Today’s Therapist International Trade Journal   -   Issue 53  July August 2008   

The Bowen Technique More on noses                                                            

Continuing on from the focus on seasonal hay fever in the last issue, it is worth looking at some of the other nasal / sinus problems with which Bowen can be of great help.    

For some people, hay fever-like symptoms are pretty much constant and can be that way for years – even decades.  

Nasal sprays have often stopped working and/or cause uncomfortable irritation in the sensitive mucous membranes of the nasal cavities.  The constant flushing system that the mucous membranes are part of relies on good drainage, of course, and when this is blocked it is a recipe for inflammation, infection and discomfort.  

Mucous production, however, keeps on increasing the flow of fluid and white blood cells into the sinuses to fight infection and inflammation, so pressure builds and drainage is key to clearing and maintaining health in these mucous membranes.    

Hilary, age 61, had a history of more than 10 years of morning sinus/nose congestion, running and sniffing.  She had come for Bowen treatment for another problem and, although I gave her treatment that would address the congestion problem, there was no change during the first five Bowen treatments over the period between 14 September and early November.  

At her next treatment in early December she reported that for the first week after the previous treatment, she had been without any nasal congestion or stuffiness at all.  After the December treatment, she was again without any major symptoms, only having a few short episodes of the right nostril running in the morning but it always cleared quickly.  

It is currently at the 6-month point after her last treatment and there has been no return of the pattern of congestion she had for over 10 years.     

There is a similar history of Sue, age 45, who had a 15+ years history of year round hay fever-like symptoms:  runny nose, itchy eyes and nose, congestion.  Blowing her nose, looking into the sunlight or being near an air freshener scent started it off.  It was worse in mornings and evenings and at particularly stressful times. Her sense of smell was very poor.   

With Sue, we could observe her body trying to correct the problem after the first treatment on 4 May, with a noticeable reduction in sinus congestion and nose blowing, plus coughing more, then problem reverted to usual pattern.   

After the next three treatments (10 May, 22 May, and 4 June) there was no real lasting change in her symptoms and we left it that if there was any real improvement after this fourth treatment, she would re-book for a top-up.  She rang on 22 June to say her symptoms had cleared and stayed cleared very considerably since 4 June!  

This was a learning curve for me as I seemed to be observing that with this particular problem, Bowen may well be able to do the job if we give it a bit longer than the 3 to 4 treatments that usually do the trick with so many other complaints.    

Sue’s next Bowen was 12 July and she was still doing very well – only blowing her nose once in the morning and then it was not itching or running all day.  She had a slight return of   sinus congestion after a few months and had a top-up on 26 September.  She reported that her nose and eyes had been itching a small bit and she thought the old pattern would re-establish itself, but it didn’t.  She has now been nearly 9 months without any problems.    

Kathleen, aged 67, had a somewhat different nose problem:  persistent nosebleeds from the right nostril.  It began without any warning with a real gusher when she was in the Alps at high altitude.  It lasted 5 to 10 minutes and since then she had had a nosebleed virtually every day, varying from mild to substantial and some days she would have up to three.    Her doctor checked her over for any underlying causes such as disease or high blood pressure and could find nothing wrong.  

There was no recent history of a cold or sinus infection although Kathleen has a history of sinus troubles and has been off dairy products for years to control it.    Three weeks before her first Bowen treatment, the doctor had cauterized it, but there had been no appreciable difference as the nose was bleeding again within 24 hours.      

Her first Bowen treatment was 12 November.  She had a moderate nosebleed within an hour or so after the treatment after she had a bout of sneezing.  That night, she had a big bleed.  Then, she had a remarkable 3 days free of any nosebleeds, day 4 she had a small one in the evening, nothing on day 5 and on day 6 a moderate one.   

Her second Bowen treatment was on 18 November and this was followed by 12 days with only 3 small nosebleeds and she was feeling generally very much better with more energy and a sense of feeling healthy.   

Her third Bowen treatment was 30 November and she had a nosebleed the day after the treatment and then a full week without any at all, then about one bleed every day, some very small, some moderate but no gushers.  Next treatment on 14 December was followed again by a virtually clear period with only one small nosebleed on Christmas Eve.  She had an appointment to have her nose cauterized again on 6 January, which was done and she has not had any problems since.   

The wonderful set of Bowen moves that are specific to the temporo-mandibular joint, the lymph glands in the neck and all the sinuses are superb at relieving problems caused by pressure buildups and in restoring the normal flushing pattern that is designed to keep our heads and noses trouble-free.     

© 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]