Bowen Massage (Bowen Technique)

Bowen massage, properly called Bowen technique, is a gentle form of bodywork that originated in Australia. Bowenwork is so gentle that the treatment can be use on the elderly and newborn infants safely. Though the Bowen method is quite gentle it is still effective.

History

Tom Bowen dropped out of school when he was 14 and had no formal training in bodywork therapies. He worked as a laborer and was entirely self-taught in bodywork. He said that he could tell what was wrong with someone just by looking at them.

When Bowen worked as a concrete worker, he started treating his coworkers after work. Eventually, he opened his own clinic. The Bowen treatment was quite unique. Usually people would leave the clinic with the same pain they came there to get treated. This never bothered Bowen because he knew the healing process was beginning. He knew their pain would subside soon.

The Benefits

Bowen massage can be used to treat a variety of conditions.

• frozen shoulder
• TMJ
• headaches
• neck pain
• fibromyalgia
• hay fever
• asthma
• muscle injuries

What to Expect

The Bowen method can be broken down into 4 principles:

The Bowen move is a gentle rolling move that manipulates soft tissue. These moves set the natural healing of the body into motion.

The stoppers are certain areas of energy in the body that determine where and how the therapist treats you.

The breaks are periods of time the body is left alone to heal. Bowen believed that once set into motion the body needed time to heal. After moves he would leave the patient alone for a few minutes so that the body could have a rest and heal itself.

No other treatments because receiving other therapies could interfere with the healing process that had already started.

You can wear loose comfortable clothing during Bowenwork. Treatments usually last 30 minutes to an hour. Some people experience symptoms of detoxification after receiving treatment. These symptoms include:

• nausea
• dizziness
• headaches

As with all types of bodywork it is important that you drink plenty of water after therapy to decrease these detox symptoms.

Bowen technique is not an ongoing long term treatment. Most people only require one to two treatments. Often you don't feel the effects of the treatment until the following day.