Bowen Method: The gentlest of manual therapies - Therapies

January 04, 2023

Born in Australia and practiced in many countries around the world, the Bowen method is growing in popularity. Considered the gentlest of manual therapies, it aims to stimulate the body's self-healing power and is effective on a wide range of disorders.

Like its slogan "less is more", the Bowen method is considered today as one of the softest – if not the softest – alternative manual therapies. with microkinesitherapy. Practiced in fifty countries and recognized throughout the world, it is beginning to be emulated in France, and to quietly dig its way, seducing by its finesse, its apparent simplicity and its effectiveness. Developed from the 1950s on an empirical basis by the Australian Tom Bowen, worker and sports enthusiast (see box), it consists of sequences of subtle movements - called moves - carried out on reflex points of the body, located on ligaments, muscles, tendons and fascias, followed by rest periods of several minutes, during which the practitioner may have to leave the treatment room. Everything is done in a neutral atmosphere, devoid of any external solicitation, whether it is music or the scent of essential oils.

Immediate and powerful action

“The sensory calm surrounding the patient and the rest periods following a series of movements are essential, because they allow the integration of the information received by the central nervous system via the neuronal sensors, and this, without parasitic effects. The brain then knows for itself what it has to do in the body”, explains Jean-Christian Lefebvre, physiotherapist and osteopath for twenty-eight years and Bowen practitioner in Neuilly-sur-Seine, in the Paris region. Trained at the end of 2013 by Louise Tremblay, who teaches the technique around the world, he is so delighted with Bowen's results that he now applies it to half of his patients and plans to make it his main specialty. .

“In my experience, the Bowen method has an immediate, deep and powerful action. It is gentle and safe because it is not a structural technique. The action is only on the soft parts, which means that it can be applied indifferently to a baby, a child, an adult, an elderly person", he underlines, with the enthusiasm of the therapists who have finally found the global method.

Neuromuscular reflex therapy, Bowen relies on stimulating the body's natural self-healing ability, allowing it “to become aware of its state of stress and reverse the process by stimulating parasympathetic activity. The body can then gradually recognize and restore its self-regulatory functions which, in turn, will regulate its metabolism and neuromuscular functions,” says practitioner Louise Tremblay in her guide “Bowen's Little Book”. The indications of the Bowen method are thus numerous: disorders of breathing, digestion, sleep, stress, blood circulation as well as blood pressure, lymphatic circulation, endocrine and immune system. It can also treat musculoskeletal pain in the back, neck, shoulders, improve recovery from illness, surgery or injury. It would seem that the Bowen method can also have positive effects – on which caution remains in order, studies to confirm them – on enuresis, neurological pathologies such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, even on polyarthritis, autism, or psychomotor delays.

A body at rest

A Bowen session lasts between thirty and forty-five minutes. Depending on the disorders and their chronicity, one to five sessions bring an improvement, but "it is difficult to know in advance how the body will regulate itself", indicates Jean-Christian Lefebvre, who reports the case of one of his elderly patient, who, in one go and after fifteen days, saw her problems of scoliosis, constipation, loss of plantar sensitivity and sleep considerably improved at the same time.

In order to guarantee the maximum effectiveness of the Bowen method, it is requested, following a session, not to resort to any other treatment such as massage or acupuncture, or even to practice a sport, the body having to remain at rest for at least one week. As in osteopathy, a series of effects are felt after the session. Symptoms of cold, heat, more or less intense fatigue that can occur after a session should therefore be noted. Common sense should favor an optimal layout, in particular by encouraging rest, taking mineral water after the session, relaxation, and avoiding stressful solicitations as much as possible. If you are a parent, for example, ask your spouse to agree to take charge of as many family prerogatives as possible after your session. Before choosing your Bowen practitioner (see box), make sure that he has training in physiotherapy or osteopathy, which guarantees a good knowledge of anatomy and physiology.

Finally, it should be noted that this method is at the crossroads between tissue and energy therapy. Tom Bowen, its inventor, believed in chi, the vital energy which, according to traditional Chinese medicine, irrigates our entire body, ensuring its proper balance. Thus, it would seem that certain Bowen reflex zones are in common with acupuncture points. The Bowen method could thus make it possible, thanks to the ingenious systems of sequences of moves, to relaunch this vital circulation in the body in order to ensure its good health.

isabelle fountain

To find a Certified Bowen Practitioner, visit www.ibowen.ca and www.registrebowen.ca (registry of Francophone practitioners). To contact Jean Christian Lefebvre: 148, av. Charles de Gaulle, 92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine, Such. 01 46 24 45 96 and 06 68 03 96 87.

Under no circumstances is the information and advice offered on the Principes de santé website likely to replace a consultation or a diagnosis formulated by a doctor or a health professional, who are the only ones able to adequately assess your state of health.

How to fast improve your well being?Powerful Zen word Chinese Calligraphy Wall Art & Chinese painting Matte Canvas, Physical art, Canvas prints. Discover Art B Zen Store ab smart health