The Bowen Technique and High Blood Pressure

Posted on December 7, 2010 by angela The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls most of what goes on in the body. It regulates 8090% of physiological and emotional functions and governs such things as digestion, respiration, heart and circulatory function, blood pressure, muscles, glands, and immune function. There are two branches of the ANS: the sympathetic that speeds things up and the parasympathetic, which slows things down. In the healthy individual these two systems are balanced and this balance supports optimum health and peak performance. The sympathetic readies us to achieve the task before us, or it can escalate into fear, acute anxiety and panic, whereas the parasympathetic comes into play to maintain the balance needed for peak performance, providing an inner calmness to go along with the readiness. We know that stress and anxiety, for instance, knock this balance out and can be observed physically as high blood pressure, amongst other manifestations. When a patient is diagnosed with high blood pressure, the doctor usually prescribes beta-blockers, which are used to decrease the sympathetic response, resulting in decreased heart rate and lowered blood pressure. We know that the body cannot tell the difference between actual events and events that are present in our imagination so the causes of a high blood pressure response can be many. We also know that many complementary therapies prompt the relaxation response. Therapeutically induced alpha state (parasympathetic response) is a natural healing state and can greatly reduce or eliminate stress-related physical conditions by balancing the autonomic nervous system. People dont usually think of Bowen treatment for high blood pressure precisely, but discover that treatment has helped that condition as a bonus. Bowen Technique practitioner Annie Sewart, who is also a physiotherapist, treated 54-year-old Mrs C. who came with a history of back pain. When she came for the first treatment, Annie noted that Mrs C. also had high blood pressure. During the first treatment, Mrs C. felt very woozy and was hot and flushed after, so remained lying down for a while. She said that her back was then painful for two days following the treatment but that something snapped as she was walking and the pain was gone. At her third treatment, she reported feeling a bit stiff, still, but had been playing tennis. In addition, her blood pressure was normal for the first time in two years. The husband of a Bowen student benefited from being a practice body for his wife as she was learning Bowen. He had had high blood pressure for years and his doctor monitored it every few months. After his wife had been practising Bowen on him and this was the only thing that was different in his life his doctor was amazed to find his blood pressure was substantially reduced. Another man that benefited from having a Bowen practitioner in the family received Bowen treatment when his daughter was visiting on holiday. Again, he had a history of high blood pressure and, after her visit and the extremely relaxing treatments she gave him to help, his blood pressure had reduced remarkably.

More common is the slow lowering of blood pressure readings over time, with lessening spike patterns. Elaine, who has a family history of high blood pressure, came for Bowen treatment for panic attacks and anxiety, which was a long-established problem for her. She was also developing high blood pressure herself and this added to her anxiety. She did not want to go onto pills to control it. She monitors it with a home machine and in the year since she started Bowen (with treatments approximately once every six weeks) she has seen a steady decline in her blood pressure readings generally and they are now normal or near normal most of the time. For further information and full course prospectus, contact: European College of Bowen Studies, 38 Portway, FROME, Somerset BA11 1QU T/F: 01373 461 873 E: info@thebowentechnique.com W: www.thebowentechnique.com The following case histories demonstrate the power and effectiveness of Bowen. It is important to remember that although we are here mentioning the resolutions to certain conditions, this does not mean a guaranteed cure in all cases for all the named problems. The Bowen Technique treats the body as a whole, without referral to named disease, but naturally enough there are many situations whereby presenting problems are resolved.

ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS of the LUMBAR SPINE Man, aged 76, ongoing treatments as needed Diagnosis by GP - ankylosing spondylitis of the lumbar spine, and confirmed by an MR scan. Mr G was in constant pain but refusing painkillers. He was unable to walk, without a walking stick, to his bank, which is only 5 minutes from his house, and he frequently has to sit down. His GP said the only cure for the pain was an operation that could put him in a wheelchair. Neither Mr G nor his GP were keen on this idea. Mr G decided to try Bowen Technique. He had previously tried osteopathy, physiotherapy and acupuncture with little or no result. He is a tall slim man who was in obvious pain. There were no obvious signs of muscle wastage. When he came for his second treatment, he was very much improved, walking without a stick and had no need to sit down on short walks. The pain was less, muscle tension almost normal, and range of movement improved. When he came for his third treatment, his movement was excellent, no pain, and very little pins and needles in feet. Since then, he has continued with a maintenance treatment once or twice monthly. He can walk around the town with no problems and no stick. He has remained pain free for a year, apart from a slight hiccup when he walked his son's very boisterous dog, but this settled after treatment. He also had right knee problems 18 months after his first Bowen treatment but this settled after two treatments one week apart. He really is thrilled with Bowen and talks about it to anyone who will listen!

ASTHMA Girl, aged 2, 1 treatment T, aged 2 years, suffers with asthma. At her first treatment she was very wheezy and had been prescribed steroids, which her mother was reluctant to use. Both parents smoke. The wheezing reduced after the first treatment and has now disappeared, though there was a period of mucus being produced. Her breathing has improved after 4 treatments, so much so that the school have commented on it. The steroids were discontinued before the first treatment. It is very difficult to treat a two-year-old child who is sitting and squirming on her mother's knees. However, it seemed to work well despite those difficulties. Normally, the child has had asthma attacks every two weeks or so during the winter. She has had none for over two months now. Her mother wrote: "My 2.5 year old daughter has suffered from asthma and also an over-production of mucus from birth. She has Ventolin and also Becotide on occasions. In November 1999, her asthma worsened and the GP advised restarting steroids at a higher dose. She took a severe reaction to steroids so we stopped them immediately. That week she received her first Bowen and has had treatment once or twice a month since. She has not needed any medication since; she has a very slight period of wheezing occasionally which is managed with essential oils. It has been a remarkable improvement, particularly as she is a lively two year old who doesn't always stay still for the treatments." Signed BC - Feb 2000 TOP ASTHMA Boy, aged 6, 1 treatment O's asthma was worsening and his mother did not tell him that his visit to Bowen therapist Carole Railton was connected to his breathing problems. As he is normally quite a stubborn little boy and wary of anything new, his mother was surprised when he accepted the treatment and did as he was told. The next evening, when she reminded him to take his usual dose from his inhaler, he announced: "I don't need my puffer any more". He then enjoyed a summer free of asthma, including hour-long football practices with his brother, and a mountain-biking holiday in Scotland. ASTHMA AND CHEST INFECTIONS Girl, aged 8, 3 treatments F is 8 years old and suffered with asthma and chest infections. She was small for her age and had a poor appetite. She had 3 inhalers: 5 puffs of one twice a day; 3 of another twice a day and the last one every 4 hours. Distressed with the amount of medication F was taking, her mother was looking for an alternative and discovered The Bowen Technique. After one treatment, F became full of life, energetic, hungry and didn't need the last 4 hourly inhaler. At the end of treatment 3, she was off all inhalers, had grown, was still full of life and hungry. At a routine check up with the GP, just after Bowen treatment 3, he immediately picked up the difference. The bright, alert look in her eyes, weight and height gain, clear, good, strong breathing. He was so pleased he wanted Bowen information to give to other patients. ASTHMA & STRESS Boy (teenager), 2 treatments A teenager, K had had asthma, a constant backache and severe 'morning motivational' problems for years. He often had problems getting to sleep, but after a 6.30 p.m. treatment he fell sound asleep till next morning. After two sessions he complained of little result, but carried on. After the third treatment, he drank a lot of water and has not looked back. His backache and asthma are gone and, amazingly, for the first time in his life he is experiencing a sustained motivation to get up and going in the mornings

ASTHMA ATTACK Girl, aged 17, 1 emergency treatment England Junior Basketball Team Member, K, was involved with the multistage fitness test used to analyse an athlete's aerobic performance. A standard is expected at this level and the peer pressure to achieve the necessary grade is immense. K was struggling for breath soon into the test causing some concern early on. Determination kept her going until she had to stop because she could not gain a breath at all and had commenced a panic attack, which complicated the situation. K was removed from the concerned crowd and the Bowen emergency asthma move carried out. Immediately a normal breathing pattern resumed and after 30 minutes K carried on training with no further symptoms. TOP ANXIETY, NIGHTMARES, POOR CONCENTRATION, REPETITIVE MOVEMENTS Girl, aged 9, 5 treatments Nine-year-old A. came with her mother, complaining of feeling anxious about school, having nightmares, difficulties with concentration, and making odd repetitive movements with her arms which other members of the family were finding irritating. Sessions one and two produced considerable improvement in general anxiety and behaviour. By the third session she looked much happier and more relaxed. School friends commented on how much better she was concentrating in class, and she herself found she was able to get on with schoolwork much faster. After five sessions, all odd arm movements had stopped; she was sleeping well, rarely having bad dreams. ANXIETY, POOR SLEEP, CLAUSTROPHOBIA Boy, aged 11, 4 treatments Eleven-year-old J. came with his mother. About a year previously, around the time of his SATS exams at primary school, he had changed from an easy-going relaxed young man to feeling generally anxious and panicky, sleeping poorly, with attacks of claustrophobia. He found himself getting very anxious being left with a sitter when his parents went out, worrying about accidents, illness, germs and other disasters. School assemblies and church services became an ordeal, and he had to sit near the door to lessen the feelings of panic. His parents had been worried enough about him to ask their G.P. for a psychiatric referral, which was now in the pipeline. J. had four treatments. After the first treatment he felt an increase in energy and released a lot of anger. A similar picture followed the second treatment. During these two weeks he had no panic attacks, and felt a reduction in anxiety about being away from his parents. Assembly had become less of an ordeal, and after the second treatment his parents were aware of much improvement on an emotional level. After the third treatment there were only small pockets of anxiety remaining, and when J. came for his final treatment, his mother said that he was so much improved that she had decided to cancel the coming psychiatric referral. ANXIETY ABOUT SCHOOL Girl, aged 8, 3 treatments Eight-year-old J. came with mother, as she had been feeling very anxious about school. After three treatments she was feeling very much better, and her nervous nail biting had improved considerably. She did not feel the need for any more treatment, and was feeling much happier. ANXIETY & CERVICAL SPONDYLOSIS Woman, 68, 3 treatments + monthly follow-ups Mrs D has had cervical spondylosis for 5 years and suffers with tremors in her right hand. It also

causes dizziness and pain in the back of her head. She was previously on anti depressants for 3 years, prescribed after suffering with stress from work then a series of medical conditions including high blood pressure, a hysterectomy, pernicious anaemia and suspected cancer. She suffers with tension, anxiety, shaking and lip tremble and is very lacking in confidence, shy and retiring. Mrs D felt wonderful after the first treatment and walked two and a half miles. After the second treatment, the pain had reduced and she felt 'good in spirits' and noticed an improvement in her piano playing. Her blood pressure was down and she managed to drink a cup of tea without shaking. After a third Bowen treatment she managed to drive a round trip of 400 miles and is gaining in confidence. She has continued to improve with monthly treatments. She is more in control of her anxiety, coping better with stressful situations and is now resuming her social life and activities TOP ARTHRITIS IN HIP Woman, aged 51, series of treatments Cath, who has an arthritic hip, says that before her experience with Bowen "I would have laughed in your face if you'd said that this could help me". She was told in September 2000 that she had osteoarthritis and that she'd have to wait for a hip replacement - a long wait on the NHS because she was comparatively young. She couldn't walk without a stick and found it difficult to lift things. She had to stop her work in a convenience store, but a customer had recommended that she try Bowen. Cath said: "It was like nothing I've ever had before. It was very relaxing and after the relaxation you get a wonderful rush of energy. I went on a Thursday and by the Friday night I was walking a bit better. By the following Thursday I didn't need to use a stick to walk and since then I haven't looked back." Cath had weekly sessions for four weeks, reducing to monthly and then two-monthly visits. Now she goes every three months. Not only has she continued to walk without a stick but she can lift things again and she has a new part-time job working as a house manager at local retirement flats. She still plans to have a hip replacement but until then she is free of her previous pain and limitations. TOP BACK: DEGENERATIVE DISC Woman, 30's, regular treatments B had pain in her lower and middle back with some spasm evident, plus stiffness around her shoulders. She had had a lower back injury as a child. She also suffered from stress. She had three children between 8 months and 4 years. She was moving house shortly after her second treatment. The pain in her back disappeared after the second treatment when the Bowen pelvic move was added and, despite carrying many heavy boxes during the move, she had no problems with her back. As the Bowen treatment is helping with her stress, this has continued. She claims she has never gone through the winter without frequently falling ill, but has been fine ever since she started the Bowen sessions. In her own words: "I have been diagnosed with degenerative disc disorder and have suffered for 12 years with lower back pain which has worsened since my children were born. "All of summer 1999 the pain was severe and occurred frequently, often the pain going down into my legs and also up my neck and shoulder. After two sessions of Bowen it was almost completely better. Since then I had slight twinges, which have gone after a few days. "In addition, the Bowen treatment seems to have had a marked effect on my general health, with

practically no illness all winter, and also my mental/emotional health is much better. I don't have the down days and depression that I suffered with for years." BACK: CONSTANT LOWER BACK ACHE Woman, 40's, 1 treatment "I am a Consultant Paediatrician and, while my training has been in orthodox medicine, I have long been aware of the limitations of modern Western medicine in addressing basic issues relating to the promotion of health and well being and prevention of disturbed function, of the human organism. Over the last few years I have explored the preventive and therapeutic benefits of a number of practices complementary to medicine and have trained in several therapies. I was introduced to The Bowen Technique during a joint consultation with a kinesiologist who had trained in it. I had been experiencing a constant ache in my lower back for some time and therefore became the fortunate recipient of a Bowen treatment. To my amazement, I experienced immediate relief and this happy state held over time. I was so impressed that I enrolled in the training course and now also use The Bowen Technique on a number of conditions. If only The Bowen Technique could fit the criteria for acceptance in the current climate of Evidence Based Medicine, the benefits to individuals and the savings for the NHS would be enormous." BACK PAIN - SCIATICA Man, aged 40, 1 treatment P. was unable to put weight on his right foot and the therapist paid a home visit. He was in severe pain and had been all day, from the buttock right down the leg. He was extremely tense and tight. The therapist gave him one treatment and was able to observe his body relaxing during the 40 minute session.. He was virtually pain free when he got up and was walking normally. Two years later, the therapist reports that the problem has not returned. BACK PAIN & HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE Woman, aged 54, 3 treatments Bowen Technique practitioner Annie Sewart, who is also a physiotherapist, treated Mrs C who came with a history of back pain, which included a particularly bad episode two years previously. In addition, she also looks after her disabled mother at home. Typically, her back pain would also travel down to her left knee. An x-ray revealed that 3 lumbar vertebra had reduced cartilage. Two weeks before she came for Bowen treatment, Mrs C's back "went" during a skiing holiday when she stood up from a sitting position! When she came for the first treatment, Annie noted that Mrs C also had high blood pressure. During the first treatment, Mrs C felt very woozy and was hot and flushed after, so remained lying down for a while. She said that her back was then painful for two days following the treatment but that something "snapped" as she was walking and the pain was gone. At her third treatment, she reported feeling a bit stiff, still, but had been playing tennis. In addition, her blood pressure was normal for the first time in two years. One week later, she was feeling fine and has not needed further treatment. TOP BEDWETTING Girl, aged 7, 3 treatments + ongoing 'top-ups' T was taken for Bowen treatment because of a bedwetting problem. After discussion with T's mother, it was decided to say the treatment was for her frequent bouts of tonsillitis rather than emphasise the bedwetting to the child. T would wet the bed four or five times a week, and occasionally more than once a night. T's mother was instructed to cut out apples and apple juice from T's diet. T wet the bed three times the first week. She had really enjoyed her Bowen session

and was looking forward to the next one. After the second treatment, T wet the bed twice. Following the third Bowen treatment T was completely dry all week and stayed dry for two and a half months (she had one accident during this time). T now has a Bowen 'top up' every two to three months. As a bonus, T has had only one very sore throat in the last year which would normally have required antibiotics but which cleared up naturally after 24 hours much to mum's amazement TOP BELL'S PALSY Woman, age 54, 2 treatments Mrs R. writes: "On Friday, 1st September 2000, I was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy and was given a 5 day course of steroids and advised to see a neurologist. This would have probably taken several weeks with the NHS. I contacted Bowen practitioner Ron Simmonds on Monday 12th September. "The symptoms of the Bell's Palsy were that my left eye had gone right up in the socket and the right side of my mouth had dropped so that I had great difficulty in drinking and eating. "During the course of the first treatment, during one of the short breaks [that are a part of Bowen treatment], I could still feel movements around and under my left eye as though he were still working on it. When the treatment was finished, I looked in the mirror and was amazed to see that my eyes were symmetrical and back to normal. A week later I had a second treatment and my mouth showed a little improvement on that occasion. I had a third appointment provisionally booked for a week later but my face was so improved that I did not need it. "I also had a private appointment with a neurologist on the 27th of September, by which time my face was completely recovered." TOP CANCER: PLEASE NOTE; The Bowen Technique is not suggested as a cure or even as a treatment for cancer. Instead it aims to offer an improved quality of life and more comfort during treatment and thereafter. QUALITY OF LIFE - BLADDER CANCER Man, 60's, 8 treatments "Following a relapse into a second instance of bladder cancer, The Bowen Technique was recommended to me by a very caring friend who had been a great help to me earlier. Bowen practitioner Julian Baker agreed to treat me just as my chemotherapy course began and after only three sessions the effect was so noticeable that one of the chemotherapy nurses remarked that I was the most relaxed patient they had ever treated on that unit. "The Bowen Technique therapy has dramatically reduced stress in both by body and in my mental attitude, removing old tensions and grievances to clear the way to a more balanced feeling now. The treatment has also considerably reduced the pain and physical problem of a frozen shoulder, which had disturbed my sleep for months and was painful to use, even making dressing difficult at times. There is now little more than the stiffness following unaccustomed exercise. In the space of eight weeks, Julian's application of the Bowen Technique to my body and problems has immeasurably increased the well-being I feel and, I am sure, has played a very important part in supplementing the conventional cancer treatment, to the extent that I now feel better than I have felt for over two years."

QUALITY OF LIFE - PROSTATE CANCER Man, 60's regular treatments "I suffer from prostate cancer with metastases in the spine, pelvis and ribs. The Macmillan Day hospice I attend provides a variety of therapies including aromatherapy once medical approval has been obtained for each individual patient. Some time ago our therapist, John Metherall, suggested using the Bowen Technique in an effort to give me longer relief from joint and bone pains and relieve spasms of intense kidney pain. I am delighted to say the results have been excellent. "Nearly fifty years ago, a Polio attack left me with a weakness down my left side and constant pain that varied in intensity. Following Bowen treatment, this discomfort is considerably reduced. This is incredible after so many years. As the Bowen technique is so unobtrusive I couldn't believe it would achieve any improvement in the light of my experience. I am now a keen advocate of the Bowen Technique. It has certainly improved my quality of life." QUALITY OF LIFE - STOMACH CANCER Woman, 3 treatments M had had a number of abdominal operations and had been bedridden for some months. She had been unable to keep either food or drink down for over two months and, as a consequence, was now very weak and in great pain all over. She was on strong painkillers and was unable to sleep much. She had not laid on her stomach for over two years so getting her into a sort of position to start Bowen treatment was difficult, and she only managed a 2/3 turn. There was very little muscle to work with and body geography was very difficult. At the first treatment, after the initial moves, she felt her whole body relax for the first time in months. On the next visit, 5 days later, she was sitting up and had started eating and drinking "proper food" with no sickness. She had also stopped taking painkillers. At the third treatment she was very perky and feeling much stronger as she was now able to eat. However, the cause of her considerable problems has now been diagnosed as stomach cancer. TOP CEREBRAL PALSY Girl, aged 3, regular treatments I first saw little T. a year ago, when she was three. She is a delightful little girl, very determined and full of fun. T. has cerebral palsy, with a mild left-sided hemiplegia. Her left arm and hand are somewhat slow and clumsy, and her left leg is marginally shorter than her right, with erratic muscle tone. T. was managing pretty well, but fell over more than the average, and was prone to more trying tantrums and outbursts than most three year olds. Her parents were concerned to do all they could to get her off to the best start they could. It has been a very gradual process of gaining T's confidence through games, tiny rewards, and general fun and nonsense in the treatment room. She was initially very reluctant to leave her parent's laps. I did tiny treatments in situ, or on my lap, as and when I could. Very quickly improvement was seen in general behaviour and the number of tantrums decreased. As time has gone on, she and I have become the best of friends; she will now lie on my couch and remain still for treatment. We hope that as time goes on, regular treatment will help prevent complications with her left ankle, which inverts slightly and has erratic tone. She now verbalises well, is friendly, confident and outgoing, and showing every sign of being ready to make a smooth transition to school in a few month's time. QUADRIPLEGIC CEREBRAL PALSY

Bowen practitioner A.C. has used The Bowen Technique to good effect in the treatment of her son, C. She has produced this very informative, sensitive and thorough study of the effect Bowen has had on C. and we thank them both for allowing us to share it here. DATE OF BIRTH - 8.10.88 DIAGNOSIS

Quadriplegic cerebral palsy with athetoid features, markedly worse left side Ataxia Deaf in left ear Visual problems Complex partial seizures Left leg one inch shorter than right

HOW DOES IT AFFECT HIS LIFE?

Left side of body slow to respond, weak and poorly controlled Movements generally clumsy, balance poor Left leg splinted to prevent inversion of foot due to hypertonic tibialis posterior. 1 cm raise. Left leg inwardly rotates from hip Poor motor control gross and fine Migraine headaches with vomiting on average twice monthly Emotionally C. has mildly compulsive behaviour, high anxiety levels, is immature for his age and has poor social skills C. is often confused, his thinking processes are slow, his concentration is patchy and he is highly distractible C. finds difficulty in instigating any action, or using his own initiative He worries a lot, has occasional turns when he is absent for a short time, and is frightened of being on his own He is frightened of going to sleep, cannot sleep on his own and often wakes at night He cant ride a bike except a specially adapted one, but would love to.

TREATMENT I started very slowly with C. He has a lot of things to cope with and I felt he might turn against treatment if I did too much too soon. We started 2 - 3 weekly with P123. He enjoyed the treatment (he has not always enjoyed other therapies in the past). Soon he was requesting treatment. I think it helps me, though he was not able to say how. During treatment he would very quickly become quiet with a slow blink rate, often after only the first two moves were put in. His whole system felt incredibly jumpy and irritable during treatment - some moves would make his whole body shake, or set off involuntary movements in limbs. Notably the left shoulder move and left vastus lateralis. This has become less marked as time has gone on. His whole system seems calmer now than when we started about 7 months ago.

At present, I treat whenever C. requests, usually about weekly, but I do the ankle procedure every day after exercises and before putting on his splint for the day. I may repeat it in the evening when I have taken his splint off. Often I will tuck a short treatment in when C. asks for it so we do not have to make too much of a performance, and sometimes I will pop in the usual first moves if he is lying on the floor watching TV, etc. WHAT TREATMENT? Anything and everything! Often he will have some idea what he wants and will ask for a pelvic or a TMJ (temporo mandibular joint move) himself. Otherwise, I will rotate treatment, or choose according to where he seems to be having problems at that time. Hamstrings are a problem as he cannot stop giggling because it tickles but otherwise he enjoys all treatment. ARE THERE ANY CHANGES? Yes, without doubt. Almost immediately we noticed changes in C. on an emotional level - he seemed brighter, more awake, more inclined to initiate actions, less troubled, dropped asleep more quickly and slept more soundly. Concentration at school improved, and some of his compulsive behaviours were less noticeable and less frequent. Visiting family members who had not seen him for a while commented on the change. Staff at school commented too, and they had not been told he was having any therapy. One family member described him as seeming more normal, and that just about says it all. Gradually other changes are becoming apparent on a physical level. Since adding the pelvic procedure, C. is walking better with less inward rotation from the hip. His ankle is making good progress and remaining loose enough to put plans for botulinum injections or surgery on hold. Orthopaeds comment - Well, something must be working. He is using his left arm more and with improved control, his swimming style has improved and he can now manage 11 lengths in a session. These are all small changes that together make a lot of difference to C.s life - and ours. Very importantly, C. enjoys treatment and feels it does him good. In this respect, I am sure he knows much more than we do and other changes may well become apparent, as we go on with treatment, that we have no idea of at present. A journey of discovery and hope. UPDATE: June 2001 One year further on, C. continues to make good progress. He is now settled into secondary school, which he enjoys, and has recently taken up the tenor horn. On a physical level, he is now able to swim 20 lengths at a session, and has good enough balance to manage well on a microscooter. He has an adult size pedal go-kart, and can pedal without foot straps as well as steering at the same time! We hope eventually he will be able to put the balance skills together with the pedalling and steering, so that his dream of riding a bike will become reality. His ankle is maintaining its mobility, and he still manages well with a splint --- though we have now had to put a raise on his left shoe. Emotionally there has been some progress, although there is still a long way to go. However his happiness and increase in self-esteem in school is an enormous step forward from a year or two ago. He continues to have treatment, so the story continues.

UPDATE: June 2003

C. is now fourteen and a half, and has been having Bowen on a regular basis for three years. Like most lads of this age he is growing visibly taller with each day, which could be causing more problems in terms of bone growth outstripping muscle growth and making for muscle tension and restriction. We were warned that rapid growth around puberty could be a real problem time for him..not only in the musculo-skeletal area, but also with regard to his previous history of complex partial seizures, which we were warned might return/increase, or might be replaced by full-blown tonic-clonic epilepsy due to all the endocrine activity. Neither of these things has happened so far; C.s muscles remain flexible, and there is still no need to resort to Botox or similar to keep his ankle functioning well. He has not had a seizure for some two years, and we have not noticed any unaccounted-for lapses in concentration. C. is approaching the end of year 9 at school, and will be starting a GCSE course next year, which we could hardly have expected 2 or 3 years ago. He will not be taking the full GCSE curriculum, but instead will take the core subjects with music and drama. Emotionally and mentally, C. has made great strides: his anxiety levels are much lower and his compulsive behaviours fewer. His social skills are still quite poor with his peer group who tend to lose patience with his unwillingness to make frequent eye contact and his tendency to forget the basic social skills that oil the wheels of friendship. He gets on well with adults who are rather more forgiving in that respect! He sleeps better and has less fear of going to sleep. His concentration is still patchy, but a far cry from his pre-Bowen days, when we could never have anticipated his being able to work for public exams. His interest in drama is strong, and he is able to retain long speeches from Shakespeare, in spite of having memory problems! Even his real problem area, maths, is coming along and although in the lowest group, he came top in his last test, which amazed us all! He is gaining in confidence socially, and less afraid of new situations. Physically C. is doing very well. He is gaining in walking stamina, and can now walk 2 miles. We have returned the wheelchair loaned by the disability centre, keeping only our small packaway version for emergencies. The last time we used one was 6 months ago, and that was simply to provide a seat for carnival night for him. Pre-Bowen we used one all the time, for walks, shopping etc. He continues to swim regularly, and can swim half a mile of very decent front crawl with good reciprocal arm movements. He is pleased to be developing broader shoulders with stronger muscles to support the shoulder girdle and help with his fine motor movements. The real surprise for us all has been the development of C.s musical talent: he started to learn tenor horn two and a half years ago, and has just passed grade 2 with merit. He plays with Wells City Band twice a week. For his 14th birthday he had a melodeon, which he has picked up fast, and now plays with a local folk group, and joins in playing for a Somerset Morris dancing team. He also plays bodhran with the folk group. This has been a complete revelation to us all, as C. appears to find no difficulty coping with reading music, and is making strides with his slow left

hand. He still cannot write well enough to be useful, and uses a laptop at school, or has a scribe. His natural ability in the musical field keeps his attention very focused when he is playing. C. used to have migraines with vomiting about twice a month..he has now been migraine-free for some 8 months. He continues to wear a lower-leg splint to keep his foot and ankle in a good position, but this is doing well and his foot continues to grow with a good shape. C. used to show typical athetoid movements of his left arm when he used his right hand or made certain body movementsthese are so slight now as to be almost non-existent. The leg length difference is becoming gradually less, and the specialist is no longer talking of inserting a plate into the tibia to stop growth in the longer leg when C. nears the end of his growing period. What do I do? The Bowen ankle moves every day without fail before the splint goes on in the morning, and the knee moves 5-6 times a week, unless time is really short. Weekly if possible I give a full Bowen treatment. I dont always manage it though, and it may be 2 weeks between full treatments. But I always include the temporomandibular (TMJ) moves and more often than not the pelvic and hamstrings procedures, extra work around shoulders/diaphragm as I feel necessary, and frequently gentle head-work around the suture lines. From time to time, I do the Bowen coccyx procedure. But TMJ seems to be his move. There used to be a positive furnace blast of heat from his jaw when I first started doing it, but now it is all much cooler and calmer, and he no longer reacts by going manic and hyper afterwards as he used to. Every so often we have a break from the full treatment, usually when we go on holiday, so it doesnt become too much of a horrible chore for C. but generally he is quite willing to be treated, especially if he can listen to his favourite music at the same time. C.s whole system feels much calmer and less irritable to me now as I treat him.fewer jumps and twitches, fewer spasms and automatic responses. He has avoided developing a scoliosis as was feared he might, and he now stands straighter and steadier with less wobbling and fatigue. Of course its not all plain sailing, and C. still has a lot to cope with. His behaviour is much calmer generally, but he still has his times of frustration and fury and lets the world know it! Concentration at school is often a bone of contention with his LSAs, and he is not always a delight to work with if he is not in the mood for work! Making friends is a skill that is developing slowly, but is something C. finds easier in an environment of shared interest, where he feels he has something to talk about with confidence. And talking of confidence he braved playing solo horn at the band Christmas concert, his reward for gaining top marks of all the training section in a competition.perhaps regular Bowen would make me that brave! TOP COLIC. Boy, aged 4 months, 1 treatment J. was four months old and suffering from severe colic after meals which was distressing for him and for his poor parents. During the Bowen treatment he seemed to relax completely. After this one treatment he had no further colic.

TOP DEPRESSION woman, aged 29 4 treatments + ongoing Mrs C was diagnosed as having depression and was prescribed medication - Prozac. She felt herself to be "on an emotional roller coaster, full of negative thoughts and very tense and snappy" and she hated taking this medication because it made her fuzzy. Seven days after the first treatment, Mrs C said that she had felt much more relaxed and asked if I felt that she should stop her medication. I advised that this was something she should discuss with her GP. "By her third session, nine days later, Mrs C had seen her GP who had reduced her medication prior to withdrawal. Mrs C was much more positive and delighted with the effects of the Bowen Technique. Eight days later, at her fourth session, Mrs C was relaxed and positive. She had successfully applied for a new job and feels able to cope well with her life. She asked if I would see her on a regular basis as she felt that Bowen helped her to relax and that it is "much better for me than medication". We agreed that she would make an appointment when she felt it would help. Mrs C has had several sessions since. She rings every 6-8 weeks." DEPRESSION & EMOTIONAL RELEASE woman, aged 43 1 treatment "B. is quite a sensitive person and is currently 'coming off' anti-depressants. After the first basic Bowen moves, she immediately felt 'spaced out'. After about half an hour, she got a terrific pain in her throat, whereupon there poured out all sorts of confessions about her childhood, and deep secrets she'd never told anyone before (sexual abuse etc). Then she had a cry (I gave her Rescue Remedy & just listened). After this huge outburst of very personal horror stories, all of a sudden the pain in her throat cleared completely and she felt much brighter and somewhat amazed at what had happened. Clearly, Bowen had prompted this enormous ''release'. It certainly proves that Bowen works on many different levels." TOP ECZEMA girl, 3 years old 5 treatments P arrived for her appointment with the saddest little face. Her eyes looked worried and wary, her mouth was in a tight, down-turned frown. She was suffering considerably with her eczema. Her scalp, through her blonde hair, was scaly and red; her arms were encased in special gloves from her fingertips to her armpits. She also had significant patches on her back and stomach and legs. Her skin was red and raw looking, clearly painfully inflamed from this condition. She was constantly agitated and scratching one area or another, her mother trying to calm her and keep her from doing so as much as possible. P's eczema first appeared around 8 months of age. She had seen hospital specialists during the following year but the eczema remained the same. Around age 2, P was taken off dairy and the eczema cleared for about 6 months. Then it came back, quite suddenly and severely, for no apparent reason. Her mother was using two different creams, a special soap and antihistamine tablets at bedtime to try to stop the itching. P had been tested for allergies and was off everything to which she showed sensitivity. Her sleep was very disturbed, her appetite poor and the eczema was affecting her behaviour in negative ways. It was at this point that they came to try Bowen. P was understandably nervous about a new treatment and was very weepy and anxious. She sat in her mother's lap while I did the gentle little Bowen moves on her back, legs and around her neck. Relieved that that was all there was to it, she gave me a tiny smile as she left. When she

came for her second treatment one week later, the change in her scalp was immediately noticeable - it was much less scaly and more hair had started to grow in. Her mother reported she was not itching as much and was settling at night and sleeping through most nights. Again, treatment while she sat on her mother's lap. One week later, for the third treatment, her mother reported that her body was reacting to the treatment and, in conjunction with the eczema diminishing, lymph glands in her groin and neck had swollen during the week. Flaky skin patches were now clearing in a couple of days, where it used to take a couple of weeks. Her hair was continuing to grow in and thicken. P's fourth treatment was two weeks later and the glands were now only slightly swollen and the eczema reduced even further. There had been periods when P hadn't been itching for a day or so. P had even gone without her arm-length gloves for two days. She was much less weepy, whiney and agitated than during previous treatments and sat happily during it. She was thirsty afterwards and gave me a smile and said "thank you" when she left. The day booked for treatment #5, a fortnight later, was a lovely sunny day and P had been out running and playing in the sun with her sister - without her gloves on. She was so much better and having such a great day, her mother forgot the appointment! So the fifth treatment took place a week after that and the difference in P was amazing. She did not have her gloves on and her arms were a normal skin colour, although still a bit rough to the touch. She was eating better, sleeping better, hair still thickening and only a very few small dry patches on her scalp. P was bouncy, happy, smiling, excited and very happy to have her treatment. A transformed little girl. TOP FIBROMYALGIA Woman, 30's 2 treatments Following three years of fibromyalgia - worse in the past twelve months - Gail felt pain in her 'back, neck, limbs .all over'. After the first Bowen treatment she experienced extreme 'anaesthetic' tiredness for three days, then improved steadily: less pain, no falling down, almost no vertigo, and walking and sleeping better. After only two treatments other members of her support group also experienced real improvements. 'Unbelievable', as Jenny said! TOP FROZEN SHOULDER Woman, aged 48, 2 treatments Susan's doctor diagnosed frozen shoulder and sent her for cortisone injections, of which she had many. The problem would subside somewhat but always came back. Susan was a keen tennis player and, of course, could now no longer play. After two years of this, she was sent to a specialist who then diagnosed bursitis. He told her that she would have to have injections for the rest of her life to manage the condition. At this point, depressed and feeling written off by the medical practitioners who could offer nothing but cortisone injections, Susan decided to try The Bowen Technique. Two Bowen treatments resolved her frozen shoulder and she has had no problems since - and is playing tennis again very happily. TOP GLUE EAR Girl, aged 15, 5 treatments R is 15 years old, and came to see me recently with her mother. As an infant, from 1 year old,

she had much trouble with glue ear, with resultant problems of hearing loss and trouble with speech development. At 4 years old she had grommets fitted, and the problem gradually resolved itself. However, a bad head cold at 14 years started the problem again, much to everyone's dismay, and GP could only recommend specialist referral in 6 months time if there was no improvement. Mother and daughter were both very upset at the thought of having to go through "the whole grommets thing" again, and worried about the effects of a long-haul flight that R was soon going to have to cope with on the holiday of a lifetime to Barbados. "R had 5 treatments with me before her holiday. She quickly started sleeping through the night for the first time in her life, and her mother reported that she had also started sleeping without making a lot of snorting and snuffling noises in her sleep, which she had done since a baby, and which they had both come to think of as normal for her. By the time of her flight she no longer had popping or discomfort in her ears, and her hearing was back to normal. I saw her after her holiday, and she had had no problems with the flight either way, and her hearing was still normal. I now see her every couple of months, to ensure she has no recurrence, and all is quite normal. TOP HIV/AIDS Man, 40's, regular treatments Derek was diagnosed as HIV positive about 16 years ago. He used to do a lot of cycling and keeping fit until two years ago. Feeling pain in his muscles and joints, he stopped cycling. He also felt he had no energy and was unable to do physical work, such as gardening. He went to a local clinic at the beginning of June 1999 for an aromatherapy treatment. Although he felt his energy level was raised afterwards, the pains and aches in his joints came back after 3 days. His aromatherapist is also trained in The Bowen Technique and told Derek about it and suggested it might work better for him. With his consent, she carried out the initial treatment. When he came back for the second treatment, he said he felt very positive about himself since the first treatment and the pains and aches had not come back. The therapist gave him another treatment. When he came back for the third treatment, he said he had done some painting in the house that morning and had been able to do some gentle exercise and that there had been no pain in his joints and muscles for two weeks! Just before coming for the fourth treatment, he had been out doing some gardening. He is very pleased with the results of Bowen and said he had not felt like this until he started Bowen. He will be coming back regularly to keep the pains at bay. TOP IRRITIBLE BOWEL SYNDROME (I.B.S.) man, 38 years old 5 treatments IBS had restricted P's lifestyle for over ten years. Not knowing when an attack might hit had left him almost house bound. The first session with Bowen relieved the IBS but brought a lower back pain and a sore right knee to the surface. These were apparently old sports injuries from 15 years ago. The second Bowen exaggerated these pains further but the presenting IBS was not an issue. After five Bowen sessions all symptoms had been relieved and a full lifestyle maintained. TOP MIGRAINES girl, aged 15 3 treatments D. is my own daughter. At fifteen years of age she was suffering from 3-4 migraines a week,

usually waking in the morning feeling sick and unable to get out of bed until the attack had run its course. Life had become very difficult, and she was often off school till later in the day. After only one treatment she had considerable improvement, and after three she had no more migraines. This improvement has held, and though she very occasionally has an "aura", she has not had another headache in the 18 months since treatment. MIGRAINES woman, 30's ongoing 'top-ups' M had been seeing Ella regularly in her profession as a physio first, for repeated migraines. She was on medication most of the time and had been in treatment with physio and medication for about 2 years. Once Ella learnt Bowen, she suggested to M that she try it. M was very sceptical, not expecting it to work at all, but found that her headaches reduced to one per week, depending on stress levels at work, sometimes less than that - over period of about 3 weeks. Now they are just 'lurking' and will appear if stress levels are high. But M now comes for 'Bowen maintenance' treatments, which keep the migraines at bay. TOP MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS woman Bowen practitioner, 40's Bowen practitioner Lesley Coombes believes that Multiple Sclerosis patients receive a number of benefits from Bowen Technique treatment. She herself has MS and in her own experience, Bowen assists with muscle spasm, fatigue and in the bowel/bladder problems that are common not only in those who are incapacitated, i.e., wheel chair bound. Both bladder and bowel incontinence are also common in those who have the relapsing-remitting form of MS and Bowen can assist with both the frequency and urge forms of this, using the relevant lower back Bowen procedures. This can mean the difference between waking several times throughout the night (thereby upsetting sleep.....essential for repair) and sleeping straight through the night. For those that are recovering from a relapse and the nerve damage /incapacitation that results, Lesley strongly feels that the Bowen moves can open up neural pathways that have been closed down by a pain response and inflammation and it thereby aids the speed of recovery. In short, Lesley confirms positive responses to Bowen treatment for those with MS, but, as for stroke victims, the treatment needs to be little and often. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, primary progressive woman mid 30's ongoing treatments Mary is the mother of 3 boys and in the summer of 2002 was told she was likely to only live for 2 more years due to the type of MS she has. E.C.B.S. teacher and Bowen therapist Joy West first saw Mary after her diagnosis and at that stage she was unable to walk unaided, had practically lost her speech and had no upper body strength. Mary did not wish to take the prescribed medication but instead chose to go on a gluten and dairy free diet. Joy sent her for an assessment and treatment at an immunological/wellness clinic in the Czech Republic and she started an intensive programme of nutritional support. Joy saw her again after two months and then began weekly treatments with Bowen. While she was already beginning to show some signs of improvement, with the addition of the Bowen treatments there was rapid improvement in all areas. When Mary first came, she had to check where her feet were visually to get them onto the treatment bed but by the 3rd treatment, she could get on the bed and know where her feet were through the normal functioning of positional body knowledge. Her speech had come back and was fluent with only the occasional missed word - usually speech

is the most difficult thing to get back. After three Bowen treatments, she was able to walk unaided and had begun to play the piano again. Thereafter, she was able come to her appointments without a carer to help her (although she is always driven by someone else, as she is not safe to drive yet). Mary's consultant is completely bemused: his first thought was that there had been a misdiagnosis, but they reviewed all the scans and it is certain that she was not misdiagnosed, as the lesions are clear on the original scans. Mary has not had a recent scan to see if these have changed. The consultant's advice to Mary was: "I don't know what you are doing, but keep on doing it". Mary's improvement has been remarkable and she is particularly aware of this when she goes to the physio clinic for exercises and sees other MS patients deteriorating. For her, the combination of a change in her diet coupled with regular Bowen treatment has made an enormous difference to the progression of the MS. (Still doing well in 2005). TOP MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS (M.E.) / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome man, 30's 9 treatments S had been laid low with ME/CFS about 8 months before he came for Bowen treatment. He had recovered from the very debilitating stage of the illness but was still far from well. He was only able to go in to work for two hours a day, and sometimes not even that much. He had to have a nap in the afternoons and go to bed early. Socialising was a rare event. He began responding almost immediately to Bowen treatment with improvement in a stiff and aching neck, headaches, a feeling of stuffiness in the ears, "woozey" head, and energy levels. Each weekly treatment added to the improvement and within a month he was able to do without the naps and begin to accept social invitations again. After several months, he undertook two trips abroad and suffered no real ill effects from the plane journeys, climate changes and activities. Bowen treatment moved S into a continually improving state which held steady as he got back to his regular duties. MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS (M.E.) Woman, 50's treatment every 2 - 4 months Bowen can have the effect of re-integrating, or re-connecting not only the body's systems, but also the body-mind-spirit connections that are so crucial to a sense of wholeness as a person. This is a subtle effect and often difficult to quantify or put into adequate words but nonetheless, this effect seems to be of great importance to the CFS patient. One woman had been faithfully following a very exacting exercise regimen - but sadly with little result - to try to regain a sense that her legs were connected to her brain and the rest of her body, as she felt they were weightless and didn't connect her to the ground properly. This sensation, of course, constantly made her feel unsure of her balance and steps. After her second Bowen treatment, she stood up and started laughing with delight and amazement, saying over and over that her legs felt heavy and solid, connected to her upper body, and she could feel the ground under her feet! Bowen treatment has maintained this "re-connection" now over many months for her. TOP NECK/SHOULDER INJURY woman, aged 43 3 treatments "I recently had the Bowen treatment for a stubborn and painful neck/shoulder injury, which I have suffered from for over three years. Although I was very sceptical at first - after all, how could so small and gentle a movement make such a difference, when all other treatments I had

tried via my GP's recommendations had only eased the symptoms for a short time. I was amazed at the incredible results, even after only the first proper treatment on my neck and shoulders." NECK: SEVERE RESTRICTION & LEG IMBALANCE man, 50's 2 treatments Bowen practitioner Julian Wilson acquired one of his patients in an unusual way - while he was opening his business account at the bank and giving information about the nature of his business, the bank manager became so interested in the technique that he promptly booked in for a treatment. He was unable to move his neck and one leg was 1.5 inches shorter than the other and he had been told that he would need a wedge under his left leg for the rest of his life. After only two Bowen treatments the bank manager had two even legs, a moveable neck and a lot of amazement. TOP PARKINSON'S DISEASE & OSTEO-ARTHRITIS woman, aged 64 continuing treatment Bowen practitioner Brenda Broadbridge worked in the day hospital as an Occupational Therapy Assistant at Wallingford Hospital in Oxfordshire. M, a 64 year old woman, was a patient in this unit. She had been suffering from Parkinson's Disease for 12 years. She came to the hospital for treatment of very bad osteoarthritis in the left knee and a painful neck which was tilted sharply to the left as a result of the Parkinson's. Her posture was also affected with a tilt towards the left. The Parkinson's, of course, caused her painful muscle spasms and uncontrolled tremors and jerking. While M was being treated by the physiotherapist in the day unit, Brenda could not treat her with The Bowen Technique because it is not a recognised therapy at the hospital. However, when M was discharged from the treatment in May 1998, Brenda began to treat her privately with Bowen. M had a Bowen treatment once a week and within the first six weeks, the pain in her neck had gone and the neck was much straighter. Her knee was also much improved and the tilt in her posture was very much lessened. Her family remarked to Brenda repeatedly how straight and well M walked now. The affect on the Parkinson's Disease symptoms were equally welcome. The tremors and muscle spasms are not so intense, but "softer" as M describes them. Brenda says that sometimes when she arrives to give a treatment, M is just due for a pill and she is experiencing particularly noticeable tremors. However, as soon as Brenda starts the Bowen, the tremors stop and M relaxes totally. When she gets off the table at the end of the session, Brenda says she is "like a 2 year old" - energetic and enjoying a freedom of movement that is more than she could have imagined possible before Bowen. Has the Bowen treatment made a difference to M's life? "Oh, yes - a big difference," says M. She used to have to crawl up the stairs, both for safety and because of the weakness and pain in her left knee. The knee will now support her weight without pain and her posture and tremors are improved sufficiently for her to walk up and down her stairs regularly. She has a chair lift, but very rarely uses it. Both M and her brother have Parkinson's Disease, although his is of a different type from M's. They are both involved in a research project at a hospital in Oxford, which is looking for any genetic basis for Parkinson's. After the initial improvements in her health during the first six to eight weeks of treatments, M did not want to give up her weekly treatments. So Brenda has been treating her every week for the past year. When Brenda has been away on holiday for a few weeks, M really notices the difference. She says her body feels different and she perceives that symptoms are building up

again. Brenda notices a difference also when she gets back, as M's muscles are definitely tighter. But M and Brenda have no intention of seeing what would happen without Bowen. Apart from holidays, they will stick to the once a week treatments that make all the difference. TOP PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY, DIABETIC man, 30's regular treatments Steve is a very serious diabetic who needs to measure his blood sugar hourly. He was brought to a Bowen therapist one evening quite late. His head was resting on his left shoulder and his shoulder had come up to meet the head. He was in great pain, and had been for a couple of weeks. He also had a severe headache, which felt like a "cap" on his head. He couldn't be touched on any part of the left shoulder and scapula as the pain was too great. He had had an industrial accident at work some time before and had been under the specialist and physio department and had made good progress. Then suddenly, for no particular reason, his head started to collapse to the state it was in when he arrived for Bowen treatment. He had tried going back to the hospital but was now "off the list". It took the Bowen therapist 1.5 hours to do the treatment that normally would take no more than 30 minutes. In fact, the area was in such pain that some of the moves could only be made by the therapist merely "drawing" them with his fingertip on the skin to create the gentle stimulation of a normal move. He also did some extra work on Steve's head for the headache. By the end of the treatment that night, the headache had reduced to 40% and the pain in the shoulder area had become concentrated on several specific points...i.e. a change which offered some encouragement to Steve, as he had arrived expecting nothing. By his third treatment, Steve's head was approximately 70% upright, and the shoulder down a bit. The headache had virtually gone and so had the nausea he had developed. When he eventually saw the specialist again, he was 80% better. He was sent to Physio. There, she used a laser treatment on the specific areas of pain. This gave relief for 30 minutes and then the pain returned to 100% of his original, Day 1, pain. The following week, she put him on a Tens machine to kill the pain but his reaction was so great that within 4 hours he was hospitalised. He was in hospital for a week and came out a mess. He saw the Bowen therapist 5 days later and by this time he was calmer. He responded very quickly and the vomiting he had been suffering from stopped and he recovered. Steve continues to have Bowen treatment from time to time. However, he recently had a bout of severe sickness after having a scan at the hospital. Bowen, again, settled him quickly. It seems that Bowen is the only treatment that has a positive effect for Steve. PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY, CHARCOT-MARIE-TOOTH DISEASE woman, mid-40's regular treatments Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is an inherited, degenerative peripheral nerve disorder that causes muscle weakness and atrophy in the feet, legs, hands, and forearms. It is characterized by progressive loss of use and sensation in the limbs. R., who inherited this condition from her father, received 6 Bowen treatments over a period of nearly two months. After the first treatment, she had an excellent response: the pains in her knees were gone; her legs felt stronger; her balance was much more reliable; she did not have to concentrate on lifting her legs when walking and the day after the treatment she felt very energised and continued feeling very well. After the second treatment, she went abroad on a week-long family holiday. Upon her return, she reported having a wonderful time as her energy levels and stamina had remained quite good throughout the trip. She had done a great deal of walking and had, for the most part, kept up a normal pace and she was still enjoying not having to really concentrate on

lifting her legs. Her foot was not dropping as often at all and she was able to walk barefoot on the carpeted hotel floors without tripping - something she had not done in ages. Her husband noted that she was walking better. She had only tripped and fallen once, on the last day of the holiday resulting in a painful and swollen left ankle, which cleared up on its own after a few days. After her third treatment, she continued to feel strong and well for approximately two weeks. Then her legs began to ache and feel somewhat weak again and she was tripping a bit more. At her fifth treatment her legs were still aching and she was having to concentrate more on walking again. She could still walk barefoot without tripping and her balance was "sort of OK" not as bad as it had been before she came for Bowen. At her sixth treatment, she said her balance wasn't brilliant and her left leg, especially, was aching but she was still able to walk barefoot and her stamina was holding. After experiencing such a remarkable difference at the beginning of Bowen treatments, R. and her therapist are disappointed that many of the improvements have not held. However, they are both keen to continue to explore the effect of Bowen on this condition, as there is no doubt that R. responded very positively to the initial treatments and the fact that they held during an appreciable amount of time and activity is significant. She will return for more Bowen after several months, as they experiment with the effect of different gaps of time between treatments. PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY, REYNAULD'S SYNDROME girl, aged 17 occasional treatments R. was diagnosed with Reynauld's Syndrome two years ago. In this condition, the blood vessels of the hands and feet are constricted as a result of excessive sympathetic nervous system stimulation. Sufferers are very sensitive to the cold and typically have to wear gloves and warm clothing and footwear. R. had one Bowen treatment while she was home on holiday from school and reported her response in a letter to the Bowen therapist: "I noticed for the next few days afterward that I was constantly warm and that I didn't have to wear the usual number of layers of clothing. So this was definitely an improvement. I have also noticed that my joints seem to be 'clicking' far more frequently. Even the slightest movement triggers a click that, thankfully, is not painful at all." When R. has been home on holidays she has had further treatments and there is always a significant improvement in her symptoms. TOP SPORTS - CARTILAGE/LIGAMENT DAMAGE male, aged 23 4 treatments As a cricketer and rugby player, H's left leg was in a brace following cartilage removal and damage to the AC ligament. His right leg was in plaster nearly to the knee due to further ligament problems and he was on anti-inflammatory tablets. Some severe pain followed the first Bowen treatment and the left knee became temporarily more swollen. However, after four treatments the hospital verdict was that the knees were now very stable and that a further anticipated operation would no longer be necessary. SPORTS - HAND FRACTURE- BOXING male, aged 30 2 treatments A double fracture of the intercarpal bones of one hand, caused ten years previously from boxing, gave Derek continuing pain, despite ultrasound and other treatment. The pain usually lasted for a week or so following training sessions. After one short Bowen treatment the pain vanished and

after a second treatment there was no further problem despite further training and a three-round fight. SHINSPLINTS male, aged 21 2 treatments As a student, R was a keen athlete and mountain biker. He had suffered from shinsplints for up to twelve years, usually triggered off by running. Physiotherapy had proved painful and given no relief. Within a few days of the first Bowen treatment he was almost completely pain free and after two sessions he has had no recurrence of the problem a year later. SPORTS - TWISTED KNEE - RUGBY male, aged 30 2 treatments A badly twisted knee in a rugby game put Dave off the field. He received immediate Bowen treatment and within days felt good enough to try running again. However, it was still painful, so a week later he received a second Bowen treatment. Following this he was able to return to competition rugby at the weekend. SPORTS - TRIATHLETE - SHINSPLINTS & PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT male aged 26 2 treatments + 'top ups' M was delighted with the results of the two Bowen treatments he received for his painful shinsplints. He decided to continue to have treatments on a regular basis because, he said: "I am now performing better than I have ever done before. In the past, I always managed to do very well in the training but on the big day I never seemed to be able to match my training performance. However, now, I am actually achieving far higher placing in the over all order than I have ever done before." He puts this sustained improvement down to The Bowen Technique and continues to come for regular treatments because he believes that not only is it a performance enhancer but that it is also a preventative to injury. TOP TENNIS ELBOW girl, aged 13 3 treatments M. had a diagnosed case of tenosynovitis of the lower arm. A very talented tennis player, she had been unable to write, use a knife or grip a tennis racquet for some months. After three treatments she had returned to her normal standard of competitive tennis and she had no return of pain. TENNIS ELBOW boy, aged 14 4 treatments D.'s tennis elbow not only kept him from playing tennis, but he was also unable to hold a pen to write. After the first treatment, his elbow was much improved the following day. He played in a tennis tournament after three days with no pain. His right shoulder worsened initially but resolved within five days. After the five days, he experienced only occasional twinges in his elbow. After the second treatment, there was complete resolution of the tennis elbow. D. returned after 14 months for treatment of a slight twinge in the elbow and 4 months after that for one further treatment for the slight pain in elbow and wrist. Each time, one treatment brought total.