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For people who suffer from chronic pain, the list of mainstream treatment options often runs out before they find the relief they’re looking for. Bowen therapy is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative or complimentary option. But it remains somewhat controversial.
Bowen therapy consists of touches so subtle, an observer could easily miss them. But bowen practitioner, Tiffany Bourque, compares the motions to plucking a guitar string. She says the light pressure is effective because of where it’s applied, “We’re trying to send messages through the nervous system to the brain to actually encourage the body to begin healing. So the areas where bowen predominantly has procedures are in the areas where there are major nerve receptors.”
The technique of light touching, rubbing and tapping was developed in Australia by a man named Tom Bowen. He called his approach a “gift from god.” The ambiguous origin of the therapy makes many people skeptical, but Jim Cosman says it relieved him of aching shoulder pain, “I had about probably a 50-60 percent reduction in my pain within two days of that therapy.” He coaches baseball and before his treatment, he was unable to throw or catch. Now he can demonstrate plays for his team.
But according to epidemiologist, Jason Busse, from McMaster University’s National Pain Institute, anecdotes like Cosman’s aren’t yet supported by scientific evidence, “There was one randomized controlled trial which we consider to be the highest form of evidence. The rest of the data was largely restricted to case reports or case series.” Busse says that one trial had some limitations, and only a small number of participants. But that doesn’t mean there’s no merit to the therapy, “Absense of evidence does not mean that there is no effectiveness. It means that we don’t quite understand what the effectiveness is.”
Dr. Ramesh Zacharias who heads the Michael G. Degroote Pain Clinic, says there’s no harm in trying the light touch technique, “With bowen, it’s hard to imagine there’s actually any risk to that procedure. I’m not sure there’s any benefit to that procedure either.”
Bourque urges pain sufferers to see, or feel, for themselves ,”I’ve had so many skeptics that are not open to the therapy. some people that are even dragged here because their wife has said you have to lay down and let her fix you. and they still get better.”
