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The Bowen Technnique

How does The Bowen Technique work?

(with thanks to Isy Gabriel)

The fascia

The fascia is the white translucent connective tissue surrounding all the tissue of the body including the muscles (it also runs through them). It has a number of qualities important to the effectiveness of the working of the body itself and how Bowen improves this. One of the most important phenomena of the fascia that is utilised by the Bowen move is the Piezo-Electric Effect.

Fascia possesses the extraordinary quality of Piezo-Electricity, whereby when you put energy in (the challenge and move) it releases energy in another form, in this case radiating an electric current from the move point. Because the fascia is continuous throughout the body, this electrical surge can travel the entire length of the body, but is often deliberately contained between two points (stoppers) thereby reverberating like a pebble dropped in a pond, though there is often also overflow that continues to travel on through the extended fascia sheets of the body.

Bowen work also utilises the meridian system, other energy flows within the body, triggerpoints, neural pathways and dermatomes. The piezo-electric surge can not only pass directly along muscles, but when released at a specific point (as Bowen moves are) that correlate with an acupuncture point (on a meridian), a trigger point, a neural pathway or dermatome area, this electrical surge also travels along these pathways, activating their respective healing mechanisms. This is why the effectiveness of Bowen is maximised when the specific location of the move is accurate.

Proprioceptive feedback

Proprioceptive feedback is the neurological system whereby the brain communicates with the muscles and sensory organs to monitor both the internal and external environments of the body, including the position of the limbs, the contraction levels of muscles and the internal organic functions.

Because of the enormous amount of potential information needed to be communicated, the brain gets habituated to information that is always the same and stops acknowledging information therefore if it doesn't change. The result of this in muscles is that the body 'forgets' that a muscle is not functioning at maximum health (both in working tone and in resting state) and no longer tries to fix the problem, having forgotten there is one. Bowen wakes up this system in a number of ways, the piezo-electric surge being one, activation of Golgi bodies in the tendons is another. The Bowen move also lengthens the stretchreceptors in the muscles thereby sending a change of information and the brain can then re-calibrate its awareness of the muscle tension and act accordingly to tone or relax the muscle.

This is the very important reason why all Bowen moves are cross-fibre, to the muscle fibres, with comfortably firm pressure, to achieve the maximum change in neurological message to the brain.

Indications for using The Bowen Technique

Also conditions like:

  • Hayfever
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Digestive problems including IBS
  • Bronchial/respiratory problems including asthma
  • Fertility problems
  • Breast problems
  • ME and chronic fatigue
  • Colic in babies
  • Kidney problems
  • Conditions requiring Lymphatic drainage

Musculo skeletal problems, such as:

The Bowen Technique can be performed through light clothing. There is no hard tissue manipulation involved, no high velocity thrusts, no massage, no oils, no deep or prolonged pressure and no equipment is needed. It can be used as an additional tool to the techniques you already use as a healthcare professional. It can also be used at home to help family or friends.