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"People with chronic disabilities such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, MS, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and arthritis have shown a gradual improvement in the condition and also in quality of life. It is always worth trying the Bowen Technique because in many cases it has been known to trigger surprising and unexpected recoveries when nothing else has worked." Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia
Four years ago I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. This was the explanation for why my energy levels were “shot to bits” and why I was beginning to lose sensation and control of my legs, as well as diminished eyesight, which corresponded to my level of fatigue. My response to this diagnosis was to collapse in a helpless, blubbering heap initially, after which I realized that tears would not dissolve me or the diagnosis which I had been given. So I decided to try to find a way of helping myself to manage my condition either with conventional medicine or alternative medicine, whatever it took. I was a mother of two young children and an active member of our business, so I’d have to find a way to keep going. What happened next was a flurry of visits to a variety of health practitioners, with mixed results, and finally settling in with my Naturopath. I was confined to a wheelchair and my morale was fading fast, in spite of the dedicated efforts of family, friends and my Naturopath to keep me in a positive frame of mind. After seven months being “attached” to my wheelchair, I began to show faint signs of improvement, as opposed to the roller coaster ride my health had been on prior to this. At last I was able to move my foot a little, which previously had only moved if I lifted it with my hands. I was ecstatic. I didn’t think such a minuscule improvement could be so encouraging! At this stage, I was advised by my Naturopath to try some massage work, especially on my legs, to encourage them back to the “land of the functional living.” I made an appointment with a massage therapist, not being aware that she practiced the Bowen Technique. After she explained that it was going to be less stressful on my system than conventional massage, but still with the benefits, I decided to try it. During the first treatment I can remember wondering how this strange work could be called massage. After all, she only seemed to be working minimally, touching my body with very light, rolling movements. How was that going to make me feel like I had had a massage? On the way home, I became aware of an overwhelming feeling of having been “pummeled,” as if I had been through a conventional massage. After returning home, I went to bed and slept, feeling as if I’d been in a marathon without having used any energy. The next day I was very quiet too, but by the day after, I felt as if my “batteries” had been recharged, and that those parts of me which were stiff and sore previously, were more flexible than before. I was very encouraged, and so I began regular “pilgrimage” to this Bowen Practitioner – approximately every two weeks. I have now been getting regular Bowen treatments for several months, and during that time, the treatments I have received have contributed to my gradual, steady improvement, which includes my being able to walk behind my wheelchair, instead of always traveling in it! I still feel very tired for a while after each treatment, but my energy returns after I rest for about an hour or so. The improvement I experience after treatment includes more flexible movement in my limbs and improved mobility. There is still some “fine tuning” to be done before I can walk independently, but I believe that I am well on the way to achieving this goal.
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