Month: June 2013

How does Bowen Therapy work? (Part One)

There are quite a few reasons why Bowen therapy works so well.  One is because of the effect it has on the autonomic nervous system.  Brain mapping has shown during a Bowen session that the client’s brain produces Alpha waves and causes them to feel like they are in a deep meditative state.  At this point, the body goes into automatic repair mode because the sympathetic nervous system (heightened alert response) stops overriding the parasympathetic (rest and relaxation response).  The bottom line is that it places the client in the most advantageous state to allow the body to heal itself.

Because of this, Bowen therapy not only applies to physical conditions but also to challenges like PTSD, ADD/ADHD, autism, sensory integration disorders, etc.

There are other ways that Bowen therapy works to help healing take place, which will be covered in the next posting.

How do you help relieve your own low back pain?

Brenda Briscoe

Ever wake up with a stiff low back or just a bit of low back pain?  Outside of chronic, severe low back pain, there is a little-known trick that can be of tremendous help.  Do you have access to a treadmill?  Maybe you have one at home, or your friend has one, or you have a membership at a gym or rec center.  If you can somehow get on a treadmill, you’re in luck.

Place the speed at 2.0-2.5 and same with the incline.   This speed is slow enough that you shouldn’t be wobbly and off-balance.  This much of an incline ensures that you are leaning backward just a bit, which changes the way you move – your gait. In other words, because backward walking eliminates the typical heel-strike to the ground (the toe contacts the ground first), it can change the way your pelvis is aligned, alleviating pressure that may be causing the low back pain.  It also puts less strain on your knee joints, making it ideal for those with knee injuries or problems.

Interestingly enough, backward walking has neurological benefits as well.  Some call it “neurobic” activity because it requires brain activity that can help you stay sharp mentally.  When you walk backwards, your heart rate tends to rise higher than it does when walking forward at the same pace, so you can get greater cardiovascular and calorie-burning benefits in a shorter period of time.

Every time I get low back discomfort or pain, I walk backward that day or the next and it goes away the same day.  Works every time!  If you wait too long or the pain is severe, do not hesitate to get it looked at by your physician, or try Bowen Therapy right away to see if that doesn’t eliminate it altogether.

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