What is Bowen Therapy?
The Bowen Technique is a noninvasive, painless form of bodywork that focuses on the musculature and connective tissues. Using gentle pressure on specific points on muscles, tendons, ligaments, or nerves, Bowen practitioners can help the body shift from sympathetic overdrive (fight or flight mode), to parasympathetic dominance (rest and repair mode), to stimulate the body’s ability to heal itself. These subtle inputs to the Autonomic Nervous System allow the body to heal at its own pace, making it an appropriate therapy for people of all ages, in all degrees of health.
What to Expect During a Session
Because most people live in a state of constant stress and nervous system overstimulation, Bowen Therapy sessions can be a time of deep relaxation and retreat. During a treatment, a series of gentle movements are applied to targeted areas across the body, over top of your clothing. These moves aid in “unwinding” tense muscles and connective tissue. The patient’s only job during a session is to focus on breathing and relax into the treatment. Treatments are restorative in nature, and most people report significant relief immediately following a session. Initial sessions are typically scheduled one to two weeks apart, though frequency of treatments will always vary with each individual. Many people find that over time they are able to go far longer between treatments, as the underlying tension is reduced. Your practitioner may also recommend exercises to do at home between treatments to further support your body’s healing process.
Conditions Helped with Bowen Therapy
- Back pain and sciatica
- Digestive and bowel problems
- Earache and TMJ problems
- Migraines and other headaches
- Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Strain injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, and “tennis elbow”
- Neck and shoulder problems (including “frozen shoulder”)
- Menstrual and hormone irregularities
- Groin, pelvic, and leg pain
- Hip, knee, ankle, and foot issues
- Respiratory problems and hay fever
- Sports and other traumatic injuries