How does Bowen Work?

Studies have shown that the brain sends out around 6,000,000 electrical impulses every second, which return as information, allowing the brain to make decisions and corrections to maintain optimum functionality in the body. When an injury happens, the brain compensates both mentally and structurally to deal with the situation. These adjustments can be very minor or quite major depending on the nature of the injury. Over time, as can often happen, if the injury is never really fixed 100%, the compensation continues. These unresolved issues can then mount up, layer upon layer, adjustment upon adjustment. At some point the brain can no longer compensate any further without something going ping, hence structural instability can start to manifest based more on ‘the feather that breaks the camels back’ than actual ballistic injury - The body can only take so much!

It is believed that a Bowen move, which is a rolling type, using reciprocal pressure on the muscle or fascial layer, generates a reference point for the brain, a question mark so to speak. Rather than working on the same area again, the therapist then leaves the room. With no further information the brain is compelled to investigate.

In the case of old injuries, the brain is in essence forced to reassess something that it has put to bottom of the pile of important things to do.

Bowen is helping the brain to start the ball rolling again on becoming more proactive in fixing problems rather that simply coping with them. A fine example of this would be Chronic Pain, the body has just never been able to rectify the situation so it simple nags at the patient and wears them down. Bowen Technique in effect invites the brain to take a fresh look at the problem, and bring it to the forefront of its priorities.

This is where we come to the more unusual part about Bowen Technique.

The effect on the client can vary considerably, however it is not unusual for the client to leave the room with the same pain that they arrived with. Whilst this may seem odd to those who have experienced chiropractic or osteopathic treatment, it is vitally important to remember that Bowen Technique is an ongoing process. There is no force involved in a Bowen move, we are inviting the body to correct itself. The brain and body will decide if this is possible or not.

Clients have also been known to feel unwell after a treatment, and in the days following experience pains in other parts of the body as the brains starts to readjust itself to a better operating position.

Many have asked how is this possible? I think an analogy may be useful here:

Many of us get to a point, when we recognise that we need to get fitter. So we start going to the gym. We have a pretty good idea before we start that the first couple of sessions are going to be tricky. Many is the time where you feel great initially, but are aware that ‘it’s gonna hurt in the morning’. We recognise that to get fit we need to push our bodies harder to become stronger. Because we know this, we accept that a certain amount of discomfort comes with the territory.

With a Bowen Treatment the brain is doing pretty much the same thing. In some cases, adjustments will mean a certain level of discomfort for a few days while the body gets used to the new state of affairs. Because there is no force involved in a Bowen move, the choice by the body and brain is entirely voluntary.