The Bowen Technique is a dynamic system of muscle and connective tissue therapy that is revolutionizing health care worldwide. For more than 40 years it has been used successfully to treat thousands of people suffering from a variety of illnesses. Developed by the late Tom Bowen in Australia, it is a unique system that has amazed therapists of all disciplines. The gentle moves on soft tissue stimulate physiological changes and energy flow, empowering the body’s own resources to heal itself. The Bowen Technique is safe to use on anyone from neonates to the aged and produces lasting relief from pain or discomfort. Orthodox and alternative therapists have been generous in their praise for this technique.

The Bowen Technique balances the body to allow it to heal itself. The work consists of a series of precise moves on specific points of the body. These moves are light and can be done through clothing. There are frequent and important pauses between each series of moves giving the body time to benefit from each. A Bowen move is itself a study in delicacy. The structure (muscle, tendon, or nerve sheath) is identified with the thumb or the fingers. The skin slack is gently tractioned in the opposite direction to the intended move. Then the muscle is challenged with gentle pressure in the direction of the intended move. Finally the skin is allowed to move across the structure to the limit of the available skin slack. Although individual moves used alone may produce a positive effect, the full benefit of the technique is gained through a complementary series of moves. Only a limited number of sequences are needed each session so the technique is simple to do and is easy on the patient.

The Bowen Technique allows the body to heal itself with minimal intervention in contrast to other hands-on disciplines, where the therapist imposes the healing mechanism on the patient through the technique performed.

Other forms of manipulative or energetic therapy performed four days before and up to five days after a The Bowen Technique session may interfere with its effectiveness but the Bowen Technique does not interfere with the effectiveness of other disciplines.