Bowen therapy is a dynamic technique that works by alerting the body’s innate healing wisdom to activate, resulting in a comprehensive reorganization of the soft tissue, which provides lasting relief from pain and dysfunction. It is essentially a soft tissue therapy designed to release muscles and fascia in a way that is safe for all ages, from newborns to the elderly. Since the main goal is to balance the body as a whole, this form of treatment is useful for a wide range of conditions.
Imagine you have twisted your knee, injured your shoulder, or rolled your ankle. When an injury occurs, a message is sent from the central nervous system to the musculature around the injured area, telling it to tighten up to protect and guard the injured area from further harm. Once the guarding is put in place, it can remain there long after the initial injury has healed. These compensations can alter the movement and function of the associated joints and, the longer these compensations remain in place, the greater the chance of developing dysfunction in other areas of the body.
Let us use an ankle injury as an example. Initially the musculature around the ankle tightens or spasms to guard the joint from further injury. This limits mobility in the ankle and causes you to limp. When you walk, you are spending a lot more time on the opposite leg, increasing its workload considerably. This overuse often leads to pain and discomfort in the hip as well, triggering the central nervous system to tell the body to compensate for the pain felt in the hip, which can then alter its movement and function. Soon enough, another area of the body will be affected, the lower back for example, because of this new compensation for the hip pain. So, a person’s lower back pain may actually be caused by compensations in other areas of the body. The Bowen technique gives the body the opportunity to unravel these compensations, getting to the root cause of the pain and dysfunction.
The Bowen technique can be applied to any condition the human body manifests; however, not every condition will respond the same way. It is important to note that advanced degenerative conditions often require a multifaceted approach in which the Bowen technique may play an exceedingly significant part.
The human body is a unit; it is an integrated organism in which no part functions independently. This is what Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine,” recognized. He insisted the body is a complete inter-related community of organs and systems, each dependent on the other for optimal health. Each system will compensate with the other to meet the demands of internal and external stressors placed upon them.
The application of the Bowen technique involves a series of specialized cross-fibre maneuvers over very specific points in the body—tendon, ligament, or nerve—using varying pressure and incorporating resting periods to allow the body to respond. This stimulates the sensory receptors that send messages to the central nervous system, telling the body to unwind and release the compensation causing pain and dysfunction.
Throughout the session, the body is essentially provided a window of opportunity to comprehensively reorganize itself through the natural activation of various neural reflexes. It is common for individuals to also experience a wide range of reactions, such as shifting body aches, hot and cold flushes, sweating, and, at times, emotional releases; however, these are positive signs that the individual is returning to a better state of wellbeing.
“I’ve gone to Randy Savard for a few years now and have had amazing results. He has a different technique but it’s extremely effective. When my back or hips are sore, he helps correct the situation. I’ve recommended several people to him and they are all regular customers that are pleased with the results. I definitely recommend that you give him a try. He’s super friendly and personable as well. Very comfortable to be around.”
“Randy is professional, genuine and caring. This seems to be a rare find with health professionals, at least from my experience. His treatment has made a large impact in my quality of life. I cannot recommend him enough!”
“I’ve been seeing Randy Savard for years. He was recommended to me by a trusted friend and I’ve probably recommended him to at least 10 others. He’s not a conventional massage therapist. He does the Bowen technique which is difficult to explain but it works! He’s been able to address pain issues that no other therapist could. Besides that, he’s a great guy.”
“Randy uses the Bowen Technique. It is really different from other massages I have had but I always feel better after and the results seem to last. Sometimes you go to clinicians and it feels like they are making a 2nd appointment as a billing opportunity. Randy doesn’t do that. I have had single treatments and been told to come back when I need to.”