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Bowen: an enjoyable pregnancy is at hand

Hollywood has spurned a generation of pregnant celebrities, radiantly posing on the cover ofmagazines, having the best time of their life. Yet for the average British woman, pregnancy can

at times be painful or exhausting, or both!

How does Bowen work?

Bowen therapy and the art of enjoyable pregnancy

Additional information about Bowen

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But it doesnt have to be that way. Just a few Bowen treatments could make the differencebetween an uncomfortable pregnancy and a glowing, enjoyable one.

The Bowen Technique comes from Australia and was developed by Tom Bowen in the 1950s

and 1960s. He carefully observed how people walked, sat and moved to draw conclusions aboutwhere their pain was coming from, and then after years of experimentation and clinical trials he

perfected the Bowen Technique procedures.

Bowen can help relieve a variety of conditions such as: back problems, headaches,sciatica,

constipation, allergies, pelvic tilt Sounds like a pregnant womans best friend.

How does Bowen work?

A Bowen therapist will use their thumbs and fingers to move over muscles, fasciae, joints and

tendons. I pull the skin slightly, hold for a little while and then I go back over the soft tissue of

the muscle, says Karin Starzacher, a BTAA certified Bowen practitioner. Every movement isfollowed by a pause or timeout where the therapist leaves the room for a period of time, thus

leaving the patient to relax and absorb... Its that simple.

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But what happens below the surface is more complex. When the fascia that protects the muscles

is stretched, it sends sensory information through the nerves to the brain. This data goes though a

self-corrective feedback mechanism in the brain, and is then sent back down the spinal cord toindividual muscles.

Its as if Bowen reconnects the body with the brain, allowing the self-healing mechanisms ofthe body to kick in. Bowen will balance the nervous, lymphatic and hormonal systems along

with the circulation, and it also works on the bodys musculoskeletal system. Basically eachsingle move that we do with the Bowen treatment already addresses the body as a whole, says

Karin Starzacher.

Bowen therapy and the art of enjoyable pregnancy

Obviously when youre pregnant you want to avoid taking medication because you dont want

to harm your child, so with the Bowen technique you can do this and still get very effective pain

relief, says Karin Starzacher.

Much of pregnancy pain comes down to back aches, sciatica, headaches and leg pain. Thesegenerally arise from strain on the spinal cord, and increase as the unborn baby becomes heavier.

Bowen uses the bodys innate healing ability to handle these pains. Its how Bowen does this that

sets it apart from other therapies.

Firstly, treatments can be given while sitting or laying on the side, which means they can

take place right until a woman goes into labour.

Secondly, theres no need to undress and the treatment itself consists of moves that are so

gentle that clients often fall asleep. So its non-invasive and no-fuss.

Thirdly, the success of the treatment depends on how relaxed a patient is, as that will

determine how well information passes through the brain to the nervous system. Thismakes it one of the most enjoyable therapies out there.

I was four months pregnant and was experiencing sharp pain in my lower back. After three of

four short Bowen sessions the pain disappeared completely. The remainder of my pregnancy was

smooth and relaxed as I looked forward to the arrival of our little one into our lives, said Agne,28, and first-time mum.

Bowen is particularly recommended in the later stages of pregnancy, when the foetus has turned

around in the womb. It realigns the pelvis, which is crucial to an optimum birth and removesaches in the back and pelvis.

And even after childbirth, Bowen is useful. It will help realign the body, balance hormones and

help deal with exhaustion, one of the primary causes of postnatal depression (PND).

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So, enjoyable pregnancies are not only reserved for only the rich and famous. With a bit of help

from Bowen, you and your baby bump could look good enough to be on one of those front

covers too.

Additional information about Bowen

Most problems can be treated with 1 to 3 sessions, while chronic recurring problems may

require occasional top-up treatments

Each session lasts between 30 to 60 minutes

Sessions usually take place at 5 to 10 day intervals

Price depends on location, but normally ranges between 30-50 per session

Get more information and find your nearest Bowen therapist: Bowen Association of the

UKor 0700 BOWTECH (0700 269 8324) (national rates apply)

http://www.bowen-technique.co.uk/http://www.bowen-technique.co.uk/http://www.bowen-technique.co.uk/http://www.bowen-technique.co.uk/