Success Stories

Sciatica
Man aged 51 had been diagnosed with nerve and disc damage in his lower back following a road traffic accident at the beginning of the 1980’s. He suffered from sciatica (pain down his right leg) daily despite taking painkillers every day.The pain made walking very difficult. For the 12 years prior to his Bowen Treatment he was taking a combination of anti-inflammatory medication and painkillers. By his 5th treatment he was pain-free and off all medication for the problem.

Tennis Elbow and Back injury
Woman, aged 54, who had been suffering nearly two weeks of quite intense left-sided, lower back pain since moving some furniture. She also had a long-standing problem with her right elbow. She had suffered from tennis elbow for 10 years and now generally tried not to use that arm. Despite this, she was in constant pain daily from the arm and moving it a certain way or reaching out for something triggered sharp pain that might last for hours or even several days. Pain from her elbow woke her most nights.

It was the problem with her back that brought her to Bowen Therapy as she dismissed the elbow problem as something she would probably have for the rest of her life. She had one treatment addressing back and elbow. Immediately, afterwards her back pain had reduced markedly and she felt moving a lot easier. However, her elbow showed - in her own words - an immediate 80% improvement and she was unable to reproduce the sharp pain experienced on movement as before. She was in contact a week later to report that her back was nearly 100% better the next day and she was in no pain at all by the third day. Her elbow had continued to improve and was now about 90% better.

Frozen Shoulder
Woman, aged 47, with a year's history of right tennis elbow. Over that time the problem got progressively worse and several months prior to her Bowen treatment her GP had diagnosed a frozen shoulder. She woke every night from the pain in her right arm and shoulder. During the day, she had constant sharp pain radiating from the shoulder down the arm. She obviously guarded this arm, keeping it tight to her body and was unable to raise it more than a few painful inches. Following her first treatment she felt looser around her neck and shoulder and the pain had reduced a little. When she returned a week later, her shoulder was pain-free. There was pain still in her arm but less intense than before. She was still tending to guard the arm. On the third treatment, the following week, she was now able to raise her arm almost fully. There was no pain in either her shoulder or her arm only some stiffness. She was getting back into the routine of using her right arm by this time. On a phone call follow-up nearly a week later she reported no problems with the arm other than it was a little bit stiff in the morning on rising but it was improving all the time. Nearly a year since her treatment she remains fine.

Painful Neck Restriction
Woman aged 39 with long-standing intermittent neck problems. She presented with acute pain on the left side of her neck three or four days prior to treatment. Her neck problem was making life miserable. She was also suffering from headaches, stress and disrupted sleep. By her second treatment, the following week, her neck problem was much better; she had not had any headaches, was sleeping better and had noticed she had been less stressed following the first treatment. Following her second treatment she was free of any neck problems and enjoying an increased level of ‘energy’.

Facial Pain
Woman aged 22 suffering from chronic facial pain. Despite taking a maximum daily dose of prescribed painkillers she did not have a day without a varying degree of pain.

This could be so severe on days she told me...

"I want to cut that part of my face off".

In the six months leading up to the first treatment she had not been able to go to work nor was she able to enjoy any social life. By the 6th treatment the pain had gone, she was off the medication, back at work and had resumed her life.

Migraine
Woman aged 41 with long history of migraines (from 13 years old). She had on average two migraines every month. These were completely debilitating and lasted all day. She would be left feeling exhausted over the next few days following the migraine. Since receiving Bowen treatments she has reported having had only one migraine in 18 months.

Back Problems and Whiplash
Woman aged 42 with a chronic back problem which began following childbirth when she was 25 years old. When she was 36 she was in an accident injuring her neck from whiplash. When she came for her first Bowen Therapy treatment she had been suffering from back problems for 17 years and a painful neck restriction for the last 6 of those years. She had constant nagging pain in her lower back and because of her neck injury she was unable to turn her head to the left. To make matters worse, frequently, without warning, her back would completely 'go' causing agony. Painkillers were not much help and she was unable to sleep or walk during these periods. Immediately following the first treatment, she noticed an improvement in neck movement.The following day, she was astonished when she realised she could 'look both ways', and for the first time in 6 years she could move her neck freely without any pain. While her neck remained pain free, during the first week, the pain in her back reduced to a dull ache. During the second treatment she reported feeling a tingling sensation around the point in her back where she experienced the pain (this tingling sensation, and localised feelings of heat, are very common responses during therapy). After the treatment she felt her back improve immediately. The pain subsided, and in her own words she "felt straighter". That was over 2 years ago and she reports she has not had any problems with either her back or her neck since.

Ankylosing spondylitis
Man 41 years old, diagnosed with this chronic condition in the eighties. He found Bowen Therapy the most effective treatment he had tried. The severe headaches which he suffered most days were gone after the first treatment. After the second treatment he realised, on his way home, that he could move his neck (prior to treatment his whole upper spine and neck were immobile). By the third treatment his spine was much less curved over and he was enjoying an improved range of mobility all round.

Chronic Back Pain
Woman, aged 22, injured her back at work. She was diagnosed with a prolapsed disc and scoliosis. She received Physiotherapy for 5 months with no change, then went on to receive 10 days of traction. The traction helped her back at the time. However, once off it the pain returned quickly. She persisted with painkillers for a year but they did little to ease her pain and they made her feel upset and tearful. Ever conscious of her 'bad back' she began doing less and less activity. She could no longer carry on her work as a ward-based nurse and was reassigned to 'lighter duties' in the out-patient department. She put on weight and was generally depressed throughout her first year of chronic back pain. She visited an Osteopath at the end of that year but experienced no change in her condition. At that point, she decided to come off the medication and get by without it. She was determined that her chronic pain was not going to ruin her life. By the time she came for a Bowen Therapy treatment she was 32 years old. She enjoyed exercise and attended a gym regularly by this time. However, the pain was always there and she had resigned herself to have chronic back pain for the rest of her life. After the treatment she felt straighter. The gnawing pain decreased immediately to a dull ache and she was incredulous to the change she felt. By the second day, following treatment, she was completely pain-free for the first time in the 10 years since the accident. When speaking to her weeks later she said "I can't tell you the difference this has made to my life."