What better way to embrace Mobility Month than improving your mobility? March is Mobility Month, an Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) initiative encouraging Australians to check their mobility. At Canning Healthcare, we like to help our clients relieve pain and improve their mobility with Bowen Therapy.

Here is everything you need to know about Bowen Therapy from your local Perth Bowen clinic:

What is Bowen Therapy?

Bowen Therapy is a gentle, soft tissue form of bodywork that allows the body to heal itself. It manipulates the muscles, fascia, ligaments, joints, and nerves, focusing on you as a whole person and treating the cause of a range of issues, rather than just the symptoms.

Bowen Therapy was developed in the 1950s by Thomas Ambrose Bowen in Geelong, Victoria. The technique started being taught and practiced in the 1980s and has since become a popular holistic approach to pain relief and healing, used worldwide.

How is Bowen Therapy done?

Bowen Therapy sessions last for 30 minutes and consist of a series of small moves made at varying pressures on particular points of the body. These moves are relaxing rather than forceful or invasive, and they typically involve the therapist using their thumbs and index fingers to apply rolling movements to your body’s soft tissue.

Practitioners will usually pause between moves to allow your body to respond to the treatment in preparation for the next sequence of moves, a unique aspect of the Bowen method. Children and pregnant patients won’t require pauses. Depending on their specific needs, clients will either lie on a massage table or sit down on a chair during the session. Unlike traditional therapies like massage, light clothing can be worn during Bowen Therapy sessions, and no oils are used.

To prepare for a session, clients should ensure they stay hydrated and are ready to discuss their medical history and treatment goals so therapists can provide a personalised experience. As part of this consultation, therapists may request that you delay alternate treatments so your body can recuperate after a session. It is important to avoid applying heat or ice for a minimum of 48 hours after a session as this may interfere with your treatment. Examples of heat include hot showers, spas, electric blankets, hot water bottles and heat-inducing creams. Staying gently active and hydrated after a session is also a must to support the lymphatic system after treatment.

What can Bowen Therapy help with?

Bowen Therapy can help with a range of conditions, including

Back pain, sciatica, and shoulder pain (frozen shoulder)
Migraines, neck and TMJ pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow and plantar fasciitis
Sleep disorders, stress and anxiety
Digestive disturbances
Menstrual and menopause issues
And so much more!

Is Bowen Therapy safe?

Due to its gentle nature, Bowen Therapy is safe for everyone, including babies, pregnant women, the elderly and those with a frail physique.

While Bowen Therapy is not a painful treatment and is suitable for all, the body usually goes through a phase of “resetting itself,” whereby mild side-effects may arise as underlying problems rise to the surface and are eliminated. Examples of possible side-effects include

Headaches
Stiffness
Tiredness
Tingling
Flu-like symptoms
Increased pain
Pain in other areas of the body

How long does Bowen Therapy last?

For up to 10 days after a session, your body may continue to process and react to treatment, so it is recommended that you have a 5-10 day interval between sessions.

Your therapist may recommend one session per week for the first 3 weeks to begin with, and if you choose to continue, sessions would normally become less frequent. Though it depends on your symptoms and their severity and your body’s response to treatment, most people notice improvements after 1 to 4 sessions and may need no further therapy to alleviate their symptoms. In saying this, after seeing these improvements it is recommended that you continue your Bowen Therapy sessions every couple of months to maintain your health.

Where can I get Bowen Therapy?

If you’re looking for Bowen Therapy in Perth, you’ve come to the right place! Embrace Mobility Month by calling (08) 9455 2959 today to book an appointment with Jasmine, our experienced Bowen therapist here at Canning Healthcare.

BOOK NOW

Everything you need to know about Bowen Therapy