A: Thomas Bowen (1916-1982) began developing The Bowen Technique in the 1950’s in Geelong, Australia.

Bowen Therapy is a physical soft tissue technique to treat chronic pain and inflammation. It is conducted by simple sets of movements done mostly at specific neuromuscular junctions that effect the nervous system.

These movements are made in sequence and with pauses to allow the body time to respond.

A session involves physical movement onto and around muscles, tendons,
ligaments, importantly the nerves & fascia. These tissues are challenged in a
manner that creates tension which is then released. Bowen Therapy is extremely gentle. Bowen moves have been described as feeling like someone is playing a stringed instrument such as a guitar on the tendons.

A session normally lasts an hour and results in a deep sense of overall relaxation. A small number of treatments are enough to treat even longstanding complains.

A: Relaxation

Our bodies often respond to stress and trauma with a “fight or flight response.” This leads our bodies to react by a heightened response.

Healing occurs by affecting the body’s autonomic nervous system and placing it in parasympathetic mode.

The first 2 moves of most Bowen Therapy sessions immediately achieve a ‘turning off’ of the sympathetic state and a ‘turning on’ of the parasympathetic state in the nervous system and a deep relaxation ensues.

Restores Structural Integrity

The Objective in the Bowen session is to act via the nervous system and remind the body to ‘let-go’ of held patterns of pain and physiological dysfunctions by restoring the structural integrity of the body.

Bowen Therapy is a process that enables the body to regulate and heal itself. Through the process of self healing, most symptoms of pain, misalignment and dysfunction disappear.

A: Bowen Therapy affects the autonomic nervous system, the system responsible for stress reactions such as the “fight or flight” response, as well as the recovery responses of the body.

Bowen helps to reduce the “stress-oriented” dominance of the sympathetic nervous system and as such, muscle tension decreases, nerve hypersensitivity is reduced and the feedback loops that control pain in the body are interrupted and regulated.

At the same time this is happening, the parasympathetic portion is reciprocally restored, increasing blood and lymph flow, feeding starved tissue and reducing inflammation.

People often describe feeling shifts in their bodies during and after Bowen sessions.

It is via this process that the nervous system’s state of chronic inflammation and trauma response is reduced and regulated. This allows for healing to take place in the musculoskeletal and visceral systems.

A: Spasm and inflammation, normally healthy responses immediately after an injury, too often remain long after and become the problem. Bowen Therapy directly relieves these symptoms through reducing sympathetically maintained muscle contraction along with increased blood and lymph flow. There are often
immediate positive results, they are just as likely to unfold over a few days-week.
Patterns of dysfunction that have arisen over time may take time and repetition to be reinforce the body’s healthy nervous system state.

Bowen restores patterns of normal function within even 1 session, 3-5 sessions being an ordinary treatment protocol. After the initial treatments the therapist will provide recommendations regarding further treatment and maintenance.

A: Stretch reflex:
Most moves are done either at the origin, insertion or belly of muscles where receptors are located.

Joint proprioceptors:
All moves done around a joint directly affect the joint capsule and ligaments that are richly innervated with proprioceptors.



Fascia:
Each Bowen move is done at the level of the superficial fascia and affects the relationship between the fascia and the nerve, muscle or tendon being mobilized.

Segmental viscerosomatic spinal reflexes:
Bowen moves engage these reflexes producing a referred reaction to internal organs and glands through stimulation of the skin, muscles and nerves.

Acupuncture points and meridians:
Most moves overlap acupuncture points and some actually cross two or three acupuncture meridians at once. Acupuncturists have correlated the indications and effects of Bowen moves with the corresponding acupuncture points; they have also commented on the immediate changes of the acupuncture pulses.

Lymphatics:
Some procedures activate draining of the lymphatic system, stimulating the
immune system.

Detoxification:
Is often initiated during a Bowen session, thereby improving the body's ability to
function at a cellular level.

A: Bowen Therapy is used to treat Chronic Pain and Inflammatory Problems. Examples of some of the conditions Bowen Therapy Treats are listed below.

MUSCULO-SKELETAL PAIN
RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS
GYNECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS
DIGESTIVE DISORDERS

Bowen Therapy Treats:

MUSCULO-SKELETAL PAIN
     * Frozen Shoulder
     * Tennis Elbow
     * Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
     * Rotator Cuff Syndrome

     * Fibromyalgia
     * Arthritic Pain

     * Sports Injuries

     * TMJ Syndrome
     * Migraine
     * Tinnitus
     * Earache and Ear Infections

     * Postural and Gait Disorders
     * Leg Length Discrepancies
     * Plantar fasciitis
     * Shin Splints
     * Foot and Ankle problems
     * Hernia
     * Knee and Hip restrictions
     * Pelvic problems
     * Sciatica
     * Scoliosis

RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS
     * Asthma
     * Bronchitis
     * Hay Fever
     * Sinusitis
     * Allergies

GYNECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS
     * Infertility
     * Pre Menstrual Syndrome


DIGESTIVE DISORDERS
     * Constipation
     * Colic
     * Crohn's Disease
     * Indigestion
     * bowel problems such as IBS

ALSO

     * Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
     * Bed Wetting in Children

A: Yes! Helena Friesen is a Registered Member of "Bowtech" Bowen Canada. She has also completed a practicum under her Bowen Therapy Instructor.

Bowtech was founded by Elaine and Oswald Rentsch, who were taught Bowen Therapy by Tom Bowen himself.

For more information on "Bowtech" Bowen Canada. Please refer to http//www.bowtech.com

As a Kinesiologist, Helena has education in anatomy, physiology and rehabilitation.

Therefore once a patient has been treated for pain and/or inflammation, she provides 1hr individual rehabilitation sessions to strengthen the treated areas.

Helena is furthering her education, and continuing her passion in understanding the relationship between the mind and body, by completing her second Degree in Psychology at UBC.

Please refer to her bio on the "about us" page for more information regarding her Education and Experience.