Bowen Technique / NST

NeuroStructural Integration Technique, a style of Bowen Therapy, is a soft tissue remedial therapy, based on the later style of Tom Bowen, the Australian physical therapist who developed the now familiar Bowen Technique. The technique involves the practitioner using fingers or thumbs to move over muscle, ligament tendon and fascia in various parts of the body.

During a session the client will lie on a therapy table or bed, and will be covered in towels. Although each session will vary according to the presenting problems of the client, an initial treatment will address the whole body. The treatment is very subtle, relaxing and gentle involving no hard or prolonged pressure. During the session the practitioner will use a sequence of specialised moves on the body, carried out in a very specific and systematic manner. There is no forceful manipulation, rather a cross-fibre manoeuvring of muscle, tendon, ligament or nerve, using varying pressure and incorporating resting periods to allow the body to respond. Treatment can be done either through clothing or directly on the skin.

Throughout the session the recipient experiences deep relaxation, essentially providing the body with a window of opportunity to allow the body to balance itself through the natural activation of various neural reflexes. Substantial relief is frequently attained after the first session; however long term resolution is generally attained after the second or third session. A session normally lasts 30-45 minutes.

It is common for individuals receiving this work to experience a wide range of reactions such as shifting body aches, hot and cold flushes, sweating and at times emotional releases, however these are a positive sign that the individual is returning to a better state of well being.

A session will last generally around 45 minutes to one hour although this again will vary according to the way that individual therapists work. Treatments should be scheduled for between five and seven days apart and an initial set of three treatments is recommended in order to establish whether the client is likely to respond to treatment.

Reactions to treatment are not uncommon and include tiredness, increase in original symptoms, stiffness, headaches, flu like symptoms, increased dream activity. Aftercare advice given to each client will emphasise the importance of movement, the drinking of water and the return for treatments. It is vital that a client does not cease the treatment in response to a strong reaction. The moves are so subtle that if a strong reaction is experienced it demonstrates how profound the work can be and further treatments are essential if the full effect is going to be felt.

Most people will have responses within three to four sessions, when even long standing chronic pain can be relieved. Other conditions might need to be treated more often, but in either case it is recommended that clients return for regular treatments every six to eight weeks to maintain optimum health.