In this section I hope to provide answers to the same questions that I myself asked when I was looking for a therapist. If you have any questions that I haven't addressed here, please call or email me.

what is the Bowen Technique? 

can it help me?

why should I choose the Bowen Technique?

what can I expect during my first session?

what will I feel during my treatment?

how will I feel afterwards?

is it compatible with other treatments I’m having?

how frequent should my treatments be?

what is the Bowen Technique?

Bowen is named after Tom Bowen, an Australian who pioneered the technique before it spread worldwide after his death in the 1980s. It consists of a series of gentle, rolling moves over muscle and soft tissue to trigger a healing reaction in muscles that are not working optimally. It is particularly effective for muscular-skeletal problems, but also can have a profound effect on a whole range of organic conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, asthma, and especially, migraine. There are no forceful manipulations involved in the Bowen Technique, and you will not leave my clinic in more pain than when you arrived.

why choose the Bowen Technique?

Of all the therapies of which I am aware (and I've tried many!), Bowen is usually the most effective in just a handful of sessions, making it the most cost-effective solution there is to many ailments. 

Anyone who is using subjecting their body to strain - whether through the nature of their work, their ways of keeping fit, or even the shoes they wear - will find the Bowen Technique can increase flexibility, reduce muscle pain, alleviate fatigue, improve performance - and make a difference to their enjoyment of life.

As a result, increasing numbers of health and sports professionals are turning to the Bowen Technique to treat persistent injuries, chronic conditions, and acute or chronic pain. My clients have included babies & children, pregnant mothers, athletes, dancers, musicians, truck drivers, gardeners and many, many desk-jockeys - people from all walks of life, at all stages of life from 7 weeks to 95 years, all of whom have found Bowen useful in alleviating their symptoms.  

what can it treat? 

Many acute and chronic conditions respond favourably to the Bowen Technique. Among the conditions I have successfully alleviated using Bowen include:

• sports injuries

• tension/anxiety/insomnia

• back pain/sciatica

• sacro-iliac pain

• neck/shoulder problems (including whiplash)

• frozen shoulder/tennis elbow

• plantar fasciitis/hammer toes

• migraines and headaches

• pregnancy pain

• infant colic

This list is not exhaustive, and if what you are suffering from is not listed here, please contact me to see if Bowen can help you. Some conditions do not respond to Bowen, and I do not take on every potential client who contacts me, especially if I don't believe I can help. However, if you are looking for a therapist and don't know what might be the best for you, I will be happy to refer you to what I believe may be the most appropriate provider if I cannot help. 

It is important to remember that Bowen is not a substitute for medical care, and you should not hesitate to consult your GP or other medical professional if you believe you have a condition that requires medical treatment.

what can I expect during my first session?

Your initial consultation will include a review of your medical history and lifestyle, followed by a Bowen session to assess pain patterns, muscle imbalances, restricted movement and other presenting conditions. Because Bowen can be done through clothes without losing any of its effectiveness, I recommend wearing a light shirt/trousers (no jeans or lycra please!), or bring pyjamas/shorts to change into.  

Your first session will last about an hour, thereafter, depending on your presenting condition(s), 25-45 minutes. Unlike other therapists, I do not charge more for your first visit, and I allow a full hour for every subsequent visit you make - no client is rushed out of my clinic. 

what will I feel during my treatment?

Bowen is very gentle, which makes it ideal for people who have experienced pain or discomfort during physiotherapy, massage or other forms of bodywork, such as chiropractic. You will either lie comfortably on a massage table or sit in a chair, and the moves I make over your muscles will be made in time with your exhalation. The "moves" themselves generally use very little pressure - it is the location, sequence, and rests between the moves that make Bowen so effective, not the amount of pressure I use. The work won't be constant - a key element of Bowen are the pauses between sets of moves, which allow your muscles to respond to the work I have done on them. 

Importantly, the more relaxed you are during a session, the more effective the treatment is likely be. Because of this, I do not engage in conversation once the treatment has started, enabling you to just relax in peace and quiet. I also encourage you to close your eyes, which helps relax the body. However, I do remain in the room with you during the treatment, and I always appreciate feedback about how you are feeling and if you notice any reactions to the work I am doing. Please let me know if you are too hot or cold! 

It is not uncommon for clients to experience peristalsis (stomach rumbling) during a session - this is actually a very encouraging sign of muscle relaxation, and certainly not something to be embarrassed by. 

how will I feel afterwards?

For some people, apart from feeling some relief from their symptoms, there will be a little tiredness or stiffness after a few hours which will pass in a day or so. Despite its gentleness, possible reactions to Bowen can also include headaches or cold-like symptoms. It is important to remember that after many therapies, the healing process is 'kick-started' and this can take many forms. Any reaction is an indication that the treatment is prompting healing, and you should be encouraged that this is an excellent sign. 

Oftentimes, after the first session you will not notice a significant decrease in your symptoms, or you may find some relief for a few days before symptoms return. Give it time. Our  bodies are complex organisms, and each has its own history and unique set of issues, and each will respond to Bowen in its own way. In my experience, clients usually notice the biggest and most lasting improvement after their third treatment.  

There are three things I recommend to help you through the process of getting better - water, walking, and waiting. In practice this means drinking around 2 litres of water a day, keeping active with some gentle stretching, and giving each session up to a week or so to take full effect.  

is it compatible with other treatments I’m having?

I prefer my clients not to have any other form of bodywork (reflexology, Reiki, massage, acupuncture etc.) for a week before or a week after a Bowen session. This not only allows the Bowen work to take its effect, but it also enables you to determine whether Bowen is working for you or not. 

As a general rule, if, after four Bowen sessions (and having incorporated any recommended lifestyle changes, exercises etc.), you have not noticed a significant reduction in your pain symptoms, then it is unlikely that more sessions will help*, and we will call it a day knowing that we both tried our best. *I believe this to be as true for most other therapies as it is for Bowen.  

how frequent should sessions be?

Unlike other therapies, where you can find yourself going week after week for months (as I know firsthand...), with Bowen the average number of sessions is four to six. As you will see from the graph (below), pain levels generally go down markedly after the third session. This is because sessions 1 & 2 kick-start the process of reducing discomfort, help alleviate presenting symptoms, and lay strong foundations for the work that will follow. After that, Bowen really gets to the root cause of your pain, and helps insulate the body against symptoms returning.   

(The data in this graph is based on my own work with over 500 clients who had successful responses to Bowen) 

In most cases, the first four sessions are 5-10 days apart, depending on your condition and how it responds to Bowen. I usually schedule session five a month later, and session six three months after that, by which stage you will hopefully be pain-free, and in good shape for the long term. 

A good number of people (particularly those with chronic, long-term conditions or lifestyles/work that make them prone to re-injury) will benefit from regular 'top-up' treatments, to keep them free from pain or re-injury; I recommend every six months or so. For example, I treat the football players I work with every week during the season, owing to the nature of their activity, and only once or twice during the off-season. So it may be that seeing a therapist (whether it's me or someone else) may be something you need to do for as long as you're doing things that cause you physical problems. 

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