Most of my clients are referrals from other clients and they know that I have the reputation for helping people get out of pain, but still don’t have a clue what I do. The methods that I use are so simple, that it is hard for most people to understand how it can work. Part of the reason for this is because our society has been brainwashed into thinking that more is better. People think they need a diagnosis, x-ray, or MRI to find the problem; however, a majority of the time, they are a waste of time and money. I have been trained in several types of postural assessment and usually can see 90% of the clients’ issues as soon as they walk in the door. One of the secrets to being able to do this is that I usually ignore the site of pain and focus on the misalignments of the clients’ body. When I find the misalignments, I use methods that support the body’s own physiological healing and correction processes.

My clients are often amazed how the exercises seem so simple, yet are difficult for them to do. This is because I am asking them to use muscles in a way that they have not been used in a long time. These exercises are principle-based exercises grounded in the fundamentals of physics and biomechanics. The exercises retrain the neuromuscular system and the biomechanical systems of the body, reminding each muscle of the function it is designed to perform. The secret here is applying a progression of properly sequenced exercises that have been systematically oriented to correct each client’s unique dysfunction patterns.

Bowenwork is even more simplistic in application but accomplishes more than just about any other bodywork I know of. Bowenwork simply stimulates the body’s nervous system to reset to a natural state. It seems like magic because so little touch is done to the body, but this is why it is so effective. There are some physiological laws that can explain why this works.

Arndt-Schultz Law – Weak stimuli activate physiological processes: very strong stimuli inhibit physiological responses.

Using a gentle, slow Bowenwork move will activate physiological responses. Tissue that is gently agitated will heal faster than tissue that is painfully stimulated. A weak stimulus activates tissue growth and wound healing. Trigger points and deep tissue work can give off strong impulses that can turn off other processes in the body. This law explains why using a slow gentle Bowenwork move is more effective than a fast and hard twang or deep sustained pressure.

Hilton’s Law – A nerve trunk that supplies a joint also supplies the muscles of the joint and the skin over the attachments of such muscles.

Stimulation of any level affects all levels. This is the reason working superficially on the body will often create a deeper release of tissues. By stimulating the superficial structures (i.e., skin or outer layers of muscle), all of structures supplied by that nerve trunk are affected. That is why we can use such a small amount of pressure with a Bowenwork move and have such great effect.

All or None Law The principle that the strength by which a nerve or muscle fiber responds to a stimulus is not dependent on the strength of the stimulus. If the stimulus is any strength above threshold, the nerve or muscle fiber will give either a complete response or no response at all.

This law implies that we only need enough stimulation with a Bowenwork move to take the nerve or muscle fiber just above its threshold to initiate a response. Less is best. Using only the necessary stimulus means we can help the body re-balance its tension while eliminating irritation and inflammation brought on by overworking an area.

As you can see, there is plenty of science behind the methods that I use. It is not magic or voodoo; it is thousands of hours of learning how the body is designed to work, then stimulating it to work properly. If you are serious about healing your pain (not just feeling better for a little while), then stop getting beat up with massage or forcing your bones to move with chiropractic. Learn how to help your body’s natural healing process. The results will last and it does not have to hurt to get better. After all, pain is NOT weakness leaving the body! Pain is your body’s way of telling you there is a problem. If you listen to your body, you can feel great.