By Jo Lunn
We think of Sport Injuries as only happening to sportsmen and women, but this is not the case. We can all pull and strain muscles, be it our hamstrings or calves our back or shoulders and Tennis elbow (and its counterpart Golfers elbow) is a condition of strained and inflamed muscles that can occur if we lift/pull/push or twist something too heavy. What all these injuries have in common is that they can prevent us from getting on with our lives and our hobbies – and they can hurt.
If we’re in pain we want to be treated in way that does not cause any further pain so that we can get better quicker - the old phrase ‘no pain, no gain’ doesn’t really stand up any more especially when treatments like the Bowen Technique are so readily available.
The Bowen technique is a non-invasive, relaxing yet powerful form of bodywork. It works within the nervous system, primarily the autonomic nervous system which is also called ‘rest and digest’, as it helps to reset the body so it can heal itself and restore its natural healing ability and promote pain relief, recovery of energy and functionality to the body.
It was developed by an Australian, Tom Bowen who lived in Geelong, New South Wales. He had a natural ability to be able help others and people came from all across Australia for treatment. It was only after he died in 1982 that his technique was taught to others and it came to the UK in the early 1990’s.
With thumbs and fingers, precise rolling type moves are made on specific areas of the body. During treatment there are a series of short breaks where the patient is left to rest as their body responds to the treatment. These resting periods are essential since they allow the brain time to develop the appropriate response required to make the necessary adjustments to bring correct function throughout the body. Only a few moves are made so as not to over stimulate as the body heals itself; so it is true to say that ‘less is more’ and is these features which make the Bowen Technique unique.
Such a gentle treatment may seem unusual for sportsmen and women to want it, but ever increasingly it is being used by top sports people and teams including rugby, football, tennis and golf.What many find is the Bowen Technique not only helps people recover much more quickly from injuries, but also that they remain injury free for longer. Bowen treats the whole body and brings balance throughout. Therefore, during a sport match in which there is sudden, strong and even extreme movement and impact, the body is far more capable of responding and absorbing these severe actions due to its balanced state.
Case study: Nicky is 12 and plays county level tennis. As well as excelling in tennis she is also growing very fast and experiencing typical growth spurts causing pains in her arms, legs and back, and she came to me with a particularly painful arm. Due to the amount of sport she does, she finds that these growth spurts can affect her performance, but regular Bowen treatments is keeping her on track and enabling her to continue to excel in tennis. “Before I went for Bowen technique I was a bit nervous because I wasn’t sure if it would hurt or not. But surprisingly I really enjoy myself when I go for Bowen technique because I can relax. Now I am back playing tennis again. My arm is so much better than before.”
Not only is there success in treating newly acquired injuries, but also the Bowen Technique has good results for people whose injuries may have occurred many years ago. Sometimes once the cause of an injury has passed, the body maintains spasm in muscles around the area of injury to continue to protect the area without realising that it can release the spasm. With the Bowen Technique working so neurologically the appropriate message can be send from the brain to the body to release the spasm and consequently the body regains its lost balance.
Due to the gentleness of the Bowen Technique it can be used for a virtually any condition and on virtually anyone from new-borns, to the elderly, pre and post operative and in palliative care. It has success treating muscular/skeletal problems and also such condition as asthma, Hayfever, RSI, IBS, PMT, chronic fatigue, infantile colic, migraines, whiplash, depression and anxiety. With such results it is no surprise that masseuses, reflexologists, aromatherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists are training in this technique too. Also many people with no medical background are training to give themselves a second income and also a complete change of career because the word on the street is that the Bowen Technique works!
Soldiers injured in combat can have much emotional anguish to deal
with too. The state of the mind can have an effect on how well the body
heals; the longer the body can take to heal the worse this can make
them feel.
Bowen can have great effect in not just enabling people to recover
quicker and increase mobility, but can also help emotionally, thus help
soldiers to also come to terms with their injuries. For more information please click here.
"The single most important hands-on healing technique and stress release in medicine."
Medical doctor and researcher JoAnne Whitiaker: Director, Bowen Training and Research Institute, Florida USA
"...it felt like petrol was being put back in my tank and I could feel the stress seeping away"
Bear Grylls, Adventurer from Channel 4 series Born Survivor.
