Bowen Therapy, ParaOlympics & Suspension Bridges

With the Sporting mayhem now over. Britain once again seems to be back on the map as being great. We beat the French at Cycling for the first time ever. We also seemed to have trounced pretty much everyone else at cycling in the velodrome too. Our Golfing Hero's have managed to create history in the Ryder Cup with an astonishing comeback against the Americans.
Add this to possibly the one of the best Olympics I can remember for a whole host of reasons.

This to me is nothing compared to the astounding revelation of just how good our Para-Olympians are.

Why am I so impressed? Well as a Bowen Therapist I am always looking at the 'tensional optimum' of the Human Body. Personally i like to think of the Body as being built like a suspension bridge. In a very real sense the Human Structure does indeed function very like a large roadway (spine / bones) supported by a complex series of wires under tension (muscles).

When this bridge is complete it performs magnificently. If however we remove a section of the bridge, then the 'tensional integrity' of the bridge is affected radically.

In the case of a Para-Olympian, the analogy is the same. One may think that the psychological effect, as well as the obvious physical limitation brought about by the amputation of a limb would be the defining problems to overcome.

However I would say that the 'Tensional Integrity' of the body has been radically affected, which means that for the likes of Richard Whitehead and Oscar Pistorius to compensate for this disparity, (which we mustn't forget affects the whole body, just as a suspension bridge would be affected across its entire structure) they would working at least twice as hard over the same distance as an able bodied athlete.

Whether an area of our body is missing, damaged or simply not functioning at it's optimum, the rest of the body will be compensating in some way. The longer this compensation goes on for, the more problems will occur. Eventually just like our suspension bridge, something will go 'Ping'.

Truly awesome when you think about it.

Perhaps a little bit of Bowen Therapy could help them run even faster......

Bowen Technique Competition in Totnes

I was at the Totnes show yesterday, and thankfully the rain held off for most of it. It was pretty muddy, but a good time was had by all - including myself who perhaps maybe shouldn't have had quite so many fresh and tasty, rather too hot for my mouth Donuts!
However I digress. Over the Tanoy I heard that there was a competition of Bowen Technique taking place in one of the marquee tents - so i suddenly got quite excited, puzzled and at the same time a little miffed that I had somehow missed out on a Bowen Technique 'competition' quite literally in my own back yard (I live next to the show ground).
The competition was thrilling I have to say, with plenty of spectators. 4 competitors in each round. The bell rang and the 'patients' came out of the stalls to be 'treated'.
I was staggered at the skill and speed at which these 'Bowen Technique Practitioners' were working.
There were inspectors at each station making sure all the movements were correct and that nothing was being missed.
The commentator was whipping up the excitement giving a blow by blow account of who was in the lead.
The first to finish got a round of applause, as the others fought for semi finalist positions.
Agog I looked on and realised that no way could i have competed with these muscle bound masters of the Bowen Technique.
However in my clinic I do not at any point use shears, or indeed any sharpened implement when treating my patients.
I also only treat Humans, whereas these chaps worked on Sheep!
It would appear that there is a particular way of removing wool efficiently from sheep known as the 'Bowen Technique' which also came from Australia.
Just remember that when you are in search of Bowen Technique for your Bad Back or Neck Pain, make sure it's the right type of Practitioner - or you might get a nasty surprise!

TTFN

Camino - Holiday or Punishment?

One of the key oddities of walking the Camino is that we are continually in pain day after day, and at the end of almost every day we are utterly exhausted physically and emotionally. Washing our clothes by hand is a must at the end of each day, with the hope that they will be dry the following morning.
It cannot be described as a holiday, nor can we say that we are enjoying ourselves. Yet we are somehow glad to be here, and we keep getting up at 6am every morning to do it all over again.

There are some who have done this more than once, and others that do the Camino every year!

A German gentleman we had met in the first few days of the journey, who was in his 70's, walked the Camino 2 years previously with his wife. He enjoyed himself so much be wanted to do it again. Sadly his wife developed a heart problem so she was unable to come along. However so that he was not alone on his voyage she has signed his right boot, so that she is always present wherever his feet take him.
He wakes every morning at 5.30 and walks at a steady pace until about 2pm to avoid the worst of the heat.
He has been outwalking most of the pilgrims.
We had lost touch with him after the first week, he spoke no English but expounded in fast German with his ever present enthusiasm.
Today while approaching the town of Melide, we noticed a large note tied to a telegraph pole in full view along the pathway. It was a note addressed to 'Sally & Austin' wishing us all the best from our jolly german friend. Deeply touched it spurred us on, and restored our smiles.
TTFN

Camino - Last Legs

As we approach Sarria, it is with a certain sense of achievement coupled with trepidation that we begin the last 100 km of our Journey.
The town of Sarria is the great junction where the 'wearied and blistered' encounter the 'fresh faced and excited' as this is where many new pilgrims begin their adventure to Santiago.
For those of us who have done a few miles already this could make the last leg much more busy and frantic compared to the comparative quietness of the trail so far.
There is also something of a pecking order that one notices on the path.
Egos tend to be pricked a little when one comes across folk who have done less or more miles than oneself.
And there is always someone who has done more!
We met a couple from Holland who had walked from their front door, and a Swiss gentleman who had set out from Krakow. We foolishly thought this couldn't be beaten until we encountered a chap who had started in Poland and went via Rome before heading back to Santiago, clocking up a staggering 6000 km, all on foot and with his loyal dog!
Our feeble 800 km effort pales into insignificance.
TTFN

Camino - Grub & Dodgy Wine

Almost every day for the past 3 weeks we have been eating the available 'menu peregrino'. This is almost always a 3 course menu including wine and water for about 10 Euros or less - so really good value.
The quality varies somewhat depending on each restaurant / bar. In general we have noticed that in the Navarra & Rioja region where a lot of wine is made, the wine (often a whole bottle) included in the menu is pretty good, and sometimes great. The food however, although plentiful and good value, is mostly quite plain.
Almost as soon as we entered the Castilla y Leon region, the food quality improved but the wine deteriorated dramatically. This is not to suggest that Wine from Castilla y Leon is bad, just simply that pilgrims are not granted any of the good stuff.
On one particular occasion the local eatery was happy to admit that their wine was so terrible that they would be including a free bottle of sickly sweet fizzy water with the menu, so as to make the wine drinkable - it didn't help!
The standard main course that appears on every menu, so far, is Lomo Cerdo, which a version of Pork with chips. This staple dish can be anything from a sliver of leather in grease to the most fantastic triple chop delicately pan fried in garlic & herbs - every meal is an adventure.
Ironically each time we have ventured away from the set Pilgrims Menu, we have been quite disappointed, and ended up making (comparatively) an expensive mistake.
Where in the UK could you get a 3 course meal with wine for under a tenner?
TTFN

www.virginmoneygiving.com/SallyandAustin

Camino - Highest Point

The long ascent to just under 5000 feet brought us to the highest point on our journey. Frankly the Crux de Fero is a bit of an anticlimax, but some of the messages and tokens left by the pilgrims are quite touching.
The ascent may have been long and shallow but the descent to the next village 'Acebo' was steep and treacherous. Sadly my left shin decided to make itself known, to the point of bringing me to tears and the only way of descending was for me to walk backwards! Slow going indeed. We finally reached the beautiful mountain village of Acebo, where we stayed for the night as I could proceed no further.
The heat had been increasing already by the time we had arrived.
Later in the afternoon the sun had really started to get in gear.
At around 6.30pm we came across a fellow pilgrim from Belgium whom we had met the night before, and had set off at about the same time that morning. He looked quite sunburnt and in an exhausted state.
He explained that half way up the mountain he had dropped his water bottle and it had spilt the contents. He had spent the rest of the journey with no water. Due to the lateness of the hour - as few pilgrims travel during the heat of the day - he didn't encounter any other pilgrims on foot. Desperate he tried to flag down some of the pilgrims travelling by bicycle. Alas no one wanted to stop.
Eventually an older cyclist stopped and generously gave him all his water!
It was a stark reminder once again to all of us how something a simple as the availability of water can still present such a problem so quickly to those of us who are so used to surfeit in every other aspect of our lives.
TTFN

Camino X - The Half Way Point

It may be worth mentioning at this point some of the characters we have met along the way. Having now trudged nearly 400 km, statistically one is bound to come across the odd one or two folk with a screw loose. Having said that it has occurred to me and others that the very nature of deciding to walk 790km, one must be missing a marble or two in the first place.
Our first encounter with a fellow pilgrim who had a touch of the sun was as we were sitting resting our weary feet at a little village called Granon. This curiously happy Frenchman comes bounding out of nowhere asking us if we know where the Albergue is in the village. We used our best French and told him it was run by the local church and was located nearby. He laughed heartily and said he knew but that he considered the mattresses too thin so was looking for the other Albergue in the village. We didn't know but suggested he ask back down in the centre.
After few minutes of chatting it turns out he had already walked over 1000 km! Each time he expounded a sentence in speedy french he would laugh in a way that reminded us of Dr Frankenstein raising his monster for the first time! Not a sinister laugh, but the laugh went on for much longer than was normal, and way beyond comfortable. He trotted off and returned a few minutes later having found the second hostel, which was still not to his liking and announced to us as he literally sped away at a run that he would find another in the next village - some 5/6 miles away. This last cheery goodbye was once again accompanied with a hearty laugh that continued on as he disappeared into the distance.
Our second strange encounter was as we were coming into Carrion de los Condes where about a mile outside of town a man in his fifties was catching us up. We let him pass, but instead of overtaking us, he began jabberring away in a curious way in what we assumed was Spanish. It turned out that he was both deaf and partially dumb. This in itself made it a bizarre conversation. As much of his communication was justiculation coupled with the occasional Spanish word thrown in. He was not slowed down in the slightest by our inability to speak or indeed understand Spanish. We persevered as he had decided to latch onto to us.
Assuming we understood him correctly he used to work on a farm milking cows until his back hurt. Unfortunately he smoked a lot while doing this and one day set light to a barn when he threw away his fag end thoughtlessly into some hay. His attempts at stamping out the fire came to no avail! He is now retired and watches football and drinks a lot, and by the way would we like a room for the night, as he doesn't think the Sisters in the convent Albergue are that great!
We thanked him for his kind offer - and he shrugged his shoulders and waved us goodbye.

TTFN

Camino Blur - Time & Date Unknown

Everything has become dependant on our body. Time really has become meaningless as we walk while we can walk, and stop when either our feet or knees or the weather says otherwise.
The very concept of time changes on our level of tiredness - 5 or 10 miles can fly by or a single one can drag on for what seems like hours and sometimes can indeed be hours as the last few hundred yards can litter be shuffling or limping.
It is worth mentioning at this point that Bowen Therapy has come in very handy on several occasions so far on this trip for ourselves and a couple of fellow pilgrims. It continues to surprise me the body, even when weary, can make significant changes to bring itself back to a state of equilibrium in a matter of minutes. This happened yesterday when we had the misfortune to arrive late at a village and the Albergue was full, and the Albergue in the following village was also full, so we had another 3 miles to walk to the next one. In all we ended up walking an extra 5 miles on top of the 14 we had already done. Sally's feet were in real pain already so I gave her a quick Bowen treatment while seated at a picnic table - just a knee & ankle procedure. Within a few yards she was almost clipping along - still weary physically but walking more balanced an in far less pain.

We arrived in Burgos today, and finally we are impressed with what Spain has to offer. The architecture is truly awe inspiring almost everywhere we look. Although a city it has an air of peacefulness which is refreshing from the frantic busyness of Logrono.

TTFN

Camino 6 - Pain Negotiation

We have finally completed our first 100 miles of walking! Our bodies have cottoned onto the fact and have decided to make their presence felt in a variety of different forms. Up until now we have been blister free - but today's 32 km brought with it a couple of sizeable ones on the balls of Sally's feet and a small one just on the end of my little toe - perfectly placed to cause the maximum amount of pain whilst making it almost impossible to place a Compede plaster on it in a way that would do any good.
We arrived in the city of Logrono around midday in reasonable high spirits, the weather once again had been good to us by being warm and overcast - perfect for walking. We had had an little break in Viana at a cafe opposite a spectacular church archway where the barmaid decided to have a go at a German Pilgrim for having taken his shoes and socks off whilst enjoying his morning breakfast coffee and Tortilla. We sympathised with our fellow pilgrim but could also see the barmaids point of view, so we sat outside and removed our shoes and socks in secret.
Logrono was a very busy city, with a local produce market setting up in the main square when we arrived. We sat and had a light lunch and decided to continue on to Navarette - another 12 km away. As it turned out a good portion of this part of the Camino was tarmac, which although sounds good, is unforgiving on the feet. The landscape once again was beautiful, and having crossed into the Rioja region, was endless waves of pristine rows of Vines. This kept our minds off the growing complaints from our feet.
We finally arrived about 4 hours later in Naverette where the first Albergue was full. There were only two others. Fortunately we found a bed for the night at the third - a twin room, as opposed to the large bunk rooms of previous albergues. Had ourselves our first real taste of communal pilgrim eating at the local bar where we enjoyed the best pilgrim menu so far with French, german, Swedish and Slovenian Caminoers, all served by the colourful waitress who was prepared to butcher any language at the table in the hope that together we might understand what was on offer. It was all done with great hospitality and good humour and the food and conversation was just what the doctor ordered to distract us from our weariness and bodily aches.

TTFN

Camino 5 - Flies swallowed : 3

Uphill struggles are made worse when ones mouth remains open to draw in breath. Even gasping for air when stationary can catch the weary traveller, and unwitting flies unawares!
Yesterday's trek from Obanos to Estelle was made a little easier by setting out at 7am, as is much cooler before the Sun gets it's act together by about 10am. Unfortunately the previous day's heat and downhill punishment decided to take its toll, with my left knee going on strike with about 30 metres of leaving the Albergue.
Walked very slowly trying not to limp until the next village 'Puenta de la Reina' which is a beautiful medieval place with plenty of character. A couple of healing hands and an adjustment or two of my boots and things were looking more promising. The heat once again however was determined to slow us down, and by 2 pm my left ankle had decided to make its presence felt. The Albergue was just beyond Estelle in Aygui based in a sports hall. Cheap, pleasant and clean with good company (but rather too many snorers!). This mornings adventure started out at 5.30am as we knew the day ahead, although reasonably flat, had very little shade available along the way. As it turned out we were granted a warm and overcast day with a perfect breeze. The going mostly easy with jaw dropping scenery. We covered 30 km without too many aches and pains and found rest in 'Torres del Rio' in a lovely little Albergue "Mari" run by a colourful Spanish lady who waxed lyrical in her native tongue, at speed, regardless of whether the recipients understood or not.

TTFN

If you would like to make a donation to our chosen charity 'Rowcroft Hospice' for this 500 mile journey please go to www.virginmoneygiving.com/SallyandAustin

Camino Day 3&4 - Feel the Heat!

Scenery change as we get further from the pyrannees. We have discovered that Spanish sign posts lie - in some cases considerably! In the hope of stopping at Larasoana, we were greeted with a rather empty village with the one place of refreshment being closed. After an hours rest for our feet, we (perhaps foolishly) decided to continue on to Trinidad del Arre; another 10km away. Fortunately the path was mostly level until the last 3km which turned out to be somewhat further. 3 hour later we arrived weary and broken at the Albergue set in a 12 century convent. As welcome as the aged guardian was of this beautiful establishment, he was determined to give us the guided tour of the place regardless of our quite evident weariness. Thankfully the showers were hot, and the beds clean and comfortable - best nights sleep so far. The morning was started with a morning prayer in the rather unique basilica, which although space in numbers was surprisingly blessed with meaning. With such a start to the day we set out for Pamplona (where they run away from bulls in the summer) where we had ham tortilla for breakfast. The day started warm and the temperature kept climbing. The route up towards the majestic line of wind turbines beckoned, yet the first understanding of how this pilgrimage can still present dangers to the modern traveller became suddenly apparent. A previous pilgrim had died from thirst on this particular stretch - as there were no villages until the summit and no sources of water! With today's heat we were getting through our supply of water quickly, and with the knowledge of no water available to us in the forseable climb ahead we were becoming more concerned at finding shade and also, because we were worried about the lack of water, we were becoming more thirsty. Fortunately since the death of the previous pilgrims and also the documentation written about the lack of water - a new fountain had been installed near the summit. Needless to say we were rather happy about this, and refilled supply. We continued on through the punishing heat down to the nearby village of Obanos via some spectacular views.

Camino Day 1&2 - UP & UP, then so much down

Our first day started From St Jean de Pied de Port through blistering heat up to the Albergue Orisson. Setting out at 3pm we ascended to beautiful views across the Pyranees to 800m. Our welcome was warm, but alas the showers were freezing. The food and company jolly and international ranging from europeans; French, German and Polish to folks from the USA and two young ladies from South Korea. Our first taste of Basque Hospitality was great and highly recommended. We shared a room with 8 others - clean and pleasant (not too many snorers).
Our ascent the following day was pleasant as the mountains were covered with mist with visibility down to a few metres. The temperature was just perfect for walking, and the light mizzle was refreshing. The descent to Ronscavelles although beautiful was far more arduous than the ascent, and various tactics were used to adjust our pain levels on knees, back and ankles including a zig zagging dance to the tune of ´Brazil´¨which worked surprisingly well for several kilometres.
Sally and I then arrived at La Posada Resturant and Albergue for a quick cafe con leche and the boon of internet connection.
we are now negotiating with our feet as to whether to continue on to Burgette (another 7km) to find a place to stay for the night.

TTFN

Austin & Sally Burn-Jones

Make a Donation to Austin and Sally´s chosen charity for their walk on the way of St.James

www.virginmoneygiving.com/SallyandAustin

Bowen Therapy and the Million Dollar Question

The question that so many people ask is "How does Bowen Therapy work?"

In order to help us answer this question, and to help clients (as well as Therapists) get a better idea of what is happening to the body during a treatment of Bowen Technique; I have attached a short video of the Principal of the European College of Bowen Studies, Julian Baker describing in straightforward terms what goes on following a 'Bowen Move' and why such a gentle rolling type move can have such profound effects on the body's ability to heal.

Watch and Enjoy.

It's Official! Bowen Therapy & Hamstrings

R E S E A R C H    A B S T R A C T

Effects of The Bowen Technique on Flexibility Levels:
Implications for Fascial Plasticity

Michelle Marr, MSc BSc (Hons) PgCertEd MCSP
Chartered Physiotherapist and External Lecturer for Coventry University

Nicky Lambon, MA MCSP SRP DipTP
Principal Lecturer and Programme Manager at Coventry University, UK

Julian Baker, Director of The European College of Bowen Studies
Corsley Centre, Wiltshire BA12 7QF 
Phone: 01373 832340
email: info@thebowentechnique.com

BACKGROUND:   Hamstring strains are the most common sport-related injury in the lower limb, with high recurrence rates and lengthy recovery periods. Causal links between lack of flexibility and development of muscle strain injury are frequently reported. The financial implication of treating such injuries provides a continual drive to deliver more effective, evidence-based treatment.  Since 1994, a complementary therapy called ‘The Bowen Technique’ has been used to treat inflexibility and many other conditions. The technique provides gentle rolling moves over fascial interfaces without heating, stretching or specific joint mobilisation. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the Bowen technique, on the hamstring flexibility of healthy subjects, over time.

METHOD: A single-blinded, longitudinal, RCT was performed on 116 male and female volunteers. Participants were randomly allocated into a control group or Bowen intervention group. Three hamstring flexibility measurements were taken from each subject over one week, using an active knee extension test and an electrogoniometer. An independent assessor verified the


RESULTS: Data were analysed using independent t-tests. Significant increases in hamstring flexibility were demonstrated in the Bowen group immediately post-test (p<0.0005). These increases maintained for one week (p<0.0005) without further treatment.


CONCLUSION: A single treatment of the Bowen technique significantly increases the flexibility of the hamstring muscles in healthy subjects and maintains this increase for a period of one week in the absence of tissue heating, stretching, or specific joint mobilisation. Previous quantitative research has reported sustained flexibility increases for a maximum of twenty-four hours. This study has provided new information relating to the subject of flexibility. The superficial and gentle nature of the Bowen Technique invalidates explanations of tissue creep yet provides implications for plasticity following proprioceptive stimulation along the thoracolumbar and lumboeplvic myofascial slings. Further research is required into such proprioceptive mechanisms in relation to manual therapy techniques.
January 2008

This research was published in the Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies in July 2011.

What Grandma Used To Say

Granny used to say that a bath in Epsom Salts at the end of a hard day worked wonders! Was this just a quaint folk remedy or was there truth behind this rather effective approach, that many a welsh miner swore by?

When we exercise or do hard physical labour Calcium builds up in our system, as Calcium is used to tight our muscles. Magnesium is in essence it's opposite, as Magnesium relaxes muscle tissue.

Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulphate) Soaks can be extremely
helpful for many muscular conditions and are often recommended.
Amongst many other functions Magnesium helps

nerve and muscle function
joint health
digestive processes
helps to reduce swelling / pain of muscle strain
relaxes
can be mood-elevating

Soaking in a nice warm (not hot) bath containing about 250g of Epsom Salts
once or twice a week can be an excellent aid to easing aches and
pains.   If you do this last thing before going to bed you may have a
better night’s sleep.

Feet can also be soaked in a wash-up bowl of warm water
containing a few tablespoons of Epsom Salts if bathing is a problem.

N.B.  contra-indication of using Epsom Salts is if you have High Blood Pressure, if in doubt consult your Doctor.

Epsom Salts can be found in most good pharmacies and health shops.
If you have difficulty locating them, please contact me.

Granny was right then, although I would say that Epsom Salt should really only be used externally.

TTFN

Cut Down on Fruit and Eat more Lard!

Perhaps you may think that by creating the above title that I may have finally lost the plot.
well as bonkers as this statement may sound, there is in fact a certain method to what appears on the surface to be Madness.

Lard is a Saturated Fat, which for nearly 50 years has been labelled as being bad for us. However given that our brain is made of just Saturated Fat and Cholesterol it seems somewhat odd that it should be labelled as such. Coupled with the fact that so many other aspects of our system rely on Saturated Fat rather than unsaturated is again a puzzle. Every time we breathe, the lubricant that allows us to do that is ....saturated fat.
Mothers milk is 54% Saturated 46% Unsaturated. This is not a mistake. Our bodies need roughly a 50/50 split of Saturated and unsaturated fats. There is growing evidence that out very obsession with unsaturated and trans fats is possibly a major contributing factor to alzheimers, dementia and parkinsons, as well as many others.

Fruit Sugars (Fructose) quite literally make us fat.
if you were to consume 100g of glucose, your liver doesn't have to work very hard to process it, as glucose happily potters about in our blood stream. Of that 100g, about 4g-6g of that is 'held back' as Fat.
If however you were to consume 100g of Fructose, you liver have to run practically at full tilt to process it, and of that 100g, about 40g of it will become Fat.

Most fruit tend to be a combination of Fructose, Sucrose and Glucose.
A good portion of them tend to be mostly Fructose - hence 'Fruit Sugar'.

The new line of thinking is that Unsaturated and Saturated fats are good for you, as are vegetables - particular cruciferous one (broccolli, cabbage, then green ones etc). However Trans fats (fats that have been messed with) and High Fructose Fruits are a no no.

Hence my original title: 'Cut down on Fruit and Eat more Lard'


This leads me on nicely to my next seminars in Exeter and Bath on this very subject, and entitled appropriately enough: 'A New Look at Fat: The Good, The Bad, and the Zebra'


watch the Video, then book a place.

For details about the Exeter Seminar please contact me on 07811 518351


For the Seminar in Bath please contact philly@metabolics.co.uk


TTFN

Bowen Therapy Totnes

Bowen Therapy, Radio 2 and Whiplash

Given that Bowen Therapy has a great reputation for sorting out Whiplash injuries, even the long standing ones, I couldn't help but comment on the latest media onslaught regarding Whiplash injuries and treatment.


This morning on Radio 2 the news announced that too many folk were claiming for whiplash injuries, and that the government should step in.
This I am afraid just goes to show how little insurance companies and the transport quango understand about whiplash in the first place.
I am sure they are right when they say that there are false claims, but at the same time the vast majority of whiplash injuries I treat don't manifest themselves until 6-9 months following an accident. It has been left untreated as the accidents were considered too minor. In other cases where the accident was severe enough to cause instant problem, it has been quite of a month or so before the patient actually receives any treatment - no wonder the claims run into thousands of pounds!
It is my opinion that any car incident regardless of how small - everyone should get some kind of therapy straight away ( I am talking within hours here, or as soon as is practical) whether or not they feel fine. As a preventative measure this could save insurance companies and the people involved an absolute fortune.
Just think about it - half a ton of metal hitting you at even 10 mph is going to give you a shock; physically, emotionally and psychologically.
It doesn't matter whether the car is damaged or not.
If there are family members in the car, particularly young children, just think of the instant emotional trauma that would go through your head, and I have also seen this happen to the driver of a car who struck a car containing children. The damage was minimal, but the driver was besides themselves with worry.
Payouts of thousands of pounds is unnecessary if you get treated asap. The longer you leave it, the layer of problems and compensation that the body has to deal with will increase.
Whiplash is not simply a neck problem, although many treat it as such. The movement of the head send a 'whiplash' type wave that runs down the spine - think of the head being the handle of the whip, ask yourself where does the 'crack' actually occur.... you got it down the other end. Hence for those folk who I'm sure we all know who have had long standing 'whiplash' for years, remaining unresolved, is in my opinion due to the fact that everyone is looking in the wrong place.
This is not some kind of radical new medical theory, it's just plain common sense - which I am afraid seems to be in short supply in certain quarters.


TTFN

Bowen Therapy Basics

It is one of the best pieces of advice a fellow Bowen Therapist gave to me many years ago - get back to basics every so often and attend a 'Part 5 final level' in Bowen Therapy.

It has been a while since I last took part in one of these Practitioner final level courses. It can also be quite unnerving for the other attendees as they will almost all be new, and taking this exam for the first time.

I have to say it is unnerving for me too, as expectations are high, and I have been doing this for a good number of years now, so the pressure to not look bad or make mistakes is also high.

The idea of course is to learn. It always amazes me, that even though I perform Bowen Technique on patients nearly every day, that my 'position' and 'movement' needs polish. Each time I attend one of these courses, there is sure to be a move or two where I have drifted a bit, although this year I managed to be out of line by about an inch, which fortunately wasn't critical in this particular case, but could have reduced the effectiveness of the therapy in certain cases.

Hence why it is so important for me to get back to basics, regularly.

I never stop learning.

I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas, and I pray that the New year brings Prosperity and Peace to you and your families.

TTFN

More Anatomical Discoveries

Greetings All.
It has been a pretty hectic week - dissecting bodies at Imperial College London and then holding the CPD course on the latest findings a day later at the Holmedale Health Centre in Exeter for a range of therapists.
Once again the dissection was overseen by Professor Kerry Davis, and held by Julian Baker who is the Principal at the European College of Bowen Studies. We were concentrating on the lower body this time, and looking at the fascial connections from the pelvis down the leg and the multiple links all the muscle have at the Sacrum - which seems to be more like a giant junction box for a surprising number of muscles.
One of the key discoveries we made was how the hamstring muscles are not quite built as they appear in the diagrams (surprise surprise). Particularly the Biceps Femoris muscle. We have tended to view this muscle as starting at the base of the pelvis and finishing at the head of the tibia rapping around the knee.
What we discovered was that the the Hamstring fascia actually starts at the sacrum and ends around the ankle at lateral maleolis - this has significant impact on how we view what hamstring does and the various whys and wherefore when someone gets a Hamstring strain for example.
All exciting stuff, and once again this new found knowledge will be put into practice at clinic.

TTFN