What is Bowen Therapy?

Muscle and joint pain are among the most common health issues faced by people. Whether the pain is due to muscle strain or injuries, you will want to get relief so that you can get on with your daily routine. The first instinct you may feel is to pop some painkillers, however, they will only kill the pain and don’t address the root cause.

It’s important for you to know the cause of the pain and take remedies for it. One of the ways you can do it is by using holistic techniques.

Today, we will learn about Bowen therapy, one of the holistic methods to relieve different kinds of muscle and joint pains.

What is Bowen Therapy?

In this therapy, the affected area is massaged using gentle rolling hand movements in a specific way, thus stimulating the soft tissue (fascia) around the muscle and addressing the cause of the pain. 

The gentle movements mainly concentrate on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments around the pain-causing area. All these movements are for reducing pain by stimulating the nervous system. 

In medical terms, it is said to restrain the sympathetic nervous system which is also called your flight or fight response and invoke the parasympathetic nervous system, called rest and digest response, thus resetting the body’s pain response.

Known as a safe procedure for all kinds of ages, you can use Bowen therapy for both long-standing and sudden onset pains.

Depending on the intensity of the pain, you can use this therapy as a stand-alone or as a complementary method to physiotherapy programs. Either way, you can yield the best result possible. 

What’s it used for?

You can use Bowen therapy to treat muscle pain, joint pains, sports injuries, and ongoing and intermittent pains. Specifically, it’s used to treat back pain, neck pain, headaches, and frozen shoulder.

Generally used to relieve pain and to increase motor function, you can also use this therapy to control pain in the conditions like:

• Respiratory issues like asthma
• Irregular bowel movements
• Cancer treatment

People who are more aware of this therapy also use it for treating stress, fatigue, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, flexibility, and motor function.

Does it actually work?

To get the best result possible from Bowen therapy, you will need to find trained experts called Bowen therapists. These people know how to stimulate the nervous system and they carefully do it by using gentle hand-rolling movements. No one can do this unless expertly trained. 

Though there isn’t solid research on the results of Bowen therapy, you can get relief from the pain depending on your condition and how many sessions you are attending to get the treatment.

For some people, results can be seen in two sessions, and for some, it may take as long as ten sessions. The number of sessions for a person depends on the symptoms, your body’s reaction to the therapy, and the severity of the pain.

The main purpose of this therapy is to decrease pain and to increase the flexibility of the muscles so that you can have better motor function. And in how many sessions you will get the relief varies from person to person.

There are studies that show that you can get beneficial results if it’s used for a longer period. This therapy can affect your body’s pain response. All you need to do is to be positive and to give regular Bowen treatment to the affected muscle.

What Can You Expect In A Bowen Therapy Session?

Once you find an expert in Bowen therapy, you have to book a session that lasts for 30 min to 1 hour.

Things you need to do when you are in a session are: 

• Wear loose and light clothing
• You will be asked to sit or lie down
• The therapist will start by massaging by using hand movements
• You can see the pressure vary when stretching the skin but it won’t be forceful
• You can see the therapist leaving the room for 2 to 5 min to let your body adjust to the treatment

You can get maximum benefits from the session when you follow the therapist’s after-care instructions like self-care tips and lifestyle changes.

Muscle and joint pains can hinder your lifestyle and affect your routine. Instead of bearing, you can try holistic methods to address the cause and reduce the pain. Give Bowen therapy a try if you have been suffering from any joint pain for a long time.