The easiest way to say how Bowen might be able to help you is to tell you about the support my clients have sought:

• Aches and pains, twinges and general discomfort: This has included neck, back, knee, shoulder and hip pain, tight hamstrings, leg and shoulder restrictions including frozen shoulder
• Congestion including sinus pain, and allergies
• Hormonal issues including menstrual cramps
• Stress, anxiety and tension
• Asthma and hay fever

After an assessment which includes a detailed consultation that looks at your health and well-being throughout and in the context of your life, the treatment begins by you lying face down on the treatment couch.  Around halfway through the treatment you will be asked to roll over onto your back.  Key areas worked on include lower, mid and upper back, shoulders, the neck, jaw, arms and legs.

The treatment itself is very gently and there is no prodding, twisting, deep pressure or manipulation. Between each set of moves I will leave you to rest on your own for anything between 1-5 minutes so your body has a chance to process the work I am doing.  

If you view the moves I make as a set of instructions to the body, along the lines of ‘come and look here, is there something wrong?’ then the last thing I want to do is overload your body with lots of instructions at once.  By popping in short breaks, the idea is you and your body have a chance to respond and do something with those instructions before I move onto the next set of moves, which in turn means the treatment should be more effective and long lasting.

If you are happy for me to work direct on your skin you will only need to remove clothing down to your underwear.  If you would prefer me to work through your clothing then please wear something comfortable for your treatment or bring something you can change in to, avoiding tight restrictive clothing such as jeans or Lycra.  

Bowen Therapy is incredibly gentle, and while you might not feel much is happening during the treatment reactions can vary and you may feel tired and achy in the following 24-48 hours. This is quite normal and is just your body making the adjustments in needs to in response to the work we’ve done.  For this reason try and plan for a gentle couple of days following the treatment and keep yourself hydrated.  

As a rule of thumb most of my clients need around 3-4 back-to-back treatments, each roughly a week apart.  If your issue is not completely resolved by this time you may need 1 or 2 more treatments a couple of weeks later.  In the case of more long-term conditions or symptoms you may need some maintenance, which can range from monthly to once or twice a year, but I have many clients I only see every 2 or 3 years, as and when they need me.

Fascia’s role in maintaining the structural integrity of the body is only the tip of the iceberg, and scientists are beginning to explore its role in:

• Proprioception – sometimes called your ‘sixth sense’ this is basically your awareness of where your body is and a sense of movement in relation to the environment around you.
• Nociception – your perception of pain and your behavioural or physiological response, for example walking gingerly when you have a bad back or breathing more quickly when you are feeling stressed.
• Stress and trauma – tightening when stressed or affected by trauma (whether emotional or physical)

As it forms an unbroken structure throughout your body from top to toes, I only need to work on the superficial layer of fascia, the bit that lies beneath your skin, to affect the deepest layers in the body.