrating as a large proportion of shoulder pain can be linked to neck problems and we knew that treating the neck as well would lead to even better improvements in shoulder function. Again, for the short period of the clinical trials we had to be single-minded and have a certain “tunnel vision”. Once the research period was over, patients were able to continue treatment for any other condition that may have been present.”

HOW DID YOU ASSESS THE PATIENTS? Patients were initially assessed for overall joint function and specific range of motion for six shoulder movements. The therapists noted the extent and quality of the movement and the patients conducted a self-assessment of their pain level throughout the movements. These assessments were repeated before each session.

SO WHAT WERE THE RESULTS? The results are pleasing and provide a good indication of the effect of Bowen on non-specific chronic shoulder pain and its associated restricted range of motion. The actual results are shown in Table 1.

Helen says: “Although you never approach research with too many expectations, we know that Bowen is an effective therapy, we have seen it working, have seen the effects in our clinics every day. It’s strange, you never really know how the results will turn out but they’ve echoed what we already knew. We know it works - now we can show it works and that feels good.”

THE RESULTS SEEM A BIT COMPLICATED, GIVE US A SUMMARY. Okay, basically they show that Bowen significantly improves shoulder function through increasing range of motion and reducing pain.

THAT’S GOOD ISN’T IT? Yes. It shows that patients who had Bowen treatment improved significantly more than patients who received the placebo.

WHAT DOES ‘STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT’ MEAN? This is a measure of our confidence limits and how sure we can be that the shoulder improvements are not due to chance. We have worked at a significance of p<0.05 or a probability of less than 5 in 100 of it being chance. For some shoulder movements this probability was reduced to less than 1 in 100 so we can be even more certain that the increase in joint function is not due to chance.

WHAT MOVEMENTS RESPONDED BEST? Shoulder flexion (lifting your arm straight out in front of you) and shoulder abduction (lifting your arm out sideways). See the diagrams in the results box. These two results are particularly encouraging and provide enormous potential for the introduction of Bowen into nation-wide treatment programmes for this condition. not only did we see an improvement in actual range of motion and function but a reduction in pain as well. We feel these results are particularly important as restriction in these movements is a particular problem with this condition.

Helen says: “Patients often complain about the loss of overhead arm movement and even simple tasks like putting a shirt or jumper on can be made very difficult. Also, the shoulder joint should be moved freely each day and lack of use can soon cause adhesions to form within the joint capsule. This perpetuates the pain and stiffness, a vicious circle - but one we know that Bowen can interrupt. It is pleasing that a large number of trial patients had achieved full range of motion after only 3 sessions.”


COULD THERE BE ANY OTHER REASON FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS? The protocol was carefully designed to reduce the number of other factors, e.g., it is standard practice for Bowen therapists to advise patients to drink plenty of water for a few days after treatment. Due to the difficulty in monitoring the patient’s fluid intake there was no such advice given, to eliminate the possibility of the increased water intake being responsible for the improvement in joint function. Similarly with rehabilitation. Due to the difficulty in quantifying aftercare, all therapists were instructed not to give any aftercare or exercise advice and although we would normally have recommended capsular stretching exercises, these were not prescribed, again eliminating the variables. Although we would expect even greater shoulder movement if the exercises had been completed, we were determined to eliminate all other factors. All patients were told not to change their lifestyle, activity or medication without informing the therapist. Every effort was made to reduce the likelihood of any lifestyle changes over the treatment period and any significant changes or the presence of any other therapy rendered the patient unsuitable to continue on the programme.

SO IN SUMMARY? The improvement in shoulder function was significantly greater for the treatment group than the placebo group and placebo patients who had not responded showed considerable improvements once Bowen was administered.

IS IT BETTER THAN OTHER FORMS OF TREATMENT? The study has not directly compared Bowen with other forms of therapy - simply against a placebo. Although other forms of treatment, e.g. cortisone injections and surgery may be as effective it is important to note the nature of Bowen. It is a non-invasive, gently “hands-on” treatment with little or no patient discomfort. It is also cost effective with patients showing significant improvements in only 3 sessions, often showing improvements of over 50% after just one treatment. We also need to emphasise that these results occurred with just the basic Bowen shoulder work and did not involve any advanced Bowen moves or exercise therapy. It is reasonable to assume that the results would be even better once these other variables are introduced.

SO, GOOD RESULTS. IT SEEMS BOWEN WORKS, SO WHERE NOW? Although patients have been analysed for shoulder function, we need to have some awareness of the patient as an individual. Bowen is a complementary therapy and offers the patient a holistic treatment. Although the results are significant and have been well received there will be ongoing analysis of more subjective measures focusing on other aspects of the patient’s health and well being. The physiological effect of Bowen also needs to be addressed. Further work could investigate the effect of including stretching and mobilising exercises and more advanced Bowen moves, especially for patients who may have not responded to the basic treatment protocol. There is also need to determine the long-term effect of treatment and the incidence of any recurrence. Future follow-up studies are currently being planned.

Helen Kinnear, Julian Baker and the European College of Bowen Studies would like to thank all patients and therapists who took part in the study. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.

ACTUAL RESULTS

1. Following Bowen treatment, the treatment group showed a significant increase in overall range of motion and shoulder function compared to the placebo group. The average range of motion improvement was 23° for the treatment patients and only 8° for the placebo group. This was the average improvement over all the shoulder movements and is indicative of some movements improving considerably and others not responding much at all.


2. Three shoulder movements showed the greatest improvement. These were the movements of shoulder abduction, flexion and horizontal abduction. These movements are shown below. Most trial patients had achieved full range of motion in these movements after only three treatment sessions. We were particularly interested in the two movements of shoulder flexion and shoulder abduction which are most indicative of shoulder function. Patients with a chronically stiff and painful shoulder most often complain about loss of function, especially with regard to lifting the arm overhead. SHOULDER ABDUCTION The range of motion of shoulder abduction improved in 78% of patients compared to just 22% of the placebo patients. The actual improvement is even more exciting, as the treatment group improved by 40º while the placebo group only showed an improvement of 9º. These two results are statistically significant (p<0.05).

SHOULDER FLEXION The shoulder flexion range of motion improved by 28º in the treatment group and only 7º in the placebo group. this was statistically significant at p<0.05 and shows that Bowen is an effective way to non-invasively increase functional range of motion in the stiff and painful shoulder.

The improvement in range of motion was statistically significant for the treatment group but for the placebo group the improvement, if present at all, was not statistically significant and was no more than would be expected due to chance alone. These two results are particularly encouraging and provide enormous potential for the introduction of Bowen into nation-wide treatment programmes for this condition. Not only did we see an improvement in actual range of motion and function but a reduction in pain as well and, after all, as therapists these have to be our aims.

3. The placebo improvements were higher than expected with 50% of patients showing some improvements. This was in comparison to 67% of treatment patients showing an improvement. However, the extent of the improvement was not statistically significant and was no more than would be expected due to chance alone.

4. Placebo patients were treated with Bowen at the end of the placebo period. This produced unexpected results as, although the patients’ range of motion increased significantly, there was not such a great reduction in pain levels. This was compared to the patients who hadn’t experienced the placebo period first. This could be due to the fact that pain level is a subjective assessment and the fact that the patients had seen no initial improvement may have led to them subjectively assessing the pain to be more than those who got an initial improvement and therefore felt good about the treatment.

 

Sues client case studies

 

Lower back pain.                                                                                        2 treatments 

Client presented with debilitating back pain, unable to walk properly or sit for more than 2-3 minutes without pain becoming unbearable. This was along term issue first occurring age 15 when playing netball. Had visited Physiotherapist off and on to help with pain, but no real resolving of issue. 

At the end of first treatment the pain had disappeared completely and client was able to walk, stand and sit in comfort. Arranged a second appointment with possibly needing to do some work on her coccyx as she claimed she had fallen on this area when 15, had recurring pain in this area constantly also, had 2 pregnancies last pregnancy seemed to have made pain worse. Client had experienced a slight aching in lower back towards the end of first week. After 2nd treatment client was completely pain free and has been so for several months now.

 

Torticollis of neck & frozen shoulder                                                      3 treatments

 Client unable to move neck, constant pain in the neck and also right shoulder.  She was unable to turn her neck at all, and was limited to lifting her right arm around 20cm from her hip. Client was also unable to complete her work due to these restrictions and was on limited duties.

Had seen physiotherapist for several months but had no positive results. After first treatment client felt a loosening of her neck and pain in shoulder was subsiding. After 2 more treatments (all three booked as a present from her daughter), client had full mobility in her arm and neck. She also experienced an increase in her energy levels, possibly because she was able to get quality sleep now she was not inconstant pain.

 

Sciatic, lower back pain & plantar faciitis                                                  4 treatments 

Client was in constant pain with loss of mobility to right leg, unable to bend to pick things up from the floor. She had spent the previous year unable to move out of the house due to limited mobility. Was diagnose with disc degeneration in lower back L1&S1 and arthritis in her back and right leg. Client had received constant treatment with a physiotherapist for 7 months, with no positive results. Had not developed plantar faciitis and was unable to put her foot onto the floor. After her first treatment client had felt a considerable change in her pain, was now a dull ache, walking well and also bending was now not a problem. After the second treatment clients pain had gone completely from her lower back but still had some pain in her heel. 2 more treatments saw all pain removed a complete return of her mobility. In fact she enjoyed an activity holiday I America, water skiing, jet skiing etc. 2 weeks later. After which she came for 1 treatment to make sure she was topped up and not going to get a delayed reaction from all her exertion!

 

 

 

Neck and shoulder pain                                                                                       1 treatment 

Client had constant pain in her neck and shoulders and was also limited in how far she could turn her head to both sides. Lifting anything of the slightest weight was impossible as it brought about even more pain for a period of a couple of days or more. Client had been treat by a physiotherapist, acupuncturist and massage therapist before but received no relief.

After 1 treatment the client cancelled her second appointment as she had no pain at all in her neck or shoulders and could rotate her head without restriction. All grinding noises that she had experienced in her neck had gone and she reported  “her energy levels were better than before, and her life was suddenly looking brighter”. Client now visits for a monthly top up as she finds it keeps her energy levels up and has never since had any pain or discomfort in her neck or shoulders.

 

 

Pain in lower back and numbness in Left leg.                                                   2 treatments 

Client a builder/joiner by trade and had experienced a worsening of lower back pain over the past year which was now resulting in him losing sensation from the knee down in his left leg with severe pain in the rest of his leg and back. After his first treatment the pain had eased completely but returned 2 days before his second appointment (7 days later). After the second treatment all pain and discomfort had gone completely. Client returns every couple of months for a treatment for his own peace of mind.

 

 

Sciatic pain, disc degeneration and arthritis in lower back.                            3 treatments

 Client had just been retired due to ill health because of her condition. Mobility was severely restricted to walking a few yards before pain became too much to carry on. Unable to sleep at night also due to constant pain.

Client felt some relief after first visit, but pain often returned mid to late afternoon. After three treatments client was back to full mobility, with no pain at all. She was busy decorating her new home and reported no twinges or pulls at all, and now enjoys long walks with her grand daughter daily. I recommended apple cider vinegar to help ease her arthritis and client now takes this religiously as she feels it will ensure she is in the best condition to enjoy her retirement.

 

Infant colic                                                                                                                   2 treatments

 Baby, 6 weeks old constant suffering from colic pains after every feed.

After first treatment colic had disappeared for a couple of days but then returned. After second treatment baby had an unusually smelly nappy, but then all pain had gone completely with no return.