McKenzie Method

Bowen therapy

Over the years I have look at a whole range of therapies for various different medical conditions which don’t quite fit into the conventional medical model.

This have ranged from the Paleo diet for multiple sclerosis to the McKenzie Method® for back pain.

According to a press release from Bowen Therapy Professional Association “the Bowen Technique is a drug-free, non-invasive, hands-on therapy which can be administered through light clothing. It has a remarkable record of success in helping clients with a wide range of conditions, including back, neck, shoulder and other acute and chronic muscular pain; stress-related conditions including depression; asthma, hay fever and other respiratory problems; sports injuries, IBS, migraine, fertility, hormonal imbalance and a host of other health issues. It is suitable for people of all ages, from tiny babies with colic to mature clients who suffer from arthritis. There are many personal testimonies of Bowen working when nothing else has helped.

In a typical Bowen treatment, the therapist, using only thumbs and fingers, makes small rolling movements over muscles, tendons and soft tissue at precise points on the body. This subtle but dynamic process releases stress at a very deep level, allowing the body to re-align, address imbalances in functions and chemical composition and , as far as possible, restore homeostasis (physiological equilibrium) within the body. ”

You can check out their web site here http://www.bowen-therapy.co/default.asp

Now as you can see this is quite a list of different conditions which could be treated with Bowen therapy. It is also pretty diverse as well.

So why am I writing this blog. I’m very interesting in hearing if any of my readers have used it and how you have found it. Also if you are a Bowen therapist it would be great to hear what you do and how you do it.

Please feel free to use the comments box below to add anything you think might be of interest to our readers.

Many thanks in advance.

Pain

A few weeks ago I was interested to discover a treatment for back and neck pain called the McKenzie Method ®. The treatment, developed by a physical therapist from New Zealand called Robin McKenzie, is also known as Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) ®.

The method is of particular interest to me because it looks to self-help techniques as a treatment as opposed to more traditional interventions. But that is only part of MDT. It is an overall system of assessment, classification and treatment (and prevention) for various different types of pain. These include back pain, neck pain and leg joint pain.

From my reading of the method the objective is not to treat pain in localised areas but rather to treat the pain in the core back structure.

You can read up more about the exercise regime here http://www.mckenziemdt.org/approach.cfm?section=int.

That being said, as a picture is worth a thousand words, this video may also be of use http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKoJfjTL098

The technique is becoming more popular so we were wondering if you had used it. It would be great if you could share your experiences of the McKenzie Method ®. You may wish to think in terms of the following questions?

a) Where was your pain and what was its cause?

b) Did you try any treatments before the McKenzie Method ®? How successful were they?

c) How did you hear about the McKenzie Method ®?

d) Tell us a bit more about the treatment process. How effective was it?

e) Overall how beneficial to you was the method?

Please feel free to use the comments box below to contribute any links and share your experiences.

Thanks in advance.

Patient Talk

Patient Talk

Bowen Awareness Week – What is Bowen Therapy and have you used it?

Back Pain – Find out about the McKenzie Method® as a treatment for people with Back Pain.