CASE STUDIES
The following case studies are all genuine (some names have been changed), and offer an insight into how
my treatments have helped to relieve various conditions.
BELL'S PALSY
Bell's Palsy is a type of facial paralysis, often caused by a virus, that results in an inability to control facial muscles on the affected side. Symptoms can vary from mild to severe.
When 23 year old Claire woke up one morning and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, she found moments later that the toothpaste was dribbling out of one side of her mouth and realised she was paralysed down one side of her face. She could not close or blink with one eye and could only smile with half of her face.
Her GP diagnosed Bell's Palsy and advised her that it could take 4-6 weeks and possibly longer for it to clear up completely.
Claire came to see me for some Bowen treatment and after just two treatments was completely better, much to the surprise of her doctor who told Claire that he had never known anyone have such a quick recovery from this condition.
BABY FEEDING DIFFICULTIES
14 week old Jack was suffering from stiffness and obvious discomfort on the right side of his neck. This was most noticable when he was breast feeding, during which he appeared restless and uncomfortable and could not remain in the same position for long. He also had some gastric discomfort in the form of colic and muscousy stools, and was a poor sleeper.
Osteopathy had failed to help, so his mother brought him to me for some Bowen treatment - having herself been successfully treated with Bowen for neck and shoulder problems.
After his first treatment Jack seemed more comfortable and slept through the night for the first time.
His mother reported a significant improvement initially in his gastric discomfort, but this appeared to have deteriorated again by his second appointment. I advised her to see her GP to ensure there were no medical problems such as Lactose intolerance and as she was breast feeding, we discussed cutting out certain foods to see if this made a difference.
By the third treatment, Jack was noticeably happier! His neck seemed a lot more comfortable and he was able to turn his head in both directions comfortably to feed. He was quite 'snuffly' when he arrived so I worked on his respiratory system as well as his Musculoskeletal issues and he was breathing a lot more easily by the end of the treatment. No further treatment was required.
OVARIAN CANCER/ CHEMOTHERAPY
Patricia first came to me in 2012 requesting Reiki, 4 months after having surgery and Chemotherapy for Ovarian cancer.
She was suffering from anxiety, low mood, lower back pain and sleep disturbance and felt drawn to try Reiki.
During her treatment, I noticed she had quite a significant pelvic imbalance and suggested that a course of Bowen treatment might be helpful to her. She was keen to try this and we booked her in for the following week.
At her appointment she told me the Reiki had helped significantly, especially with her pain levels.
Her pelvis was still misaligned, so I proceeded to treat her with Bowen.
By the end of the treatment, her pelvic alignment was considerably better.
She returned the following week with the news that her backache was much improved, but she still had the occasional niggle.
By the third treatment, she was much improved in all respects and I did not see her again for 3 months when she re- injured her back.
Patricia returned on several occasions over the next year or so for top up treatments whenever her back played up and always found the treatment beneficial.
When her cancer sadly returned and she was forced to go through more Chemotherapy, I gave her regular Bowen treatment and, having had Chemotherapy before, she was surprised at how well she felt compared to the last time. She continued to have regular Bowen treatments over the next two years.
CHILD WALKING PROBLEMS
Young John aged 9 had chipped his ankle 3 years previously when he caught it whilst playing at jumping off some steps.
It had been left to heal naturally without a cast and his mum reported that he had not walked properly since. His gait when running and walking appeared 'heavy' and uncoordinated. He had also had an irritating cough since he was quite young. I suggested we try The Bowen Technique to see if it helped.
John was quite restless when he first got on the treatment bed and I could see that he had a pelvic imbalance as well as tension and tenderness in his upper back and around his shoulders.
By the end of the treatment he had become noticeably more relaxed and was a little light headed and sleepy on rising. His legs were aching which I reassured him was a good sign that the treatment was working.
Following his first treatment his mum reported that there was a noticeable improvement. He was standing straighter and moving more freely.
John also stated that he felt better and more comfortable.
After the second treatment, John's cough had noticeably improved.
By the third treatment both mother and son felt the treatment had helped him a lot. John was walking and running much more easily, coughing a lot less and was a much more relaxed and happy young man.
No further treatment was required.
SCIATICA
Sciatica Is a very common condition and is caused by compression or irritation of the Sciatic nerve. This is the longest nerve in the body and runs from the pelvis, through the buttocks and down the legs to the feet.
JO
Jo injured her Coccyx doing gymnastics in her youth and was now suffering from bulging discs in her lumbar area and regular sciatic pain in her right leg. This latest episode of Sciatica had been triggered by pushing a heavy supermarket trolley and she came to me for some Bowen treatment to see if it woud help.
Jo's job was desk bound and involved a lot of sitting. She also had what I call a 'computer back' which presents as muscular tension and distortion in the upper back - caused by sitting in a bad position when working at a computer and she also suffered regular discomfort in her shoulders.
Although there was not much improvement initially, by her third Bowen treatment Jo was experiencing significant improvements, so decided to continue with the treatment.
By her 6th treatment Jo was pain free and told me her back felt more ''stable''.
Jo listened to her body as advised, and over the next 8 years returned regularly for top up treatments whenever she started to get warning twinges. This helped to keep her comfortable and her Sciatic and shoulder pain at bay.
REX
Rex had recently injured his back and was now experiencing Sciatic pain in his left leg with numbness and loss of feeling in his foot. As a keen walker he was finding this a great hindrance and needed a stick to walk with and regular painkillers. Rex presented with a mild Scoliosis and a pelvic misalignment. During his Bowen treatment he felt a lot of reactions in his left leg which felt much easier by the end of the treatment.
At his second appointment, he reported continuing improvement over the next few days following the treatment and was able to walk without any problems. He no longer needed a stick and had stopped taking pain killers.
By the third appointment, Rex was back to walking every day. He still had a little numbness in one of his toes which we addressed with the final treatment.
No further treatment was required, but some years later Rex brought his wife to see me for some Bowen having remembered how successful his own treatment had been.
MOLLY
Molly came to see me on the advice of another long standing client.
In her 70s, Molly was suffering with Sciatica in her left leg which had come on out of the blue. She had suffered from back problems since childhood and had tried Chiropractic treatment in the past.
After her first Bowen treatment she reported a gradual improvement over the next two days and by the time she came for her second appointment a week later, felt there had been a significant improvement in both her backache and sciatic pain, although she still had a slight ache in her lumbar area.
By her third treatment she felt fine and everything felt better.
She returned six months later having re injured her back lifting a heavy bin.
I gave her a Bowen treatment which helped and didn't see her again for another 4 years!
As she aged and her Arthritis became worse, Molly needed more regular treatments and continued to come at least once or twice a year until she passed away some ten years after we first met, having lived the last few years of her life in much less pain and discomfort than she might have done without the Bowen treatments.
ASTHMA / ELBOW PAIN
Asthma is a common respiratory condition involving long - term irritation and inflammation of the tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. This causes episodes of coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness.
Teenager Ben had been Asthmatic since childhood. He was a keen swimmer and was also suffering from pain in his right elbow.
On examination I could see that Ben's body had various tensions and misalignments.
After his first Bowen treatment there was a slight improvement in his elbow after a few days, but by the time he returned for his second treatment he was once again experiencing pain when swimming.
During the second treatment, Ben felt reactions in his right arm in the form of tingling which went right into his fingers.
After this treatment there was significant improvement and he described his elbow as feeling ''really good''.
He also noticed an improvement in his Asthma and had not needed his inhaler after swimming for the first time that he could remember. Unfortunately, he managed to re injure his elbow so came back for a fourth treatment and reported that his Asthma had ''practically stopped''.
I showed Ben how to do the Bowen moves on his Diaphragm that are used to help Respiratory conditions and he found that he was eventually able to dispense with his inhaler and use these moves on himself instead.
He came back once a year for the next two years for a top up treatment and has not required any further treatment since.
FIBROMYALGIA
Fibromyalgia is a long term condition that causes widespread pain throughout the body.
People with this condition often have increased sensitivity to pain, muscle stiffness and fatigue.
Deborah had been suffering from Fibromyalgia for 10 years when she came to see me having previously tried Acupuncture and Chiropractic treatments without much success.
She was currently suffering from pain across her shoulders and down her arms and her right arm was swollen. She also suffered from pain in her right hip that travelled down the leg to her foot and became worse at night. She was unable to walk very far due to numbness in her toes.
I suggested we try The Bowen Technique and gave Deborah a treatment.
At her second appointment she reported that she had been feeling very much better and that the day after the treatment all her symptoms had subsided bar '' a few twinges''.
After her second treatment she suffered a lot more discomfort which indicated that her body was making some necessary adjustments.
I gave her a third Bowen treatment and Deborah decided that she would like to continue with the treatment as she was finding it so beneficial.
After her fourth appointment she reported that she had had no pain whatsoever and was generally much better.
We decided to carry on with a treatment once a month to help keep her various aches and pains at bay and alternated between Bowen and Reiki treatments according to her symptoms and how she was feeling.
I treated her monthly for the next 7 months and it was another year after that before Deborah felt she needed more treatment. I continued to give her Bowen treatments as and when she felt she needed them for the next 5 years. She always found the treatment beneficial and, like many of my clients, said she didn't know what she would do without The Bowen Technique!
BLACKOUTS / RECOVERY FROM INJURIES
Jennifer was suffering from low blood pressure which often caused her to black out and she had fallen downstairs several times as a result. She had injured her back 6 months previously in one fall and had had to have operations on her shoulder and knee due to injuries sustained in previous falls. She was currently suffering from lower back pain and occasional Sciatic pain on her right side and her mood was very low.
I gave Jennifer a Bowen treatment during which she felt some reactions in her knees and was reassured when I explained that this was a good sign and showed that the treatment was working,
At her second appointment Jennifer told me she was ''feeling fantastic''! She had no pain, and felt more ''chirpy'', energetic and alive.
I treated her again with Bowen and booked her final appointment for the following week.
When she arrived Jennfer told me she had taken another tumble, landing flat on her back which had created some new discomfort. Prior to this she had been feeling absolutely fine, but was now left with some left sided back ache and sciatic pain. I gave her a treatment to address these problems and once again she felt some reactions, mainly in her right shoulder this time which indicated that the treatment was working.
Jennifer found she felt much more comfortable by the time she got off the bed and thereafter did not require any further treatment.
PREGNANCY AILMENTS
Susan was 32 weeks pregnant when she came to see me and suffering from sciatic pain and acid reflux. She had pain in her left buttock that radiated down her leg and into her toes and for the past three weeks had needed a stick to help her walk.
I gave her a Bowen treatment which left her feeling very relaxed and she felt various reactions in her body during the treatment.
At her second appointment Susan reported that there had been a gradual improvement following the treatment. She now found stairs much easier and was more comfortable lying in bed. She no longer need a stick to walk with but her acid reflux had not improved much.
By her third treatment, Susan was feeling much better in all respects. Walking was very much easier and she only had the occasional pregnancy 'niggle' now. Following her third session, she did not need any more treatment for the rest of her pregnancy.
ECZEMA / PELVIC DISCOMFORT
Barnaby had suffered from Eczema, which is an inflammatory skin condition, since babyhood.
He came to see me because he was suffering with Pelvic pain and discomfort which made him very restless at night and affected his sleep. He could only lie comfortably on his front by supporting his pelvis with his hands.
I could see that Barnaby's Pelvis was very misaligned and quite badly rotated, so gave him a Bowen treatment to help address this and by the end of the treatment there was a slight improvement.
Barnaby felt a bit off colour for a day or two following his treatment which is a common reaction as the body starts to make the necessary adjustments to help relieve pain and discomfort.
By his second appointment Barnaby was able to lie a lot more comfortably on his front without needing to support his pelvis with his hands and I could see that his Pelvis was in much better alignment. Barnaby's Eczema had not improved at this stage.
By his third treatment however, his Eczema had improved considerably and his Pelvis had remained in good alignment. He was sleeping better, had more energy and fewer headaches than before.
We discussed how changing his diet might help keep his Eczema at bay and no further treatment was required.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Adrian had been suffering from Multiple Sclerosis since his early twenties. This is a degenerative condition which affects the central nervous system. It can cause a wide range of symptoms and may eventually lead to serious disability.
Adrian had difficulty walking due to leg spasms, problems with low energy levels and 'brain fog' and a painful left shoulder which was uncomfortable to lie on in bed. He had heard about The Bowen Technique from other MS sufferers who had found it helpful and wanted to give it a try.
After his first session, Adrian noticed some significant improvements. He felt a lot more relaxed and energised with a sense of having what he described as ''more vitality'' in his legs.
At his second appointment Adrian reported definite improvements all round. He had felt ''a sense of release'' in his buttock area and had suffered fewer leg spasms. His shoulder remained troublesome however, especially at night.
By his third appointment Adrian was experiencing a continuing feeling of well being. He described himself as being generally ''less sleepy and misty'' and felt better able to cope on a day to day basis. He noticed he now had better control of his right leg especially when driving and his shoulder had improved. Adrian felt the treatment had had a very positive effect on him and booked in for a top up treatment a month later when he told me he had been ''very good'' since his last treatment and remained very positive about the benefits he had received from the treatment.
SHOULDER PAIN
Charles had been suffering with a painful right shoulder for several months. There had been no obvious injury and he had tried Osteopathy and Physiotherapy without any real improvement.
I treated Charles with the Bowen Technique and at his second appointment he told me he felt there had been some improvement in his shoulder. The pain was now coming and going rather than remaining constant.
He also told me that his feet had improved although he had not revealed that he had a problem with his feet at his first appointment!
After his second treatment, Charles felt that his shoulder was 75% better and he only had occasional twinges or aches now. His feet had remained problem free.
I gave Charles a third treatment and he did not need another appointment for several months until he injured his shoulder chopping wood. He told me that it had been fine up until then.
Another two treatments restored Charles's shoulder to it's pain free condition and no further treatment was required after that.
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PAIN FOLLOWING HIP REPLACEMENT
Eileen had had a right hip replacement a year prior to coming to see me.
Since then she had been suffering from spasms and nerve pain in her leg and Restless Leg Syndrome at night. She currently had Sciatic pain in her right leg that had ''come on out of the blue'' and had had some Chiropractic treatment for this which had helped a little, but she still had some discomfort and could not walk very far without pain.
I treated Eileen with the Bowen Technique and at her next appointment she reported that she had been able to walk without pain after the treatment and that the discomfort had lessened.
After her second treatment she said that she had been ''very good'' and much improved in all respects. The only time she had suffered any pain or discomfort was when she had ''overdone it''.
After her third treatment things remained good and Eileen was able to walk without any problems.
Eileen returned four months later for a top up treatment as she had been unwell and felt a Bowen treatment would be beneficial, and again nine months after that as she was experiencing some discomfort after gardening.
I did not see Eileen again for another two years when she came for a top up treatment as she was experiencing some aches and pains in her legs again, which the treatment successfully chased away.
By this time Eileen was quite elderly and suffering from heart problems and sadly I did not hear from her again.