Alternate Medicine - the Bowen Technique

A form of alternate medicine that is revolutionizing the healthcare world is called the Bowen Technique. This technique was developed in Australia by a certain Tom Bowen and is known as Bowen Therapy. The therapy was confined to Australia until 1986 and then was introduced to other countries by Oswald Rentsch who had observed Tom Bowen working and was amazed by the results.

The technique, life-changing hands-on therapy is often miraculous and the beauty of it is that it is so simple and gentle that anyone, from infants to the elderly can use it to relieve all kinds of pain. The Bowen Technique is neither a massage, nor an acupressure treatment nor is it chiropractic. No manipulation is done, nor is any force or adjustment used. The practitioner of the technique uses just his thumbs and fingers to move tissue and muscles very gently. Each set of moves generally lasts for about two minutes and the practitioner leaves the patient alone in the room between moves.

The uniqueness of the technique is the pause between each set of moves. The gentleness makes it more so. This alternate therapy, Bowen Technique, offers fast and long-lasting relief from discomfort and pain with results evident within two or three sessions.

The body is taught to remember to heal itself through the Bowen Technique. The gentle and powerful moves transmit neurological impulses to the brain. This results in immediate response by way pain reduction and muscle relaxation. Energy surges are created. The impulses transmitted to the nervous system and the brain reminds the body to recuperate and thus brings back normal movement in the tendons, muscles and joints. Blood and lymph flow increases as a result.

Eighty percent of the bodily functions such as the respiratory, the cardiac, the reproductive, the gastrointestinal, the endocrine systems etc are controlled by the automatic nervous system and they all are susceptible to emotional and stress situations. For healing to take place, the body has to shift from the fight/flight (sympathetic) dominance to the vegetative (parasympathetic) dominance. This technique helps the body do these positive moves.

This technique of healing also works on the "Stretch Reflexes", the "Joint Proprioreceptors", the "Lymphatic Circulation", the "Spinal Reflexes", the "Facia" and the "Acupressure Meridians".

It must be understood that the technique is not meant to replace conventional medical care, though Bowen and some others consider to be a standalone one. Nevertheless, due to its high rate of efficacy, it is now coming to be recognized to be as one and it is being added to their practice by many members of the medical community.