Bowen Therapy | Kai Chronicles

When I was deep in the throes of my physical misery (severe acid reflux) I felt desperate for a fix. So desperate that I took prescription meds and we all know how that turned out. If you don’t have a peek here.

So, I told you that after stopping the horrible meds and one session of Bowen, I began to feel better.

Six days after my first appointment, I went back for a follow-up, which by then I was 98% clear of any acid reflux. My sinuses also were clearing greatly.

Now, you may be asking, ‘what is Bowen anyway?’.

Well, I don’t fully understand it but I do fully believe in it.

What I do understand is that it focuses on the muscular structure and fixes any misalignments.

What happens in a typical session?

Bowen is not like getting a massage.

You do lay down on a massage table but you are fully clothed.

The practitioner feels around your spine and muscles then leaves the room.

These slight touches are called moves.

A 2 minute break between moves allows the adjustment to take place, so to speak.

This continues throughout your body for close to an hour (yes, he/she leaves the room every few minutes so don’t be alarmed when this happens).

Because I went to aid my stomach and sinus issues, my practitioner also honed in on these areas.

The session ends with a few standing exercises and adjustments in needed.

When done, I left feeling relaxed and content.

For 48 hours after each appointment, it is advised to not have any other treatments or apply excess heat to your body (heated blanket, hot water bottle, hot tubs etc).

After my second session, I was advised to wait 2-3 weeks before returning. I was told that after 10 days, I may feel my symptoms return and even get worse but that did not happen. I just continued to get better and now, I have zero reflux and aside from am occasional runny nose and mild congestion (which is the norm for me) my sinuses are clear most of the day and night.

My third session is booked for tomorrow and then I plan to return once a month.

Bowen Therapy (aka Bowen Technique) originated in Geelong, Australia over 50 years ago. Founder, Tom Bowen believed that “that the underlying cause or source of many musculoskeletal, neurological, neuromuscular and other health or pain problems could be found in the soft tissue or fascia.”

For more information about this holistic therapeutic therapy, click here.

WARNING: Graphic images may frighten some..(lol).

In my last post, I told you about my most recent aliment: acid reflux.

I was prescribed ®Nexium and had started it on May 9.

I felt a bit better but at one point, got worse, then a little better.

But things changed in the early hours of May 16th.

I woke up at 4am (ish) with incredible burning and blockages in my throat and chest (this was beginning to be the norm).

When I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror (asking why me?), I noticed my left eye was extremely bloodshot. Then I noticed my eyelid was all puffy and a bit droopy.

I thought, ‘wtf?’ but went back to my self pity about the reflux.

In the morning, it looked better but I was concerned.

At my scheduled follow-up appointment with the doctor who had prescribed the meds, I brought it up (after he diagnosed me with severe reflux osophagitis and told me to take ®Nexium for 2 months).

He had a quick look and brushed it off as a touch of conjunctivitis or “maybe you rubbed it in your sleep”.

Okay then.

Fast forward to 4am May 17.

Again, I was up with severe heartburn and the blocked feelings.

This time, I could feel that my eye was swollen and when I looked at myself, I saw that the right eye had decided to get in on the action.

May 17 4am approx 8.5 hours after taking meds

May 17 4am shot 2

May 17 730am what I looked like when I got up

When I saw how I looked at 4am, I went straight onto google and sure enough swollen face, lips or other parts of the body are side effects of ®Nexium.

Needless to say, I didn’t take anymore nor have I been back to the doctor.

What I did do was go for a session of Bowen Therapy.

It was my first time and I didn’t know much about it but it was recommended.

I will tell you more about it in a separate post, so stay tuned.

What I know for sure though is that night, without the meds and after Bowen, I began to feel better. I actually did not get up out of bed all night (a first in 2 weeks) and it’s been like that since.

I’m almost sleeping through the night.

I’m still get a bit of heartburn at 9pm so I take 15ml of Gaviscon. Once I’m rid of it for good, I will go back to natural remedies like bicarb and water or apple cider vinegar and water.

I’m still restricting a lot of food and today, I’ve actually started Dr Mark Hyman’s Ultramind Solution 6-week program.

This is very much like the elimination diets I’ve done in the past: no gluten, no dairy, no caffeine, no alcohol, no food from a pack or can, no sugar, no flour of any kind.

I’ve done this so much over the past 3 years but it never stuck for too long before I was abusing and misusing food and booze again.

This time, I’m determined to stick with it to the END and properly re-introduce some of the things I may miss (like flours and sugars so I can still eat my home-baked goodies).

I’ve still not had any coffee and I guess I won’t now for another 6 weeks at least. Who knows, maybe I won’t bother going back to it.

Considering I’ve been on a restricted diet for 2.5 weeks now, the next 6 weeks will not be too hard. I’m looking forward to getting my health, energy, motivation and brain back!!!