Frequently Asked Questions

While Bowen Therapy can be used as a complementary treatment alongside other modalities (such as homeopathy, massage and other physical therapies) it is best employed alone as other modalities affecting deep tissue may counteract its effects if used within 1 week. That is because Bowen Therapy is a stimulus to affect a change in deeply held patterns and another therapeutic influence could dampen that effect.

It is recommended to take a couple of weeks off your current treatments and try 2 or 3 Bowen Therapy sessions. By doing this you will know for certain what therapy does what for you.

Heat and cold applications and hot tubs can be another therapeutic influence so best to avoid these too. However, if you are in need of pain relief in order to function do whatever you know to be effective at the time you need it.

Overall, Bowen Therapy is not that fussy and you will know quite clearly its overall benefit for you very soon after treatment

Heat and cold applications and hot tubs can be another therapeutic influence, so it best to avoid these.

However, if you are in need of pain relief in order to function then do whatever you know to be effective at the time you need it.

This is worth discussing with your therapist as it can depend on the type and vigor of the exercise activity you want to do. It also depends on your level of athleticism. In most cases exercise is fine if it remains moderate and well within your limits and in some instances is helpful. Some conditions simply do better with rest and recuperation, please trust your therapist’s advice and be sure that they will want you returning to normal activity as quickly as possible.

Bowen Therapy is another form of bodywork that achieves all the same therapeutic benefits of the following methods – what makes it unique is it’s efficiency:

Like Massage, Bowen Therapy is relaxing soothes muscle spasm and affects the circulation and lymphatic systems. Its benefit is usually long lasting and clients report needing to have far fewer sessions to reach a sustained improvement.

Like Acupuncture, Bowen Therapy stimulates the acupuncture points and meridians and promotes improved functions in the body’s systems like digestion, respiration hormonal and nervous systems. This is achieved without invasive needling or vigorous cupping and massage.

Like Chiropractic, Bowen Therapy achieves skeletal adjustments. This is achieved because it is a therapy for the soft tissues such as muscle, tendon and ligament and it is these structures that govern the alignments of joints and vertebrae. The affect is ongoing after the treatment and is long-lasting because the body has self-adjusted without forceful encouragement.

Like Physiotherapy, Bowen Therapy is not a muscular re-education it has the opposite effect of releasing held patterns of dysfunction and inflammation through its stimulus to Golgi tendon organs and spindle cells.

Like Emotional Bodywork Therapies, Bowen Therapy stimulates a release of held emotions. This occurs quite naturally as the body responds to the treatment during the session and there is no need for discussion or analysis.

When coming for the first time there will be some unusual aspects to the treatment session:Interestingly, you can keep your clothes on during the treatment as the areas of skin needing to be touched are easily be reached by your therapist.The treatment requires various pauses of time between sets of therapeutic maneuvers for the body to respond effectively. These pauses are the most important aspect of the treatment as it is a therapy that doesn’t impose a change in the body; it is a therapy that acts as a catalyst for the body to change on its own.The session is deeply relaxing and falling asleep during your session is a likely occurrence.The whole body is usually addressed with the specific areas of concern being a focus of the treatment session.

Interestingly, the body is treated on both sides to create balance. So, if you only had one wrist problem the therapist will treat both.Your first visit is essentially a test of the treatments effect upon your problems and will enable the therapist to predict future treatment options and strategies. It will also clarify for yourself the overall effectiveness of the therapy for your concerns and give you an idea of how many future sessions are necessary and at what interval.There is such a thing as doing too much Bowen Therapy so it’s important to know how you respond to it before addressing some of your symptoms. This is a real skill that the therapist learns only after a great deal of experience.Finally, expect to get better! The real question to ask yourself is not what is the ultimate diagnosis of your problem as what’s the use of having any diagnosis that doesn’t necessarily help you get better. Ask yourself simply, why did this physical symptom, syndrome, injury, strain or pain not get better?

Bowen Therapy has often been distinguished from other forms of bodywork treatments as being something different and somehow better, something unique and somehow special – It isn’t new or special; it is simply an incredibly efficient form of bodywork therapy that positively stimulates the body to heal quickly. This may seem like a large statement of claim about such a relatively new and, as yet, little known therapy. Keep an open mind and simply observe its effectiveness for yourself.

The effectiveness of any therapy in the treatment of pain, inflammation and misalignment should be ‘black and white’ in its benefit. Most clients will know very quickly whether Bowen Therapy is going to be a successful treatment for their problems regardless of how significant their present diagnosis may seem. The majority of clients seeking treatment at Bowen Therapy clinics come on average 3 to 5 times.

The world’s First Randomized Controlled Double Blind Research into Bowen Therapy undertaken at Be Well Now Centre in Vancouver! Be Well Now recently facilitated the first ever double blind randomized control study on the effectiveness of Bowen Therapy as a treatment choice of sciatica. This study is in process of peer review and is to be published in mid-2010 and the paper will be posted here thereafter. It is our hope that more scientists will begin to recognize the tremendous potential for Bowen Therapy as a standard of care.

Bowen Therapy is safe to use on anyone – from the newborn to the elderly. As there are no vigorous manipulations employed in the treatment. Yet, despite the gentleness of its application, Bowen Therapy achieves profound, substantial, rapid and lasting relief from a wide spectrum of conditions. Among the benefits it achieves in the process are the reduction of physical, emotional and mental stress, improvement in joint mobility, circulation of lymphatic and venous fluids and assimilation of nutrients and the elimination of toxins. In place of the illness and discomfort experienced with the conditions listed above, Bowen introduces a state of ease and well being.

Some conditions that Bowen Therapy has been effective in treating are listed here.