bowen therapy for dancers

dance, martial arts, yoga all require remarkable balance and alignment.

NOTE:The following page refers to dancers, but can also refer to yoga, martial arts, sports and other physical activities/sports. I have created this section as I regularly treat people who dance professionally, athletes and yoga students/teachers. The results are remarkable and rewarding but not exclusive to just dancers/athletes.

your body moves fluidly with bowen

Postural misalignment untreated or corrected can lead to many problems in the future. A dancers' body needs to remain strong, aligned and good healthy mobility in the joints for the intense workout that is required throughout their dancing lives.

Bowen therapy can assist to maintain balance within a dancers' skeletal system, for optimal movement and correct any bio-mechanical problems. By addressing the body as a whole, rather than just treating the symptoms, the source of pain and dysfunction can be addressed, and healed to avoid recurrence of injury (often, but not always due to faulty biomechanics).

Misalignment in one's body can be the cause of several chronic and acute pain conditions. A correct and straight spine is kept in its proper anatomical position by healthy, strong and nourished muscles. Bowen therapy, with it's rolling movements along muscles and tendons, aims to hydrate otherwise 'stuck' or dehydrated and dysfunctional fascia, which surrounds all muscles and organs in the body.

These gentle moves stimulates the nervous system and sets off a chain of reactions within the body to re-align itself. The therapist ultimately facilitates healing through these 'moves' which trigger a response.

what is bowen therapy?

Bowen therapy is a remedial manual therapy that triggers the body’s own healing mechanisms. 

how does bowen therapy work?

Bowen Therapt consists of a sequence of gentle rolling movements over the connective tissue of muscle and tendons.  The autonomic nervous system is stimulated by these gentle manipulations sending ‘messages’ to the brain to encourage a self healing process.

bowen video demonstration

CLICK IMAGE FOR SHORT VIDEO
This video was taken at Kundalini House in Melbourne. Video courtesy of Centro de Terapia Bowen (The Bowen Therapy Centre), in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Jenny is currently practicing from Buenos Aires. For local Bowen Therapist in Melbourne, please visit Kundalini House.

fascia and essence of bowen therapy

With it's gentle rolling movements Bowen therapy essentially affects and address the fascia in order to improve mobility and reduce pain. Fascia surrounds all muscles, tendons and organs. Because of fascia’s proximity to the skin, Bowen therapy and it's gentle touch is extremely effective and ideal. For this reason, gentle pressure only is required (relative to other deep and forceful tactile therapies) and profoundly effective.

It is important to note that our muscles are surrounded by fascia and can become negatively affected (dehydrated or shrunken/tighten from trauma) thereby the necessity of allowing them to function at their full potential.1

One of the important roles of Bowen technique is to encourage fascial hydration which improves circulation, mobility and flexibility for muscles to function better.. (remember we are 75% water as human beings...) Bowen therapy also stimulates lymph flow when necessary. When the fascia returns to a more hydrated state (with the gentle moves of the bowen technique) , the body functions better and there is more mobility and flexibility of muscles and joints.


Resources:
1. FASCIAL KINETICS - "A BOWEN THERAPY"
By Pat Piper, Fascial Kinetics Instructor, NSW, Australia
(based on research by Russel Sturgess - founder of the Fascial Kinetics Bowen School)

how is bowen different to massage?

Bowen therapy uses no oil and is gentle in comparison with many therapies such as deep tissue massage. It can be used on chronic and fresh injuries where other therapies are not appropriate.

For example, if there is increased inflammation and swelling after an injury around the joint, Bowen therapy can assist in normalising blood and lymph flow, reduce inflammation and thereby improve joint function. No manual therapy is indicated during this important and sensitive healing time, other than Bowen therapy due to it's self-healing and gentle treatment.

Often a few treatments initiate healing and successful results, however Bowen therapy will 'prioritise' the areas that need healing/re-aligning. This means that continued sessions are often required. Similarly follow up treatments for general maintenance and prevention are highly recommended. Generally, 5-10 days between treatments is advised with no other bodywork in between appointments.
Please note this is on an individual basis and some conditions require longer treatment plan and/or in conjuction with proper nutrition.

bowen therapy improves flexibility

Bowen therapy can also be likened to a therapy that promotes rehydration within the fascia that binds and covers all muscle and organs. Better hydration of the fascia means more wetness, more ease and gliding in the joints, greater stretch and flexibility in the muscles and tendons. Imagine your muscles surrounded by glad-wrap and that glad-wrap gets stuck, has no wetness or hydration for ease and gliding movements... When there is better hydration within the fascia or 'glad-wrap' that surround all your muscles and organs, there is free movement, nutrients can be transported easily throughout the body also. Bowen therapy assists in this greatly, assisting re-alignment and more movement in your whole body. Dancers require strength as well as remarkable flexibility. With regular treatments, Bowen therapy can greatly improve their flexibility, improve their technique and dance as a result.

bowen therapy for foot, big toe pain and bunions

Common injuries and problems such as foot pain, bunions, pain in the big toe or hallux and more specifically in the joint, or metatarsophalangeal joint can be effectively treated with Bowen Therapy. Often the therapist will address other possible misalignments within the body in the first treatments (the source of metatarsophalangeal joint pain is required to be addressed first - often in the hips/pelvis) and in following appointments will include the Bowen sequences for the foot/toe.

bowen therapy, epsom salts and bunion cream

Tom Bowen used to recommend the following, to be performed every evening for 4-6 weeks:
1. In addition to regular Bowen treatments, a 20-minute Epsom Salts foot bath (2 tablespoons of Epsom Salts in 1 litre of hot water). This helps to break down the calcification of the bunion.
2. After each evening foot bath, the patient would then apply "Iodex". This helps reduce some inflammation or bruising around the joint.
[NB: "Iodex" is no longer available in Australia. However Wilma LIttler from Leaf Bowen Therapy has wonderful products she has created herself that take it's place. 'Leaf Bunion Cream' is applied in the same manner as Iodex.]

Many people have been treated successfully with this process showing a marked improvement on their bunions -some disappearing altogether. Similarly, patients with bunions have been able to avoid surgery with this treatment plan of Bowen Therapy and Epsom Salts/Bunion cream.

many conditions can be treated with bowen

◦ musculoskeletal conditions

• frozen shoulder
• hip problems
• pelvic imbalances
• leg length discrepancey
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• repetitive strain injury
• back and neck pain
• shoulder/arm problems
• hamstring, groin strains
• restless leg syndrome
• bunions & foot/big toe problems
• clicking jaw

◦ digestive problems
◦ hormonal problems
◦ migraine headaches
◦ TMJ (temporomandibular joint dysfunction)
◦ respiratory conditions such as asthma
◦ sciatica

bowen therapy

Jenny, Bowen Therapist
Jenny is a qualified Bowen therapist with an added passion and interest in dance related injuries and conditions. She dances Argentine Tango and is committed to helping others improve their wellbeing, maintain a strong, flexible and balanced body for greater enjoyment of their dance expression.
For more about Jenny, click HERE.

Jenny is currently in Buenos Aires.
To continue your wellbeing, please visit Kundalini House website for practitioners (including bowen therapy, acupuncture, osteopathy, kinesiology, yoga, hypnotherapy).
Billie Atherstone and Elinor Bester are Bowen therapists at Kundalini House, North Fitzroy.