Bowen Neurological approach
Why does Bowen work?
The Bowen Technique is a neurological approach to relieving pain symptoms.
When we experience pain, it is because our brain detects a threat in the body.
For example, you’ve cut yourself accidentally. Small proteins that surround the wound, called receptors, send signals to the brain to say ‘there has been an injury here’. We call this the ‘INPUT’.
At this point in time, ‘pain’ hasn’t happened yet.
The brain now takes this information from the receptors, and calculate whether it is SUITABLE to give you pain. We call this the ‘PROCESS’
This really depends on many factors, such as your environment, your beliefs, your stress levels etc.
IF and WHEN the brain decides it is suitable, it will then produce the sensation of pain where the cut is.
Let’s say you are running from a tiger through the jungle. You ran past some brambles and gave yourself some cuts.
Your brain receives that ‘INPUT’ but during the ‘PROCESS’ it has decided that:
‘Actually I can’t give you pain right now, because running away from the tiger is more important, and giving you pain now will just distract you’
And so the ‘OUTPUT’ is… Nothing! Your brain simply ignores it.
But on the other hand, let’s say you’re just having a stroll in the forest and some brambles cut your arm, this time the same ‘INPUT’ goes through the ‘PROCESS’, but your brain goes:
‘I have received that there has been a cut, there is no danger nearby, I better let you know you’ve been cut so that you can take care of it now.’
So the ‘OUTPUT’ is… Ouch!
This is the same in chronic pain symptoms, say long term lower back pain.
Your brain is receiving ‘INPUT’ from your lower back receptors saying that it’s injured, even if the injury was YEARS AGO.
The same ‘PROCESS’ happens in the brain and the ‘OUTPUT’ is… Ouch!
Your brain is just doing its job here!
The problem here is the ‘INPUT’, the little proteins (receptors) around your lower back has become overly sensitised, most likely through past injuries.
So they are sending abnormal signals to the brain, telling the brain that there is an on-going injury there.
This is a neurological dysfunction!
This is why Bowen is so effective!
When we place our hands onto the lower back (and other parts of the body), we are effectively sending healthy ‘INPUT’ from the lower back to the brain.
Now the brain can ‘PROCESS’ these new information, and make a better decision on whether to produce pain or not.
Hence why the ‘breaks’ during the treatment. To give your brain some space and time.
Bowen ALLOWS your body & brain to respond, we don’t FORCE it to.