bowen for sports
Sports Injury – Prevention is the Best Cure
A growing number of athletes and professional sports people are discovering that regular Bowen sessions enhance performance and reduces the chance of injury.
Some sports teams have a Bowen therapist on their books alongside their physiotherapist to improve the overall performance and well-being of their team. From a team perspective it can make the difference between success and failure. Special rates can be negotiated for bulk bookings and local teams.
Frequent Bowen treatments helps your body be brought back in to balance and when injury does occur the road to recovery is, on the whole, a lot quicker.
Bowen therapy treats the body as single unit. This is especially important because even a minor injury years prior can have devastating results in the future as a result of the body exercising on an injured limb. The human body is a wonderful machine as it will automatically mask pain. If you stub your toe, for example, your body will automatically change its walking and running stance to mask the pain. That is great, however, long term changes in postural alignment can result in pains and injury somewhere else in the body. Therefore, that shoulder pain maybe as a result of that Rugby knee injury at school. Treating the body as a whole makes sense and if you just treat that one injury you will probably find that the various therapists are chasing the injuries and pain around the body, year in year out.
The Bowen techniques relies completely on the body doing all the work. As a result the treatment is the start of a process that carries on, with the benefits of well-being continuing far longer than a massage would have achieved. Massage has many excellent benefits, amongst them producing a feeling of relaxation and well-being. The difference is that massage, like many other therapies, is an intervention where the therapist produces the results and the body takes on the treatment. Massage is a very immediate and reactive treatment, resulting in the client returning immediately for treatment after an issue occurs. However, Bowen results in less issues and ailments as it is more of a preventative measure. A standard soft tissue injury that might typically take ten days to two weeks to heal can often be addressed in half that time using the Bowen Technique.
Serious reoccurring problems such as with the Achilles, pelvis and shin pain can be quickly resolved. Considering that only 50 percent of sports injuries are in new areas, this means that the majority of clients present with problems that were never fully resolved at the time of the original injury, and these reoccurring injuries are being treated unsuccessfully time and time again. Not addressing such issues means that many athletes are leaving themselves at risk of further injury in the future.
The Bowen technique is both completely safe and very gentle.
case study
Cartilage & Ligament Damage
Male: 23
4 treatments
As a cricketer and rugby player, H’s left leg was in a brace following cartilage removal and damage to the anterior cruciate ligament. His right leg was in plaster nearly to the knee due to further ligament problems and he was on antiinflammatory tablets. Some severe pain followed the first Bowen treatment and the left knee became temporarily more swollen. However, after four treatments the hospital verdict was that the knees were now very stable and that a further anticipated operation would no longer be necessary.
more case studies...
Male: 30 – 2 treatments
A double fracture of the intercarpal bones of one hand, caused ten years previously from boxing, gave Derek continuing pain, despite ultrasound and other treatment. The pain usually lasted for a week or so following training sessions. After one short Bowen treatment the pain vanished and after a second treatment there was no further problem despite further training and a three-round fight.
Male: 26 – 2 treatments + ‘top ups’
M was delighted with the results of the two Bowen treatments he received for his painful shin splints. He decided to continue to have treatments on a regular basis because, he said: “I am now performing better than I have ever done before. In the past, I always managed to do very well in the training but on the big day I never seemed to be able to match my training performance. However, now, I am actually achieving far higher placing in the overall order than I have ever done before.” He puts this sustained improvement down to The Bowen Technique and continues to come for regular treatments because he believes that not only is it a performance enhancer but that it is also a preventative to injury.
Boy: 14 – 4 treatments
D.’s tennis elbow not only kept him from playing tennis, but he was also unable to hold a pen to write. After the first treatment, his elbow was much improved the following day. He played in a tennis tournament after three days with no pain. His right shoulder worsened initially but resolved within five days. After the five days, he experienced only occasional twinges in his elbow. After the second treatment, there was complete resolution of the tennis elbow. D. returned after 14 months for treatment of a slight twinge in the elbow and 4 months after that for one further treatment for the slight pain in elbow and wrist. Each time, one treatment brought total resolution.
Male: 28 – 1 treatment
D was attending a dinner some distance from his home and met a Bowen technique practitioner there. D was in great pain and could not stand for longer than 2 minutes at a time. He had been a keen golfer but could certainly not play now. He was given only one treatment, as he was a visitor to the area. Four months later he wrote to the practitioner to say: “In the four months since your treatment I have had little or no pain. . . I am playing golf regularly again, swinging freely and without inhibition and my handicap is down to one again… I put my recovery completely down to Bowen.”
Male: 21 – 2 treatments
As a student, R was a keen athlete and mountain biker. He had suffered from shin splints for up to twelve years, usually triggered off by running. Physiotherapy had proved painful and given no relief. Within a few days of the first Bowen treatment he was almost completely pain free and after two sessions he has had no recurrence of the problem a year later.
Male: 30’s – 3 treatments
“I recently changed my running shoes and began to notice an uncomfortable strain down my left Achilles. On finishing each run, the area would burn and be painful for some hours later. This developed until actual running became impossible without pain. Direct work with massage and other hands on approaches to the area created little relief. On seeing a Bowen practitioner, a suggestion was made that the cause of the problem could actually be from the sacroiliac joint in the lower back. Three sessions working in this area gave permanent relief. I now see the practitioner only if I am preparing for a big race.”
Female: 33 – 1 treatment
A canoe rolling accident seven years previously had resulted in some loss of mobility in one shoulder. N’s overarm swimming and canoeing performance were affected: awkward for an instructor! After only one treatment she was able to raise the arm to fully 90% (vertical) instead of about 75%.
more - Bowen for sports
Bowen therapy gently treats your condition as opposed to many common techniques such as visiting a Chiropractor, that can use heavy manipulation. So if you do not like the thought of being pushed and pulled about then Bowen therapy could be the perfect treatment for you.
The Bowen technique can work along side other effective techniques like Chiropractic, Osteopathy or Physiotherapy.
Zoe Louise is located within the 5 Valleys Physio Therapy Clinic, and therefore has close links with other industry professionals to offer your body ‘the total package’ and refer specific conditions.
The Bowen technique is ideal for those that are frail as Bowen helps the body to help its self it is a non invasive treatment that will not result in bruises and can be carried out with light clothing left on.
Bowen therapy treats the body as a whole, without referral to named disease. A Bowen therapists will take your case history, but the treatment does not set out to treat specific conditions or ailments, so do not be alarmed if during a treatment a part of the body that is not directly affected is being treated.
Bowen therapy should be used as a preemptive measure, to treat general issues before they become a problem. You will find that you will have less injuries, less pain and less illness as regular Bowen sessions help to keep your body in tune with its own health needs and looking after its self.
Issues are often resolved quickly in relative terms. Although it is recommended a minimum of 3 sessions each with a minimum of a week apart, dramatic improvements can be see after the first appointment.
Long term savings can be found in reduced visits to your General Practitioner and hospital.
More and more physiotherapists and doctors are incorporating the Bowen technique into their working lives as an excellent additional tool for addressing dysfunction-
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