Bowen therapy is very gentle bodywork developed by Thomas Bowen in Geelong during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It consists of gentle movements across muscles and tendons to release pain, spasm and stiffness of movement.
Tom Bowen was intuitive in his diagnosis and could often correct dysfunction with a single treatment or, at the most, two. He was extremely busy, often seeing 14 patients per hour; this equated to approximately 13,000 patients per year. He successfully treated all sorts of conditions ranging from intractable pain, muscle spasm, sporting injuries, respiratory problems to arthritis and other chronic disorders.
Most Bowen therapists today do not see patients at the rate that Tom Bowen did during his busiest years. While some therapists may have two rooms in operation at once, many see one patient only at a time and spend from half an hour to one and a half hours in treatment.
A Bowen therapy session consists of light movements across muscles, tendons or ligaments and then pauses for one, two or more minutes to allow the patients body to make adjustments.
There are a number of hypotheses concerning the way Bowen therapy works. Current research indicates that there are probably two major effects created by the therapist’s moves during a Bowen therapy session. The first is the movement of water through the fascia. Fascia covers all parts of our body including organs, muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments, and the brain (the dura). This fascial material carries fluids, immune system cells, and other elements vital to our well-being. During times of illness, fatigue or stress, fascia can become firmly attached to the muscle or bone it is surrounding and no longer allow free movement of fluid and nutrients. This can create discomfort, stiffness or pain and inhibit our return to wellness.
The second major effect of a Bowen therapy treatment is a movement of electrical energy throughout the body. This can be thought of as electrical current, Qi, Prana or life-energy depending on the philosophy you're coming from. However we view it, it is vital to have a balanced electrical energy flow throughout our bodies for us to feel well and satisfied with our life. The moves in a Bowen therapy session serve to remove blockages, correct imbalances, and restore free flow of electrical energy over the whole body even though the moves are made in only specific points. This is similar to the work done in acupuncture or acupressure.
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