Bowen Therapy allows the body to heal naturally

Bowen Therapy is a gentle form of hands-on bodywork procedures that are performed on muscles, tendons and ligaments of the body.

by LuAnn Drake — 

Bowen Therapy is a gentle form of hands-on bodywork procedures that are performed on muscles, tendons and ligaments. The “moves” cause an immediate muscle relaxation, which begins the healing process.

Bowenwork was developed more than 60 years ago in Australia and is now being practiced in 30 countries. The practice addresses myriad health issues, including back, shoulder and sciatic pain, headaches, fibromyalgia, leg and foot pain, and arthritis.

Clients say they try Bowen Therapy after having received many other modalities, yet are still enduring years of pain. Some issues require numerous sessions, but many people achieve pain relief after very few sessions. One of the unique aspects of Bowenwork is that once the desired state of health is achieved, only an occasional tune-up may be required.

A comment that is often heard after a Bowen session is, “I am amazed that such gentle touches can have such a profound effect.” The brain has, at the cellular level, a memory of how we felt before health issues arose. Bowen moves help the brain to recall that memory and “re-adopt” those states of health.

The sessions are from 30 minutes to one hour in length and are done on a massage table (or seated if necessary). For more information, see: www.bowenwork.com.

The week after the treatment

• Walk — 20 minutes each day, or two or three short walks, helps clean out the body’s “pumps” and move the pain out.
• Take it easy — Reserve your energy for healing your body. • Drink 8-10 glasses of water per day — To flush the pain out.
• Avoid bodywork for one week — Any form of bodywork, even a backrub, can “short-circuit” the healing process.
• Avoid extreme heat or cold — No ice packs, heating pads, hot showers or hot baths.
• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables — They “soothe” the body and help reduce pain.

LuAnn Drake is a Bowen Therapy practitioner, medical assistant, manager and educator for a chronic pain clinic. She and a partner have a fibromyalgia clinic in Phoenix. 602-980-0386 or [email protected].

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 29, Number 5, Oct/Nov 2010.