Bowen Therapy

The history of Bowen Therapy

Bowen therapy originated in Australia. While working as a masseur for football clubs in Geelong, Tom Bowen started to see a connection between apparently unrelated painful conditions. He then went on to develop the unique set of moves that make up Bowen therapy.

In 1975, a government inquiry reviewed Mr. Bowen's work and found he was achieving a success rate of over 80 per cent in presenting conditions. Better still, in most instances, only two to three sessions are required.

It's hard to believe such a subtle, non-invasive therapy can be so effective, but there is plenty of evidence to support the claims made by various Bowen Therapy modality practitioners.

The structures often worked on during Bowen Therapy

Bowen therapy broadly concerns itself with internal body areas such as the one pictured left. Near the interface of bone, muscle and connective tissue, particular moves can elicit a positive response from the body that goes on to promote healing in and around that area, and often, in other seemingly unrelated body areas as well.

The Bowtech Technique

The Bowtech Bowen technique is a series of rolling, gentle movements across muscle and connective tissue.

This technique is so gentle; it can be used on anyone, from infants to the elderly and people with chronic or acute injuries.

The Bowen technique has been found to relieve sciatica, knee and plantar fascia pain, frozen shoulder, fibromyalgia and other painful conditions.

Bowtech* Bowen Therapy is not a type of massage or acupressure. The practitioner begins by gently working the lower and upper back with thumbs and fingers, followed by problem areas specific to the patient. Two-minute pauses are taken at intervals, during which the practitioner leaves the room. These pauses help allow the body to integrate the move into the system.

A typical treatment session lasts between 30 to 45 minutes and most people see results after two or three sessions. The technique produces deep relaxation by releasing areas of built-up stress in the muscles, fascia and connective tissue, causing some people to fall asleep while it is being performed.

This technique is believed to stimulate the stretch and golgi tendon reflexes in the areas being worked on thus providing deeper sensory awareness within the body. The golgi tendon organs that detect changes in the tension of the muscle and cause it to adjust to those changes. This leads to feelings of warmth and tingling in those areas. Through this heightened sensory awareness, the body is encouraged to regulate and heal itself: i.e.,” to return to its original blueprint” in the words of Tom Bowen himself.