Bowen Therapy for Shoulder Pain and Neck Pain

Bowen Therapy for Shoulder Pain and Neck Pain

A study into the effect of Bowen Therapy on shoulder or neck pain was conducted in the summer of 2008. 271 clients new to Bowen were treated and of these 86% showed a full or partial recovery after only 3 treatments.

Shoulder and neck pain can be particularly debilitating especially where there is restriction as in adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder. It can also be linked to emotional problems and where the client is experiencing particularly stressful situations.  Shoulder and neck pain can be linked to RSI and carpal tunnel problems which are symptoms that can respond well to Bowen Therapy.

CLICK HERE for more details

Acupuncture Awareness Week March 2014

Coming soon…..

Acupuncture Awareness Week
3^rd-10^th March 2014

 A new study shows Britain is risking a back pain epidemic caused by unhealthy habits and sedentary lifestyles. The findings from a study by the British Acupuncture Council to mark 'Acupuncture Awareness Week' (3rd-10th March 2014) show that almost 80 per cent of people suffer with back pain yet admit to behaviours that put their backs under unnecessary strain¹.

The study of 5,000 adults found that almost half of the nation admit to eating on their lap, 40 per cent complain they sit at a desk all day and over a third admit to watching TV or films in bed. When asked about their posture, almost a third also admitted they slouch most of the time.

 Further results reveal that when it comes to dealing with back pain, 74 per cent say they repeatedly use painkillers to deal with their discomfort rather than addressing the root cause of the problem.

 Lynda French, a qualified member of the British Acupuncture Council, comments: “Painkillers often numb the end symptom and mask the problem but do not address many of the combined underlying causes of back pain. By stimulating different points of the body, traditional acupuncture can be extremely beneficial for back pain, providing long term pain relief and reducing inflammation.”

With 2.3 million acupuncture treatments carried out each year, traditional acupuncture is one of the most popular complementary therapies practised in the UK today. Based on ancient principles which go back nearly two thousand years, acupuncture involves placing extremely fine, sterile needles painlessly at specific points on the body to trigger a healing response.

Despite acupuncture's widely recognised health benefits, many of us are missing the point when it comes to this ancient Chinese medicine. Statistics show that 41 per cent of people would only consider acupuncture as a last resort and nearly 90 per cent didn't know the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends the therapy for persistent, non-specific lower back pain.

Lynda continues: "I find that many patients opt for the painkiller route with limited success before turning to acupuncture. Simple lifestyle changes alongside acupuncture could save millions of people taking medication every day. It's important to recognise the impact our behaviour has on our bodies and to make sure we are fully informed about all treatment options to promote long term health and well being." 

To find out more about traditional acupuncture visit  

www.introducingacupuncture.co.uk

Notes to editors:

¹ One Poll survey, December 2013

Inspiring Olympics – get BACK to sport fitness

The Olympic and Paralympic Games have inspired the country to make a return to sport.

South-West Homeopath & Bowen Technique practitioner Paul Black is being called on by patients who are looking for a holistic way to sprint back to good health following sporting injuries.

Returning to sport after a gap can test old injuries and niggles in back, hip and leg muscles.  Bowen Technique helps remove tension and pain, giving improved flexibility, making it easier to return and to continue participation in sporting activities.  Homeopathic medicines also support the healing process by reducing inflammation and promoting repair in sprains and strains.

In the 2010 Winter Olympics, one in every 10 athletes sustained an injury, said a report in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, with the most common ailments being bruising, torn ligaments and muscular strain.

Well known sports personalities are among the six million users of Homeopathy in the UK, including soccer star David Beckham, tennis stars Boris Becker and Martina Navratilova, and rugby player Will Greenwood.  Bowen Technique is a firm favourite of adventurer Bear Grylls who, after using it to recover from breaking his back during SAS parachute training, now describes himself as “hooked” on the therapy.

Paul said: “In my Portishead & Weston practices there is a great interest in holistic healthcare, and people often turn to Bowen Technique or Homeopathy for help in recovering from injuries.  Homeopathic medicines (known as remedies) have long been used to treat simple sports-related problems, the most well known being Arnica, traditionally used for bruising and muscular soreness. Ruta is commonly used in sprains and strains.  As a keen runner and sailor with local Portishead clubs I have personal experience of using the therapies to sustain my own sporting fitness and that of other club members.”

“I would normally expect to see noticeable improvement after just 3 treatments”, explained Paul.  He offers a £10 discount if 3 treatments are booked and paid for at the first session. If you would like to book treatment or know more about how Bowen Technique or Homeopathy can help you with your own participation in sport, please contact Paul Black on 07449 547406.

  

Notes

Homeopathy: is a holistic medicine which uses specially prepared, highly diluted substances (given mainly in tablet form) with the aim of triggering the body’s own healing mechanisms. Treatment is individualised, with prescriptions being chosen according to the patient’s specific set of symptoms.

Evidence-based: It is often said that there is ‘no scientific evidence’ that homeopathy works. This is not the case. More research is welcomed, but there are already high-quality randomised clinical trials demonstrating that homeopathy is clinically effective beyond placebo. See www.homeopathy-soh-org/research for a summary.

Professional: The Society of Homeopaths is the largest body of professional homeopaths in Europe. Established in 1978, it has 1,400 registered members, who are fully insured and have agreed to practise and abide by a strict Code of Ethics & Practice.

- Adventurer Bear Grylls’ battle with back pain and high cholesterol

– Abstract from The effects of the Bowen Technique on hamstring flexibility over time: A randomised controlled trial – summary of Coventry University, taken from subsequent publication in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies:

The hamstring muscles are regularly implicated in recurrent injuries, movement dysfunction and low back pain. Links between limited flexibility and development of neuromusculoskeletal symptoms are frequently reported. The Bowen Technique is used to treat many conditions including lack of flexibility. The study set out to investigate the effect of the Bowen Technique on hamstring flexibility over time.

An assessor-blind, prospective, randomised controlled trial was performed on 120 asymptomatic volunteers. Participants were randomly allocated into a control group or Bowen group. Three flexibility measurements occurred over one week, using an active knee extension test. The intervention group received a single Bowen treatment. A repeated measures univariate analysis of variance, across both groups for the three time periods, revealed significant within-subject and between-subject differences for the Bowen group. Continuing increases in flexibility levels were observed over one week. No significant change over time was noted for the control group.  

Hay Fever

The hay fever season may seem a long way off, but now is the time to treat it homeopathically. 

Homeopathic remedies can not only tackle the symptoms when they happen, but by triggering the body’s own system of healing, can help to stop the symptoms occurring in the first place.

Some people turn to homeopathy because they find that anti-histamines don’t work well or have side effects, and others want an alternative to conventional drugs or a longer term solution to tackling their symptoms.

Homeopaths compare treating hay fever to gardening, in the winter we dig to prepare the soil and in the summer we weed.  With homeopathy we start the hay fever treatment in February with a high potency of the appropriate remedy to start the healing process, and in the summer we treat to help alleviate the symptoms, which may have already changed from previous years.  The aim is that over a 2 to 3 years the symptoms will improve and become less intense each year to the point where no further treatment is required. 

Contact Paul in Portishead on 01275 339422 or Patricia in Axbridge on 01934 733658 to book your Hay fever treatment.

Reduce Pain and Rebalance with Bowen Technique

Paul Black, owner of the Total Health Homeopathy practice in Portishead, has already successfully treated many local individuals and families for a variety of conditions using Homeopathy.  Already a Registered Homeopath, he has recently completed the training with the European College of Bowen Studies as a Certified Bowen Therapist.   Bowen Technique is a soft tissue remedial therapy named after its innovator Tom Bowen.  A gentle, non-invasive, relaxing treatment using fingers or thumbs to move over muscle, ligament tendon and fascia which encourages the body to realign itself. The work is very subtle involving no manipulation or prolonged pressure and helps the body to rebalance, relieve tension and reduce pain.   

Bowen Technique and Homeopathy are two gentle effective therapies that compliment each other extremely well to help with symptoms of; recurrent colds, chest infections, sinusitis, headaches, severe PMT/painful periods, stress, anxiety, depression and emotional issues, digestive disorders, acid-reflux, constipation, IBS, sports injuries, back and neck pain, sciatica, knee problems, tennis or golfers elbow, R.S.I., frozen shoulder, respiratory conditions, asthma, kidney problems, arthritis and eczema. 

For more information about Homeopathy, Bowen and patient testimonials visit www.TotalHealthHomeopathy.co.uk or email Paul.Black@TotalHealthHomeopathy.com.  Call Paul on 01275 339422 for an appointment or confidential enquiry.  Paul is also available to give talks on Homeopathy or Bowen taster sessions at social or special interest groups within the South West area. 

Don't under-estimate the Amazing Ankles

There are just over 200 bones in the body, with 26 in the hands and feet. This means that over 25% of the skeletal structure is given over to the feet. For every bone in the foot, there is a ligament to connect it to at least one other bone, sometimes more and it’s this complex relationship between the foot and the leg that gives us the ability to create huge stability through the structure.

As a Bowen Therapist, Paul Black explains that when working with clients with a need to address leg length issues, knee ligament problems, groin strain, pelvic misalignment and even lower back pain, then the ankle is one key area which would contribute greatly to the effectiveness of the work and might even make the difference in terms of outcomes.

The strong deep fascial band (plantar fascia) running the length of the underside of the foot, creates a strong pull which continues around the heel bone and up into the Calves (gastrocnemius and soleus group), which in turn attach to the leg bone (femur) above the knee.  Hence the ankle work contributes to hamstring flexibility and lower back stability.

The push or jar on the foot creates an opening for the whole of the back of the leg;

·         It’s the first thing that hits the floor after a treatment

• It has to flex and bend in order to carry us forward
• It takes our entire body weight through it’s complex structure

When treating Clients suffering back pain, pelvic imbalance or tight hamstrings, the ankles are a key place to start.   A Bowen treatment could well put a spring back in your step! 

The Bowen Technique is fast becoming one of the most popular complementary therapies in the UK.  Most busy Bowen therapists will tell you that the average number of treatments required by Clients will be between two and four, making it a very cost effective treatment.

If you would like to know more or book a treatment contact Paul Black on Portishead 01275 339422 or visit the European College of Bowen Studies web site at http://www.thebowentechnique.com.

Holistic help for the Summer Holiday period

Soaking in the sun, over-indulging in food and drink, along with travel to foreign parts, is all part of the fun of the Summer holiday period – but it can take its toll on our bodies and leave us feeling unwell.

Alongside the Summer clothes and sun-tan lotion, Portishead homeopath Paul Black makes sure his cupboard is well stocked with homeopathic medicines to help him through the ailments of the Summer season.

A particular favourite with patients, he says, is the homeopathic remedy Nux vomica, which many people use to help with the symptoms of a hangover.

Paul said: “Different remedies help with different sets of symptoms. In homeopathy, we treat according to the individual symptoms of the patient and how if effects them, rather than based on the named condition. Patients usually come to a homeopath with a chronic illness, such as eczema, and because the treatment is individual, 10 people with eczema would usually be prescribed different remedies.

“Minor complaints and acute illnesses are more superficial and remedies can be used at home or whilst travelling with good results.  Illness and injuries, by their very nature, happen at unpredictable times when it may be difficult or impossible to buy what you need.   Like me, holiday travellers may like to consider taking a travel kit with them so you can be prepared for most eventualities.   A homeopathic travel kit is a collection of remedies plus a useful guide book to cover common ailments and injuries.  There no problems taking these kits customs security checks at airports and ports.  My own kit has been to many different countries.”

Travel kits are available from Paul at a discounted price, or can be purchased online from homeopathic pharmacies Helios or Ainsworths.   Here are just a few remedies which might help you through the ailments of the holiday period:

Nux vomica: this is known as “the hangover” remedy but can also be used for the general symptoms of over-indulgence. Symptoms include heartburn, indigestion, and nausea, a headache, sensitivity to noise and light, and irritability. Particularly suits “workaholics” who tend to burn the candle at both ends, keep going with coffee and feel the cold.

Arsenicum: this remedy comes into play when the symptoms are like that of food poisoning, with vomiting and diarrhoea, a pale palour and anxiety. Symptoms are worse at night, with burning in the digestive tract and a desire to sip water. It suits restless people who worry, need to plan ahead and feel the cold.

Robinia: this remedy is known as the homeopathic “antacid” and can be used if you have eaten too much, are feeling bloated, with heartburn or stomach acid.

Apis: this remedy is useful when there are allergic symptoms following insect stings and bites.   There is raised red area around the sting or bite, which can be itchy.

Arnica:  lots of people know to use this remedy for bruising, but this remedy is also very useful for recovering from jet-lag.

If you would like any further advice or want to book a homeopathic appointment then call Paul Black on 01275 339422 or email Paul.Black@TotalHealthHomeopathy.com.