Bowen Explained

The therapy was first brought to England in 1993 and was developed by Tom Bowen (1916-1982). Tom lived and worked in Geelong, Australia. He was a much loved and respected man. It is to our gain that Tom decided to teach his methods to two or three carefully chosen men. From these men and the people they trained Toms work is being continued.To carry out a Bowen treatment the therapist makes a series of gentle but precise soft tissue movements. These are rolling moves with thumbs or fingers. Bowen moves are made on very precise junctions of muscle, ligaments and bone, of nerve pathways, of blood and lymph circulation facilitators and of energy flow. There is an ever changing action of communications between these systems. To make a Bowen move the muscle is, first, gently stretched, which activates the sensory nerves to pass information to the brain about the state of the muscle, tendon or ligament in question. Tendon sensory nerves are sensitive to resistance rather than stretch. The body has its own blue print of homeostasis (perfection). If the sensory message received by the brain, when the Bowen move is made, is not correct, then the body goes into action to rebalance the area

The theory has been put forward that the body is a network of transmitters and receivers. They all operate, or attempt to operate, on a specific energy frequency and by making small moves throughout the body, we create a vibrational field that allows all the receptors and transmitters to operate evenly. In effect, where there have been faults, the action is likened to replacing a broken fuse, therefore reconnecting the electrical properties of the body. The concept is, that the action of Bowen, jams a nerve signal that has become faulty, the body, therefore, will re-set the signal to the default (correct) setting.

Bowen also works on the muscle fascia, which is a fine transparent membrane surrounding and interconnecting all body tissue. This membrane covers every organ, blood vessel, muscle, bone and nerve. The fascia should be loose, and mobile. This, in turn, allows unrestricted movement between parts of the body and the free flow of bodily fluids, thus hydrating the fascia, which must be moist to remain flexible. Injury or stress can result in a hardening of the fascia thus restricting the aforementioned free flow. Internal problems in the fascia may result in contracted muscles, which can cause skeletal misalignment. This tightening of the fascia can also restrict lymphatic drainage, leading to a build up of toxins, poor blood supply or trapped nerves. Scientific evidence states that a stretch of the fascia initiates a small electrical charge. Experiments show that passing a low level current of this type over a broken bone will greatly speed repair. Bowen has been seen to accelerate the rate of healing in cases of injury or surgery

In between certain sets of moves, the therapist will leave the body for a short time, in order for activated sensory information to be assimilated into the system. These breaks are as important as the moves. Radical changes may occur in these ‘breaks’ in the treatment. For effective treatment it is essential that there is as little outside interference as possible, so that the feedback mechanism can relate without disturbance. Therefore treatments are carried out in as tranquil and relaxing a setting as possible.

Some startling results have been seen with the Bowen Technique in both human and equine patients. The Therapy can be used simply as a body balance, an ‘MOT’ for yourself or your horse, or can be used to address a wide range of problems.