• Repetitive Strain Injury
• Elbow Pain interfering with Tennis
• Post birth back pain
• Jaw Pain
• Reflex Sympathetic disorder

Marie, a secretary, first noticed the pain in her hands in February 1997 and was later diagnosed as having Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Marie's condition progressively worsened, with increased pain, cramping, tightness, swelling and burning (hot hands), and pins & needles that sometimes lead to paralysis of both hands. She also suffered from reduced strength in her hands and fingers and erratic sleep patterns due to the pain.

Marie had to change her whole lifestyle due to her severe condition. She had to change her taps and door handles and to buy pre-cut vegetables and easy to open clothing. She also had to learn to be ambidextrous and to break up her work tasks. Marie could only work for 10 minutes at a time on the computer and use a hands free telephone.

1st Bowen session: Marie's hands were swollen, red and painful. Her fingers could not be straightened. Her neck and shoulders were also stiff, with a low range of motion of the neck. During the session Marie felt a tingling sensations in her arms and hands and became very relaxed. After the session the swelling in her hands had reduced and the redness had cleared. Her shoulders felt looser and had dropped.

2nd session: Marie reported that during the week she had slept really well and felt rested. She had more energy, her neck mobility increased and the cramping in her hands reduced. Marie also mentioned that when she had other treatments the benefits lasted only 2 days, whereas she had felt the benefits after Bowen for 6 days between sessions.

4th session: Marie could join her hands together flat (palm to palm) without any pain. She was sleeping through the night and felt more stable within herself. Her neck mobility had increased; she had no cramps or pins and needles in her hands and could work on the computer for an hour.

Update 2007: Over the past two years Marie has had monthly Bowen sessions. These have helped in reducing the level and frequency of pain in her hands. She is now able to do computer mouse work for two - four hours a day continuouy. The flexibility and mobility of her body has improved. and Marie is really happy that after a period of 10 years she has enough strength in her hands to cut a cauliflower into florets.

Elbow Pain interfering with Tennis

Ruth experienced continuous pain in her elbow for three months after she slipped and fell, landing on her right arm. A keen tennis player, she has had difficulty in her serve and no power in her backhand. Previously Ruth had to have a ligament removed from her left arm after injury during a mugging. These two injuries caused her to become very anxious and tense at the length of time her recovery was taking.

Although Ruth found her first Bowen session very relaxing, she felt no improvement in the level of pain in her arm. The only other reaction was a headache, which lasted for 2 days.

However, by her third session Ruth felt a lot better. She had played tennis and her backhand had some power behind it, although there were still twinges in her arm.

Ruth came for another four sessions on a monthly basis by which time she was playing tennis weekly with no further pain.

Post birth back pain

Julie and Mary had given birth to their boys a few weeks apart from each other. Since then both of them had been getting constant lower back pain. By concentrating on doing the pelvic Bowen moves both Julie and Mary got relief within three sessions. They felt that their bodies were more aligned and both now come for monthly Bowen sessions for general relaxation, and stress relief from being new mums.

Jaw Pain

Kate, an administrator, had suffered with pain in her jaw (TMJ) and neck for five years, and more recently from lower back pain. After two sessions of Bowen there was a reduction in her back pain and she was able to sleep better. On subsequent sessions the focus of attention was on Kate's jaw and she found that the jaw felt looser and that the constant ache in her jaw and neck was less. She could also open her mouth wider. Kate found that her concentration had improved and she felt less stressed.

Reflex Sympathetic disorder

Amanda, a college lecturer, had broken her left wrist while ice skating three months before coming for Bowen. Although the wrist was healing and the plaster was off, Amanda found that she could not straighten or rotate her lower arm from the elbow to fingers. She had severe pain in both her shoulders and could only lift the left arm a short distance and could not make a fist. She had been diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic disorder.

On Amanda's first Bowen session she was very uncomfortable with pain in her neck, shoulder and arm. The following week she reported that during the week she felt that she was a bit more balanced within herself, but the pain was at times unbearable.

During the second session when I asked Amanda to turn over onto her back she commented that 'she felt like something was unravelling/unhooking in her shoulders.'

A couple of minutes later while resting with her eyes closed, her left arm slid off her stomach and straightened to lie flat on the couch by her side.

When I asked her how she was feeling and where she thought her arm lay, Amanda replied that she felt very relaxed and that her arm was still bent across her stomach. I then asked her to open her eyes and have a look. Amanda as expected was quite surprised that she had not noticed her arm unlocking and straightening.

By the sixth session Amanda could move her right arm all the way up without any pain. The left shoulder still had a dull ache and it 'didn't feel right'. Amanda by could by now move the tips of her fingers and rotate the lower arm at the elbow.

Gradually over the next year Amanda's recovery progressed in stages and now she has full motion in her arm and wrist. She still has a slight funny feeling in two of her fingers and when making a fist the fingers overlap and don't grip well.xt year Amanda's recovery progressed in stages and now she has full motion in her arm and wrist. She still has a slight funny feeling in two of her fingers and when making a fist the fingers overlap and don't grip well.