The Bowen Technique is one of the newest and most exciting forms of therapeutic body work. Since its public appearance in Australia in the mid-1980s, the popularity and spread of Bowen Therapy has been truly remarkable. Today it is practiced in over thirty countries and taught in more than twenty.
The technique was developed by Thomas Ambrose Bowen (1916-1982), a remedial therapist in Geelong, Victoria. Tom was a simple labourer with a keen interest in remedial therapy. He initially learned by watching the remedial workers at the local football clubs where he was involved during the 1950s. As his skills grew, Tom’s reputation and clientele also grew and in 1959, he approached the Department of Health in Melbourne and was formally granted permission to practice.
Tom called himself a “self-trained osteopath”. Although he had no formal training, he continued for 23 years in clinical practice, developing his own technique. Although Bowen Therapy is not a recognised osteopathic technique, in 1972 Tom was invited to join the Australian College of Osteopathy.
Since Tom’s death in 1982, Bowen Therapy has emerged as an authentic therapeutic technique that has spread around the world and been widely embraced by a broad spectrum of people. Health professionals are impressed by the effectiveness of the technique and the diversity of problems it addresses.
Bowen Technique is wonderfully effective for treating common musculoskeletal injuries, and issues affecting the ankle, knee, pelvis, upper/lower back (including sciatica), neck, shoulder (including frozen shoulder), elbow (including tennis/golfer’s elbow) and wrist. It is also used to treat respiratory issues (including asthma), digestive issues (including IBS), circulatory and lymphatic drainage issues, pregnancy and childbirth, anxiety, PTSD, TMJ syndrome and RSI.
Bowen Therapy is gentle, non-invasive and considered safe for all ages from newborns to the very elderly with very few contra-indications. The signature Bowen cross-fibre moves over muscles and connective tissue (fascia) often succeed where other treatments and modalities have failed.
Bowen Technique is something every Australian can be proud of.