The Bowen Technique, by Simone Guest SRN MCCH MARH MBTER

reproduced from "Homeopathy in practice" (the journal of the Alliance of Registered Homeopaths, Winter 2006)

Simone graduated from the Contemporary College of Homeopathy in 1999 following a four-year part time course. After a post-graduate year, Sirnone trained in the Bowen Technique with the European College of Bowen Studies, completing in July 2001. She practises in Wellington, Somerset using homeopathy and the Bowen Technique. Simone is a member of the Bowen Therapists' European Register (BTER).

The spur to writing this article was attending a meeting with some 25 homeopaths recently. J volunteered to be a guinea pig in an audience participation exercise exploring homeopathy and the treatment of asthma. When my turn came to speak, I said that my first line of treatment would be to use the Bowen Technique because it has such a good success rate. Presented with someone with asthma I would use Bowen for the first two or three sessions and watch what happened. Then I would add the homeopathy (if necessary and yes, it can be IF!)

The 'if' seemed to take the audience by surprise! During the lunch break, three homeopaths approached me to ask for more details. I left out some leaflets concerning Bowen and these were all taken. I then realised that there is a great deal of interest in the Bowen Technique among homeoparhs yet little knowledge, which seems a pity when the two therapies are very compatible, either in tandem or given at separate sessions.

My introduction to the Bowen Technique

Homeopathic training completed, I was starting to practise and seeing some patients with musculoskeletal pain which did not always respond to homeopathy. There is a growing awareness amongst some experienced homeopaths that homeopathy does not always have all the answers, that sometimes other things are necessary. Indeed Hahnemann wrote in The Organon of the need for good diet, exercise, massage and baths. Here I must emphasise, however, that Bowen is not a form of massage.

With my own experiences of acute and severe back pain for which I sought and gained relief from physical treatment, I wanted to be able to offer other sufferers of musculo-skeletal pain rapid and effective relief. I began to wonder what hands-on therapy could be learned reasonably quickly and remembered hearing about the Bowen Technique, which I started to follow up.

Investigation revealed that the Bowen Technique is gentle, noninvasive, effective and holistic. Just as has been accepted by some homeoparhs that homeopathy and flower essences combine well, so homeopathy with Bowen can work very well. Bowen also uses the principle 'less is more' and has been likened to 'physical homeopathy' - minimal hands-on contact and the effect can be profound. The training consists of five modules (14 days in all) and can be completed within a year. Treatment is suitable for all ages and most conditions. It has the advantage of usually being done through light clothing.

Treatment is also largely straightforward and practical. If working homeopathically, an appropriate remedy, potency and frequency of repetition has to be chosen. If choosing to work with Bowen, then the treatment options are weighed up from the history and observation and sometimes palpation. The patient is often surprised that so little is done, that it is pleasant to experience and usually yields positive results. This may make Bowen sound simple and boring to do. Rest assured that it is fascinating and can be complex!

While it is easy to think that Bowen is only useful for musculoskeletal symptoms, it is a wonderful therapy for almost any condition, physical or emotional, and any age. Therapists running childrens' clinics report favourable results with conditions such as cerebral palsy, dyspraxia, ADHD, and autism. Studies of asthma, frozen shoulder and migraine have shown Bowen to give very good results.

What is the Bowen Technique?

The Bowen 'move' looks so simple to watch but it does take a while to learn. Using something called 'skin slack', ' rolling moves' - using fingers and thumbs at specificpoints - are made over muscles, tendons and ligaments. Each move causes a slight disturbance within the body tissues, thus starting a cascade healing response. The moves are generally given in certain sequences. No massage or hard tissue manipulation is used. It does not use force but offers the body a chance to realign itself / sort itself out / mend.

During the first day of Bowen training, the first 'moves' that we had to learn were demonstrated on a student volunteer. What followed was memorable. After a few moves around her shoulders, the volunteer became tearful. At the time, the impact of this didn't register with me at all; I simply thought that she must be overtired or upset about something. She was taken care of and the training session continued. I'll return to this incident later.

Tom Bowen

At this point, it may be relevant to know a little about Tom Bowen after whom the technique is named. He was born in 1916 to English parents who had emigrated to Australia. He enjoyed the outdoor life and participated in many sports - cricket, swimming and, later in his life, bowls.

Tom was never medically trained or qualified but was a friend of Ernie Saunders, a well-known bodyworker; He also learned from other therapists and from books. He had great perception and a real gift and started to develop his own technique.

Tom worked at Geelong Cement Works in the 1950s and '60s. Many of the workers had musculo-skeletal problems and he began to help them. He set up a clinic which he ran from a friend's house in the evenings after he had finished work. Because of his lack of qualification , he couldn 't advertise but news of his successful treatments spread quite quickly. Torn eventually stopped daytime work and concentrated on his clinic. He treated all kinds of conditions. It was remarkable that many people only needed to come for treatment a couple of times.

It was established in the early 1970s that Tom, aided by an assistant, was doing an estimated 280 treatments per week (13,000 per year). 80% of these were first or second treatments.

Tom taught his methods to six men (his assistants) over the span of his therapeutic work. He developed and honed his techniques over the years, as most practitioners do, and therefore each of the men Tom taught learned his work from a slightly different viewpoint and at a different stage in Tom's career. Following his death in the early 1980s, each of these men has continued Tom's work in a different way. It continues to be developed by others, which explains why internationally there are various approaches using the Bowen Technique.

Working at skin level

Important factors in working at skin level (even with a clothed patient) are that the skin is the largest organ of the body and also the largest sensory organ. Skin is richly endowed with nerves and blood; nerves fire the endocrine system and blood is the endocrine transport system. Deane Juhan's intriguing in-depth book Job's Body, a Handbook for Bodywork explains the embryonic tie between the central nervous system and the skin, that we develop from three embryonic layers of cells.
Endoderm develops into internal organs. Mesoderm develops into connective tissue, the bones and skeletal muscle. Ectoderm develops into skin and nervous system. The building blocks for skin and brain are integral at that early stage of development. Juhan continues by saying that the most superficial and the deepest parts of us spring from the same tissue, and further on he states:

...it is the chemical and sensory make-up of the skin which provides the 'template' for the connections and reflex patterns within the brain, not the other way around.

After some illumination regarding the importance of a mother's touch he continues:

By virtue of the skin's close association with the central nervous system, this cutaneous stimulation is literally awakening organic functions in the newborns' internal organs...

Fascia runs throughout the body providing a connecting web for every part and aspect of our being. Superficial fascia lies just beneath the skin. It connects skin to adjacent parts, helps movement of the skin and is a slithery medium interlaced with nerves and blood vessels. Deep fascia is inelastic and forms sheaths for muscles (and gives them a broad area for attachment to bone surfaces). It helps the muscles in their action by the amount of tension and pressure they exert on their surfaces. There is no divide between superficial and deep fascia. It's like a spider's web - one string affects the whole structure. An event in one part is noticed by the whole.

Bowen moves create a slight disturbance of the body tissues which trigger the healing response, allowing the body the opportunity to realign and rebalance . Often, patients will experience, for example, a tingling sensation or a feeling of warmth in a part of their body that may or may not have been treated. It can be as extreme as work on the head resulting in sensations in the feet! Seemingly unrelated areas are demonstrably intimately connected.

Emotions and feelings

Our emotions and feelings cause chemical reactions. Candace Pert's book The Molecules of Emotion goes into this in detail. Take a very basic example. Sudden fear or shock will cause the adrenal glands to release adrenaline which then has its well-known effects for 'fight' or 'flight' . All emotions are felt somewhere physically (even though we may not be aware of it) and body tissues memorise their effects.

To return to the weeping student who was demonstrated on, her shoulders clearly 'held' emotions which were touched upon during the gentle Bowen moves performed that first morning.

Many of us are unaware of where we physically hold our tensions/emotions. However, during a course of treatment, we may become conscious of tender or painful areas and our emotional and physical memory can be awakened. Over a span of treatment, an arm can become troublesome and then a long-forgotten accident is recalled, for example a childhood accident falling out of a tree or off a bike. We can also become more in touch with our emotions. There is the opportunity to treat emotional issues which may become apparent, with homeopathy alongside Bowen. It goes without saying that this can benefit the physical symptoms as well.

You may ask why Bowen is necessary if homeopathy can resolve the emotional aspects with the knock-on of also resolving the physical ones. My answer to that is that people come for physical treatment usually not realising that their emotions may be involved. Treating with Bowen initially gives the practitioner the chance to assess the physical and emotional content / possible causes. Homeopathic treatment can be suggested when the time seems right. Meanwhile Bowen has generally already started a healing process. If the patient declines homeopathic treatment (rare in my experience), Bowen alone can still work wonderfully at an emotional level. This approach could be viewed as a tandem bicycle ridden by either two people or only one person. The bike will probably get there with only one but it may be harder work, especially on hilly terrain!

What people can expect

When people book for Bowen Therapy, they need to think in terms of having three treatments at weekly or two-weekly intervals to give themselves and the treatment the best chance. During treatment, changes in muscle alignment may be observed by the practitioner and sometimes felt by the patient. A state of deep relaxation in the patient is very common. Signs of improvement are often noticed following the first treatment. However, sometimes long-standing and deep-seated symptoms may require further sessions before improvement is experienced.

Following taking a case history the patient is asked to lie on the couch and made comforta ble. Few Bowen moves are made at a time. The patient is then left covered for approximately two minutes between each sequence to allow their body to register the treatment. These breaks are very important. They can be lengthened as necessary and there are times when it is essential to lengthen them.

Very unwell or depleted patients need minimal treatment - possibly only two or four moves in total with long breaks between.

Depending upon circumstances, the practitioner usually leaves the room during the breaks or sits quietly, to allow the patient to rest peacefully.

Immediate responses to treatment vary enormously. Here are some:

• Warmth
• Tingling
• Twitching
• Reddening of the skin visible during treatment (even though the touch is gentle )
• Emotional release
• Perspiration
• Great relaxation (even to the point of sleep).

That evening and / or the next day the patient may feel more tired than usual.

Following treatment, the person is asked to drink plenty of water, for example 2-3 pints daily long term, is usual for most people. If we become dehydrated, it is much harder for all the chemical processes and detoxification to take place easily. Just increasing the water intake of a virtual non-water-drinker can make quite a difference to their health. Tea and coffee are diuretics, so minimising these is important.

Among other post-treatment requirements, avoiding strenuous exercise is recommended for four days or so. If people feel much better, they are warned not to overdo things - it can be very tempting to try to do the things that their symptoms have formerly prevented them from doing. Most Bowen practitioners give their patients a printed post-treatment sheet to persuade them to take responsibility for their aftercare.

It is widely accepted amongst Bowen therapists that 80% of those seen gain positive results. Some of the 80% will be startling results and some will need further treatment. Chronic illness and maintaining causes may make this necessary. However, even in these instances, if benefit results from the first three treatments a person may opt to continue treatment at more widely spaced intervals enabling them to keep their symptoms more manageable.

Many people have regular top-ups every eight to twelve weeks; some come just twice a year. They report suffering fewer colds and feeling generally better more of the time.

Pain obliges people to find a therapy to relieve it. As with my own experience of acute back pain, people often want physical therapy for 'structural' pain. The first three appointments for Bowen treatment are usually given at one or two weekly intervals. People understand that quite frequent treatment is the best thing at the outset, especially if the 'three-treatments-and-then-let's-see' framework is put to them.

Also, there can be occasions when a homeopath feels that something other than a remedy is needed and Bowen fills this need admirably. The two therapies work very well together.

Case taking is different for the two therapies and can be achieved at separate sessions. Sometimes, enough information is gleaned while taking a case history for Bowen for a homeopathic first aid remedy (mental or physical) to be given alongside Bowen. Bowen case-taking concerns mainly the physical aspects of a person. However, I find that in listening to what people say, an insight into their mental state can be gained. Some non-homeopathically trained practitioners use flower essences for the mental aspects of healing (as do some homeopaths). Each practitioner needs to find their own way to deciding what is best for the patient seated before them. That includes whether to see them for separate Bowen and homeopathy sessions or whether to combine sessions on occasions.

I find the Bowen Technique a joy to use and never cease to be amazed at what it can achieve. When I started training I had no idea that it can be as broad and deep in its effect as homeopathy. Together homeopathy and Bowen are a wonderful double act.

REFERENCES
Baker, J. (1998 ) European College of Bowen Studies Manual. Somerset, UK: ECBS.
Blakey, W. (1994) Stretching without Pain. Stafford: Twin Eagles Education & Healing Institute in association with Bibliotek Books.
Juhan , D. (1987) Job's Body, A Handbook for Bodywork. NY: Barrytown / Station Hill Press Inc.
Pert, C. B. (1997 ) Molecules of Emotion. UK: Simon and Schuster

Simone Guest can be contacted at simoneguest@hotmail.com.

Further information on the Bowen Technique:
www.bter.org
www.simoneguest.co.uk

Case #1 : Acute back pain

Woman, aged 35
Full-time mother (son aged seven, da ughter aged five)

Case History
A full case history showed many health problems including asthma since childhood, multiple allergies, irregular heartbeat since birth of daughter five years ago, and h/o sarcoidosis two and a half years ago.

This case shows how well Bowen can work in acute situations. The patient's symptoms were severe and she only had one treatment. In this instance she could not follow post-treatment instruction not to overdo things and to 'listen' to her body. Knowing the family circumstances and how desperately she needed her holiday I agreed to treat her.

16 March 2006
She has been under considerable strain for years because of multiple severe family health problems. This has been worse in the last two years, with 'a lot of people leaning on her'. She and her husband had not had a break together without their children for a very long time and they had at last found the opportunity to go abroad alone for a long weekend. However, the week before their planned departure she came to me suffering from acute back pain which threatened to ruin their longed-for break. She had a history of previous episodes of back pain.

Pain bilaterally at lumbar sacral area, running into right hip and down outside of hip and a short way down from high on inner thigh. Pain scale eight or nine out of ten. Previous night she said it was ten out of ten. She said that she has a high pain threshold. The pain was a constant, hot ache when stationary. Walking brought stabbing pain.

She was desperate for pain relief so that she could enjoy the long awaited weekend break with her husband.

Bowen treatment: initial general treatment given.

Homeopathy: Arn ca 12 twice daily for five days (physical and low potency chosen for her depleted state).

She felt deeply relaxed by the treatment and moved off the therapy table a good deal more freely than when she got on. She said that she felt lighter. The pain had eased considerably before she left. The next morning she took some analgesia prior to the long car journey to the airport as a precaution but it made her feel so nauseous that she didn't repeat it . She just used the prescribed Arnica 12. The second day of their break they did a great deal of walking and the pain did start to return. However, she said that she could not have done the walking in the first place had she not had the treatment. She and her husband enjoyed their long weekend very much. She will return for further treatment, this time following the post-treatment requirements.

Case #2: Whiplash injury

Woman, aged 38
Profession: Self-employed saddler (heavy leather-stitching involved)

Case history
She has occasional tummy upsets. After a party she may wake at 3am, white as a sheet with sweating, nausea and diarrhoea; then vomiting. This has happened a few times this year. Supermarket chicken, scampi, prawns and pub beef are all culprits! Ankle pinned and plated 15 years ago. Jaw kept locking and she couldn't bite into things. Cortisone injections into temporomandibular joint seven and three years ago. Lots of mercury fillings.

25 May 2004
Eight days previously she had been involved in a car accident; the car she was driving was hit right side to right side and was a write-off. She declined an offer to be taken by ambulance to the nearest A&E department. She went to work the next day but at 10am went to A&E, and was then off work for three days. She used Nurofen alternating with Paracetamol four hourly initially following the accident.

When I first saw her she was back at work again. She had taken two Nurofen the previous evening and none today. She had also had Arnica 200 bd for the last four days which I had given her as first aid treatment after hearing what had happened when I dropped in to her shop.

She now had right posterior neck pain on a scale of two to three out of ten at rest, five out of ten on exertion. Right posterior and anterior shoulder pain and right sacro-iliac pain going down right thigh all on same scale as neck. Left knee bruised. Pain in sole of right foot and on top of right foot affecting toes three, four and five.

During the first treatment there was a lot of heat around her rhomboids. Her neck became uncomfortable following moves at these points. I gave a minimal treatment because of the extent of her injury and the energy detected around it.

Homeopathy: Arnica 200 bd to continue.

8 June 2004
Second day afrer treatment she felt like she did the day following the accident: lethargic and everything ached. She didn 't do much work and used a warm wheatbag on the area. By Friday much improved. Now she has difficulty looking upwards - neck pain scale on trying to do this is around six out of ten. Seat-belt area pain and foot pain gone.

The worst pain is in the right sacro-iliac area which can be fine for two days and then 'foul' for three days. Uses Paracetamol or Nurofen as necessary. This is an old symptom for which she had been receiving osteopathic treatment quite frequently in the past, although it had not troubled her for three months immediately prior to the accident. She is still taking Arnica 200.
Bowen treatment: temporomandibular joint and respiratory area

28 June 2004
Following treatment has felt much better. The next day she had to drive a long distance and did not suffer for it.

Neck stiff On waking each morning. No Nurofen needed. Now working as normal. However, looking upwards still needs improvement pain-wise though there is amelioration.

Lower back pain aggravated by standing. She may have three days without trouble. Used warm wheatbag to area previous night which eased it.

Menses last week were trouble free. She didn't say before, but some months she has menstrual headaches which give her a blinding headache when bending. Looking left and right can make her feel peculiar. This can last for 2 days. Uses Solpadeine.

Bowen treatment: coccyx (tight), pelvis (tight), knees, ankles and feet (she was surprised by areas of tenderness in all these areas).

She experienced warmth during work on her shoulders.

Homeopathy: Arnica 1M for five nights. Arsenicum album 30 to hold in case she has a bout of tummy symptoms mentioned at first visit.

27 July 2004
It took three or four days for improvement to be felt following the last treatment. Neck pains now not a problem. Looking upwards she is not aware of discomfort. She is able to stitch for long periods again. Lower back gives occasional problems only. Right groin twinges occasionally.

Homeopathy: Arsenicum 30 worked well for a nauseous attack.

Bowen treatment: pelvis and temporomandibular joint.

11 October 2004
She had had 'two glitches' since last seen. One she couldn't remember what she had done. But she noticed immediate neck pain following pulling some beetroot from her garden. She immediately used Arnica 200 , her warm wheatbag and wore a scarf which all helped.

Bowen treatment: pelvis, knees, ankles and temporomandibular joint.

Homeopathy: Arnica 200c top-up to be used as required. Arsenicum 30c top-up to be used as required.

2 February 2005
A top-up treatment . She has not had 'gippy tummy' in spite of eating scampi. Also noticed less clicking in her jaw since starting treatment.

She can now eat prawns and the other culprit foods without a bout of the symptoms she described at her first visit . She was seen five times in 2005. Bowen and homeopathy suit her well and she returns when she needs top-up treatment for her neck or back.