The Bowen Technique
BOWEN TECHNIQUE TREATMENTS BY ANNA INGHAM AT THE PARKDALE YOGA CENTRE, WOLVERHAMPTON.
Amazing results with this unique, gentle, safe and extremely effective physical therapy!
From the moment I returned home from the first part of my Bowen Technique training course, I and the people who were good enough to let me practice on them were literally amazed at the results that this gentle therapy could have. Right from the start, practising as a student, people of all ages were coming forward with a wide variety of problems including long standing back pain, knee pain, chronic ear pain, skin problems, ankylosing spondylitis, injuries, bunions, shoulder pain, panic attacks, disabling stress-related pain and low energy. As I practiced the light rolling Bowen Technique moves over particular muscles in the way I had been taught, it seemed impossible that something so minimal could have any effect at all, yet the dramatic and frankly miraculous results I was getting spoke for themselves. I had been practicing shiatsu and various forms of massage for eight years before I discovered the Bowen Technique but the success rate I was experiencing with Bowen even whilst I was still a student was far outstripping that which I had achieved before. My experience in this is not unique. It is not uncommon for Bowen students and practitioners to find the Bowen technique to be more effective than those therapies they used before. My own teacher was previously a chiropractor but now only uses Bowen.
Like so many Bowen students I became very exited about all the new possibilities
it opened up. At last I could help people in ways I had not dreamed possible
before. This must surely be the best job in the world!
WHAT CAN THE BOWEN TECHNIQUE EFFECTIVELY TREAT?
No therapist can truthfully say that the therapy they practice can have the same effects on everyone. We are all unique and responses to treatment will vary enormously. It is claimed that Bowen is 85% effective and in my experience this is indeed the case. One of the wonderful things about Bowen is that because it is a treatment that treats the whole person rather that just the area of the body that is causing the pain, the client will often experience not only relief of their main problem but also relief from other niggles as well. It commonly happens, for example, that someone who is coming for treatment for their lower back pain will also experience a marked improvement in their IBS, neck pain, quality of sleep, aching shoulders, energy levels, tinnitus and posture.
Bowen can safely and effectively treat,
PAIN IN THE BACK, NECK, FACE, HEAD, SHOULERS, ARMS, WRISTS, HANDS, HIPS, KNEES AND FEET.
ALSO, chronic fatigue, swelling and oedema, migraines,
fibromyalga, RSI, asthma, frozen shoulder, IBS, tennis elbow, postural
problems, tension and anxiety, sports injuries, PMS, bunions, tender breasts,
backache in pregnancy, high blood pressure, kidney problems, hayfever,
arthritis, lymphoedema, immune system boosting, post operative recovery,
recovering from a miscarriage, babies with colic, infertility, digestive
problems, piles, insomnia, tinnitus, skin problems.
Bowen can also be used as stress management, health maintenance and it enhances performance and reduces incidents of injury for sports people. It is suitable for all ages from babies to the very elderly. Believing it will work is not a requirement. Sceptics welcome!
A CASE HISTORY
Ann Baker is a midwife and nurse from Shipley. She says of her treatment, "Anna is fantastic. I have tried everything for my long-standing back problem including many trips to doctors and consultants, physiotherapists and chiropractors without success. After just one gentle treatment my back pain of five years was 95% better. Not only that, but my left leg which had been one inch shorter since I was a child (causing me to need built up shoes to compensate) was now the same length as the right. Anna explained to me that the reason why this type of dramatic change can occur is because, in most people, leg length differences are not due to actual bone length differences but uneven muscular tension. After the second treatment my back was cured and I have had no more problems since. As if this wasn't enough, with just one more treatment she had cured my IBS and my regular headaches had disappeared.
A few months later I returned for some more treatment after a painful shoulder injury was making it difficult for me to drive. One treatment completely cured my shoulder. As a bonus, a long-standing swelling in my neck gradually disappeared over the next three days after the treatment. I found I could wear my favourite necklace again which had recently become too tight to wear. Now it not only fitted me again but there was room to spare! Anna explained that the treatment had caused my body to release the fluid that had collected in my neck.
Even though I was sceptical at first, the Bowen Technique has completely won me over. I was truly amazed by the dramatic improvements achieved over such a short time. It is safe, gentle, extremely relaxing, has improved my energy levels and greatly increased my quality of life. I would recommend it to anyone."
WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU COME FOR A TREATMENT AND HOW MANY WILL YOU NEED?
First I will take a full and confidential case history. I will want to know any medication you are on, and details of past injuries and current problems. Once we have decided what work needs to be done, the treatment will begin. Usually I will start working on your back with you lying on my massage couch. Through the course of the treatment, I will perform the light, painless Bowen Technique moves over muscles in particular places. The moves are non-invasive and do not involve manipulation of joints and are done through light clothing. In between each set of moves there needs to be a short break of a few minutes for the body to absorb the changes caused by the Bowen moves. During the breaks, I usually leave the room and let you relax for a few minutes. My treatment room is quiet and comfortable. But if you feel you would like to have a friend or relative present during the treatment, that is fine. During the treatment most people feel relaxed. Some people feel changes taking place in the body straight away. The first treatment can last up to one and a half hours. Subsequent treatments usually last about an hour. Most people don't need more than three treatments, but obviously each case is unique. Some people only require one treatment, whereas others might need regular top-ups to keep their body balanced, particularly if their lifestyle involves regular activites which unbalance the body, e.g. tennis, golf and sitting for long periods.
HOW WILL I FEEL AFTER A TREATMENT?
This varies
a lot from person to person. Some people experience an improvement in
their condition straight away. For
others, it may take a few days before they start feeling better. Often,
after a treatment, people can feel quite tired, sometimes extremely tired.
Because of this, I would recommend that you don't plan anything important
(or particularly physical) on the day of the treatment.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW IF CONSIDERING A TREATMENT
Cancellations
All cancellations must be made a minimum of two hours before the treatment
is due to begin. Clients failing to cancel will be invoiced for the full
amount of their treatment.
Cost
The first treatment will cost £35, the ones after that will be £30.
For those with limited funds, a work exchange will be considered.
Punctuality
PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE EARLY. Sometimes people arrive up to twenty minutes
early. This causes problems as I will often be busy teaching or giving
treatments, or if I have been called away I may not arrive back until
five minutes before your treatment is due to start.
What to bring
Please bring any medication you are taking.
What to wear
The Bowen Technique can be performed through light clothing or on the
skin. If you would prefer to remain clothed bring a T-shirt or vest and
thin (preferably cotton) trousers or shorts. There is a bathroom you can
change in at the Centre.
Parking
There is parking right outside the building.
Busses
The 501 bus takes less than ten minutes from Wolverhampton bus station
to our nearest bus stop which is just before the Shell garage on the Tettenhall
Road just after Larches Lane. The Centre is less than five minutes from
this bus stop. The 501 leaves from stand K at the bus station and the
fare is £1.10 (exact change required). Busses are about every eight
minutes in the daytime.
Recognising
the building
Our building is a large semi-detached Victorian house. There is a black
lamp-post right outside, a greenhouse in the garden and we have a black
and white front door.
If there is anything else you would like to know, please don’t hesitate to call.
STOP PRESS! FREE TALK on Bowen Technique at Parkdale, Sunday February 22nd 2009 11 - 12am. Phone or email to book.
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Contact:
The Parkdale Yoga Centre
10 Parkdale West
Wolverhampton
WV1 4TE
Phone: 01902 424048
