Bowen Technique By Karen
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Helping the Body to Rebalance and Repair
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How is Body Imbalance Determined?
Posted on 28 April, 2013 at 8:07 |
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The Bowen Technique - Knee & Ankle Study
Posted on 13 January, 2013 at 14:56 |
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Choice
Health & Wellbeing
International
Trade Journal February March 2010
The Bowen
Technique - Knee & Ankle Study
by Janie Godfrey
Every year for the past 6 or so years, the
professional membership body for accredited Bowen Technique therapists (the
Bowen Therapists’ European Register – BTER) has organised a study of the effect
of Bowen on a number of different conditions.
These studies are designed to provide tangible evidence of how Bowen can
help with a variety of conditions. One
of the first was adult asthma, followed by migraine, back pain, PMS, neck and
shoulder problems. The neck and shoulder
pain study of last year documented that 86% of the volunteers being treated in
study showed a partial to full recovery after a series of only three
treatments. 30% reported a full recover,
while a further 56% said that their condition had improved to some extent. Fewer than 10% reported that there had been
no change.
This year, the study focused on knee and
ankle complaints. BTER asked for
practitioners around the country to volunteer to recruit and treat people in
their local areas for the study. The
clients recruited had to commit to receiving three treatments, one week apart,
and could not have had Bowen treatment previously. While the number of both practitioners and,
therefore, client volunteers was down somewhat this year (the recession?),
there were still plenty of documented cases to compile information about what
Bowen can do. And the results are very
good:
19% full
recovery 69% partial recovery (with over half of the
‘partially recovereds’ saying the recovery was 70% or more) 12% no change
In my own group of volunteers, the
resolution of the complaints they brought to the study was between 60% - 98%.
Susan J. was probably the most surprising
result. She is a 52 year old lady who
had been diagnosed 7 years ago with arthritis in her knees and the cartilage
was badly worn down on the inside (medial) edges of the knee joints, but still
there on the outer edges. Hence, she was
in constant pain with a dull ache in her knees and occasional sharp stabs. She took painkillers to try to dull it. Her work requires that she is constantly on
her feet, so there was no way to avoid the wear and tear.
In the week after her first Bowen, her
knees were fine for 24 hours and then she had aches in both knees, but the pain
was intermittent with significant periods that were pain free, which amazed
her. She also found she was sleeping
much better. After the second
treatment, she was having longer periods with no pain in the knees and when
pain did occur, it was stronger and more focused but in shorter bursts. The knee pain was no longer waking her and it
was taking much less time to ’ease’ her knees into the day upon arising. Two weeks after her third treatment she
reported having much more energy generally, the knee pain was still much less
severe, was not lasting as long when it did occur and it was not settling into
the constant ache anymore—this was completely gone. At the end of the three sessions of the
formal Knee & Ankle study, which took place in April 2009, Susan estimated
a partial recovery in her knees of 65%.
Not a complete resolution, but a really significant and welcome
outcome. Susan continued to have some
Bowen treatments after the period of the study, having her last one in August
2009. Her knees continued with little or
no pain, never enough to take painkillers, until mid-November, when the pain
began to trouble her more often again and she contacted her doctor to have
another x-ray. This revealed that the
cartilage is now completely gone on the inside edges of her knees and she will
have an operation in the next few months to replace one knee and, depending on
how that goes, will then think of having the other one done. Given the extent of the missing cartilage,
Bowen bought Susan a considerable amount of time without pain.
Another volunteer’s response shows how
unpredictable arthritis can be in response to Bowen. Debbie C., a 60-year-old lady, had
long-standing (20 years) arthritis in her right knee. It was very painful going up and down stairs
and hills and it often seized up during the night and after sitting for a long
time. It was slightly swollen and very
sensitive to any knocks or jars. Like
Susan J., Debbie did not want to have surgery if she could avoid it. In addition to her right knee arthritis,
Debbie’s right ankle and foot tended to roll in an uneven pattern when she
walked, felt uncomfortable and clicked a lot. After her first Bowen, Debbie’s right knee was pretty much the same but
her right ankle was clicking less often.
After the second treatment, her right ankle was much improved—she hadn’t
had any discomfort and hadn’t had to wiggle it constantly, as she had before
Bowen, when in bed to relieve the discomfort. This problem was almost certainly the effect of years of trying to avoid
adding more pain to her right knee by, consciously and unconsciously, adopting a
way of walking and using the muscles in her lower leg that had now developed
its own set of problems. After the third
Bowen, her right knee was still much the same with the pain from the arthritis,
but the ankle remained much improved and she also reported great relief from
shoulder and neck problems! So she
estimated an 85% improvement in the right ankle but no change in the knee—and
outside the focus of the Knee & Ankle study, her shoulder had
improved! Typical of Bowen treatments –
people come for one thing and find other things getting better.
With many thanks to Susan and Debbie
for permission to share their case histories © E.C.B.S & Janie Godfrey Contents
provided by the European School of Bowen Studies (ECBS)
For
further details about the Bowen Technique please contact Karen on 01954 260 982
/ 07714 995 299 or email [email protected] |
The Bowen Technique - Knees, ankles and feet
Posted on 13 January, 2013 at 14:50 |
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Today’s
Therapist
International
Trade Journal - Issue 37
Nov Dec 2005
The Bowen
Technique - Knees, ankles and feet by
Janie Godfrey
As with most parts of our body, we take our
legs for granted until something goes wrong.
They uncomplainingly carry us around, over hill and dale, up and down
stairs and, for some of us, delivering stellar performances on the fields of
sport. The complexity of their
functioning is amazing and their durability in the face of what we demand of
them is remarkable.
There are many case histories of The Bowen
Technique relieving a wide variety of leg injuries, relieving pain, prompting
repair and restoration of function. Bowen practitioner and teacher Alastair Rattray treated a woman who came
to him who had had continuous throbbing pain down her right leg for 8 months
after her surgeon had done an arthroscopy on her knee. While under anaesthetic he had attempted to
manipulate the leg to straighten it, had severely torn the attachments of the
hamstrings at both the pelvic insertion point and the back of the knee, which
was severely swollen and very painful. She had suffered a stroke the day after and as a result the surgeon had
refused to treat her further. She had
had some physiotherapy with mixed success during the 8 months period. She had great difficulty walking and when she
stood up, she had to pause before starting to walk. After three Bowen treatments, she was walking
very much better and no longer had to pause before starting to walk. After 4 treatments, the throbbing pain
went. She also benefited from using
apple cider vinegar packs in conjunction with her Bowen treatment. This is an old-fashioned remedy but
nonetheless is a good aid to Bowen treatment as it draws swelling and fluid
away from injury and is typically applied to a sprain or a twist but can also
be used with bruises, inflammation,
soreness and areas of redness or heat.
The vinegar is applied by soaking a flannel in neat vinegar (can be
diluted for use with small children or on those with sensitive skin). The wet cloth can be applied on unbroken skin
directly to the bruise or inflamed area and then wrapped lightly in cling film
in order to retain the moisture and left on for one to two hours. Treatment continues on this lady as she has
difficulty in containing her energy and rushes off doing too much.
Another Bowen practitioner/teacher who has
found Bowen to be exceptionally helpful with leg injuries is Paula Esson, who
has coached at national level for England Basketball. One of the players, Diana, had had the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee
surgically repaired. She then found
herself struggling with swelling and pain in the
damaged knee which led to a lack of mobility and hence difficulty performing at
National League Level and, consequently,
she had not played a game for two months. Following the first Bowen treatment
the swelling reduced considerably although the pain remained. At the end of treatment two the sharp pain
had reduced to a mild ache. Diana
returned to basketball and did not experience any discomfort or swelling during
or after competition. Nor did she experience any further problems and
successfully completed the season - an achievement that she never expected
since the medical diagnosis was that basketball should be seen as part of her
past. This was accomplished with two
treatments.
Bowen treatment, in combination with apple
cider vinegar, saved the day for another of Paula’s basketball players with no
time to lose. 18-year-old Anne was an
England Junior Basketball Team Member.
She had badly strained her left ankle during a practice match and it was
important to have her match fit within two days, ready to play an
international. The first treatment was
given when the incident occurred. Apple
cider vinegar applied in the evening brought the swelling down. Bowen treatment was repeated the following
day with rest and elevation. On the
match day the ankle was carefully strapped with meditape to support the injured
area. Anne played the entire match
without experiencing pain or discomfort and no further injury was incurred.
And, not to forget the feet – a woman in
her 40’s had been limping for 4 months due to a painful foot. Her doctor diagnosed her problem as
interdigital neuritis (Morton’s Foot Pain) and made an appointment for her to
see an orthopaedic specialist, saying that surgery might be the answer. After only one Bowen treatment the pain
disappeared and she happily cancelled her hospital appointment.
An important research study has now been
completed on the effect of Bowen Technique treatment on hamstring flexibility
and is due to be published by early 2006.
© E.C.B.S Contents
provided by the European School of Bowen Studies (ECBS)
For
further details about the Bowen Technique please contact Karen on 01954 260 982
/ 07714 995 299 or email [email protected] |
Categories
- Helping Yourself (1)
- R.S.I. (Repetitive Strain Injury) (1)
- Noses (1)
- Respiratory Problems (1)
- Peripheral Neuropathy (1)
- Pelvic Area (2)
- Parkinson's Disease (2)
- Panic Attacks (1)
- Palliative Care (1)
- Nervous System (1)
- Neck Pain (2)
- Multiple Sclerosis (1)
- Strokes (1)
- Tachycardia (1)
- Brain Mapping (1)
- Babies (1)
- ADHD (1)
- Body Imbalance (2)
- Case Studies (2)
- Bear Grylls' Battle with Back Pain (1)
- Pregnancy (2)
- The Tom Bowen Story (3)
- Asthma (2)
- Tinnitus (1)
- Teeth / Jaw (1)
- Migraines (2)
- Meniere’s Disease (1)
- Memory & Emotional Release (1)
- Eczema (1)
- Depression (1)
- Bowen - How does it work? (14)
- Children (3)
- Anxiety (4)
- Bell's Palsy (1)
- Batten's Disease (1)
- Pain Relief (1)
- Bowen Press Articles (72)
- Research Articles (6)
- Hayfever (5)
- Elderly (1)
- Sports Injuries (5)
- Lymphatic drainage (2)
- Knees, Ankles & Feet (3)
- Insomia (1)
- Grief (1)
- Stress (3)
- Sinusitis (4)
- Hydrocephalis and Hemiplegia (1)
- High Blood Pressure (1)
- Hamstrings (1)
- Frozen Shoulder (4)
- Fibromyalgia (2)
- Back Pain (12)
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