Bowen Technique Bristol – Top 8 Injury Tips

Top 8 Injury Tips

How to speed up muscle strain recovery and care for your injury.

Emergency Bowen Appointment

To save time being in pain, or not earning money at work, or ruining your holiday/weekend activities, go and book an alignment appointment, as soon as possible. Bowen is what I love and practice so that is what I will share about here and is my go-to, when I have an injury. Yes it can be used immediately on an injury, think of me as an emergency musculoskeletal support.

Bowen is the perfect treatment to calm the nervous system immediately after an accident/injury and it removes the shock/trauma from the body, instantly relaxing you and prepping the body for restoration.

Bowen supports to align fascia, surrounding all muscles, joints and nerves, therefore benefits are pain reduction, more range of movement and quicker recover time.

The sooner the better, benefits felt from 1 treatment, but typically 4 are recommended, 1 week apart, however frozen shoulders may take up to 8 treatments.

In my own experience and my clients, recovery is quicker with Bowen and you can get back on with your life again. Find out more about Bowen therapy here.

Reflect & Protect

It is good to take note of what happened, so symptoms you feel and taking stock of what has been happening over the last few months to potentially weaken things or contribute to the injury. You could consider emotional stress, posture, repeated moves, walking/carrying yourself.

An injury is a perfect time to stop and check in on how to therefore take the best care of you. If you are not sure how to do this, I can support you in this process. 

I aim to get you back to your working self asap and then together, we can plan ways to support injury prevention.

Self-care

When are your symptoms worse or better? Use your own natural intelligence to work out what you see you need to do to support yourself, for most people, it is better for moving, such as walking and worse for sitting still.

Arnica capsules, used in homeopathy, 30c strength, are great at settling and aiding repair in the body. You can purchase these from health shops, or even better use a homeopathic pharmacy, like Buxton and Grant are in Bristol, or Helios are an online store. Ideally you would seek support from a homeopath, but these are a great first aid remedy and can be taken 15 mins either side of food or drinks other than water and re-taken when you feel the symptoms returning.

A maximum 10-minute ice pack can help if there is swelling and tumeric capsules can help with reducing inflammation.

Keeping an area warm for example wearing a scarf around your neck, or using a hot water bottle can soothe too.

Pain Relief

It is fine to take pain relief, such as ibuprofen or CBD drops, or your chosen support to help relax and ease things. Yes it won’t treat the cause but it might soothe things in the short term. 

Bow to Epsom Salts

There is a reason why athletes and dancers use these, they work! An Epsom salt bath can sooth aching muscles, relax you and provide yummy magnesium to soothe the body. Take extra care as they can make things slippy, also not longer than 20 minutes in the bath.

If there is inflammation and you would prefer to not use ice (for example we don’t usually suggest icing an area soon after a Bowen treatment as it can interfere with the fascia work we have done) you can put a spoonful of Epsom salts in a tissue and wrap them around the affected area.

Hydrate

Drink plenty of water, it will help aid your body to be hydrated and flush out toxins and support the body to do its job best.

Movement

Stretches aren’t always helpful, as they can exacerbate symptoms for some people, but for others it can soothe things, just start with a few gentle moves, here is an example. 

Start by lying flat on your back with your knees supported by something comfy.

Back care stretch injury care

Back care injury tips Bristol

Schedule Adjustment

Yes you may need to slow down and that can be tricky for some, but also there are benefits to relaxing back into your body and lifestyle. Re-consider your schedule, that includes training schedule.

Do something to support relaxation and being present in your body. I can support you here if you are unsure how to fully relax.

Book an Injury Treatment

Home Self Care – Back pain tips

Back pain tips

I put together 6 simple tips for how to take care of back pain, in particular when its an annoying niggle and you are trying to work out what it is, where it came from and what to do to take care and improve the pain, have a read below.

1 Morning slowness movement

1. How do you take care of any back twinges? The first tip is movement. You have probably heard the advice, don’t sit still, yet are worried about moving as you are not sure which sort of movement could irritate it? Its true sitting still for long periods will make any twinges/tightness/aches worse. Move in a way that feels supportive, such as walking, a simple Pilates routine, or a gentle morning yoga video on Utube, I would suggest yoga where you are checking in with your body and feeling out your posture in a way that is good for you.

Stretches are beneficial, but overstretching isn’t! Just start with a few gentle moves, here is an example, I start every morning with gradually rolling back and letting my back align on the floor (it usually crunches for me) relax your shoulders, feel your spine fully on the floor, move your neck slowly from side to side. Start to curl up your lower back, so pelvis tilted upwards to move around the lower back/sacral area. Bring your knees in and hug them, rock gently from side to side, backwards and forwards along the spine, do a figure of 8. Circle your hips, then use your abs and momentum to sit yourself up. Yeay for moving our backs in a supportive way. 

2. Epsom salts or arnica in your bath

Epsom salts or a 30c arnica capsule in your bath. There is a reason why athletes and dancers use Epsom salts, they work! An Epsom salt bath can soothe aching muscles, relax you and provide yummy magnesium to soothe the body. Take extra care as they can make things slippy, also no longer than 20 minutes in the bath.

Arnica is perfect for relaxing tired, overworked muscles, especially good for bruising. If you don’t have a bath, you can take an arnica capsule internally or rub some arnica cream onto the affected area.

 

3. Schedule in relaxation time

Schedule in time to totally relax. Relaxation is the best medicine and that can look different for each person, for me it’s literally scheduling in some time to do nothing and asking your body what does it need to feel better. That could look like going out for a walk in nature, listening to the birds, going to the sauna (in our lockdown dreams), meditation, have a bath and an early night.

Whatever it is you need to do to make your back smile again, be gentle on yourself and know that you are a soft animal body that needs relaxing care right now.

PS Ted’s fav way to relax is to literally sit in bed and look at the clouds passing and the occasional bird flying over (we have a skylight)

Relax with ted caring for you treatments

4. Adjusting your schedule

That’s something we have all had to experiment with during the pandemic! ✨Sometimes unexpected things crop up (that’s life peeps) the same with an injury, it can stop us doing what we love, for example gardening or training, you may need to slow down and that can be tricky for some, but also there are benefits to relaxing back into your body and re-considering your schedule, that includes a training schedule.

✨Ask yourself, what actually is an essential task that can’t wait?
✨Clearing time to take care of your injury is numero uno priority, it’s also a perfect excuse to stop rushing around.

✨Don’t forget cherubs to keep your fluids topped up with plenty of water. Water will help aid your body to be hydrated and fascia loves to be hydrated, (fascia is a connective web that envelopes muscles, ligaments and joints). Water can also flush out any toxins and support the body to do its job best. If your body is inflamed, which it often is with an injury, water will support your lymphatic system to flush out any debris that is not wanted and reduce the swelling.

✨I would also recommend joint capsules such as these, they are natural and made by a company that is carbon neutral as well as housed in sustainable packaging. They have yummy things in to benefit the entire musculoskeletal system such as Turmeric, Frankincense and Calcium from an algae.

Back care tips Bristol

6 Reflect and protect 

Take note of what happened prior to the pain/niggle, so symptoms you feel and taking stock of what has been happening over the last few months. This could be mental/physical/emotional stress to potentially weaken things or contribute to the niggle or pain.

When are your symptoms worse or better? Use your own natural intelligence to work out what you see you need to do to support yourself. A maximum 10-minute ice pack can help if there is swelling. Keeping an area warm for example using a hot water bottle around your lower back/kidney area can soothe too.

To conclude

So there you have it, my 6 easeful tips to take of a niggly back and if your still getting trouble from your back, then reach out here for an alignment treatment and I will support you. We will work through steps to work out possible causes, reduce and eliminate your pain and send you off more relaxed and hopefully a bit clearer about taking care of your body.

The pros and cons of Bowen Technique

The pros and cons of Bowen Technique

I plan to share some of the many bowen therapy pros and cons. This is based on my experience of receiving Bowen over the past 20 years and practicing it for 5 years. In a nutshell, Bowen therapy is a relaxing alignment technique, providing pain relief and increase in mobility. 

❤ It is sooooooooooooooooooo relaxing – literally it calms down your ANS, er what is this? Part of the nervous system (system of nerves) that takes us out of fight or flight, (too much adrenaline/fight = adrenal fatigue) therefore it supports your digestion, sleep, blood flow and sexual response, oh so now your interested eh?

❤ It can help reduce pain & inflammation – I love working with peeps that are ready to commit to being pain free, you deserve to be.

❤ It can increase your movement in your joints and muscles – yipsters

❤ It provides freedom to do what you love to do, but pain free!

❤ It can support healing of trauma from old & new acute injuries

❤ It can relieve back pain, sciatica and spinal problems, see some of my case studies here.

❤ It can ease joint pain and restrictions

❤ It can ease respiratory conditions

❤ It can help pre and post recovery of an operation

❤ It can ease sports injuries, such as a pulled hamstring, athletes such as Michael Owen, Jonny Wilkinson and Bear Grylls have all received Bowen treatments.

❤ You become more aware of your weaker areas after receiving a treatment and what your body is supported by to prevent injury from happening again.

❤ It improves posture – over time and from repeated moves, fascia becomes sticky and restricted. Fascia is a web like substance which surrounds all the muscles, ligaments and joints. With Bowen Technique, we work to free up fascia, this supports to unwind, restrictions and free up compensation patterns, providing a straighter, freer, lighter you.

❤Its a nice relaxing way to receive alignment as opposed to through strong alignment manipulation – some manipulation therapies require forcing bones back to alignment but often this is stressful and dosent hold, with bowen, your body receives the moves and processes where to make the changes,  realigning itself in a relaxing way.

❤ It encourages the bodies own self-healing mechanism, so your body does its own healing – Bodies are so clever and many of us don’t really understand how they work or how connected they are, in bowen when we make a move all the stretch receptors in the skin tissue and the brain are communicating.

Bowen cons

❤ It is a lighter touch and it’s not hands on all the time, so those used to hands on all the time massage, might feel a bit like they want more squidging. Would you ask your dentist or osteopath for a massage? No, the same with Bowen its a technique to support those that need help and there is no need to fluff it up, however it is still relaxing, I often do some lovely moves around the face and feet for extra relaxation.

❤ Some can find it hard to understand how it works, if its not painful or hands on all the time. A lot of us are used to the idea that you need to feel pain to see an improvement, whilst its perfect to choose what you see best supports you, this is a myth that you need to feel pain to see improvement. Like many of our beliefs and systems in society, they can be a bit out dated. So, I also am very patience to educate and introduce those that are already and wiling to re-education in how we take care of ourselves. 

So, to conclude I hope I explained some of the many benefits of Bowen, its a relatively unheard of treatment, but the effects are so incredible.

Book a bowen treatment here

Home Self Care

Home Self Care Tips

Relaxation

Relaxation is our natural state, as seen more obviously in nature,  for example the trees aren’t sweating that they don’t know what the future look likes, nor the flowers quivering due to fearing lack of money, or the bees worrying about their bumbly round body image, they are just doing their thing in complete relaxation.

Relaxation supports all of our body systems & mind to work at their best. A regular form of relaxation is a great way to provide self care & it can be whatever works & provides support to you. I love to take short moments of mind & body relaxation, also called strong mind, which can be carried out anytime, anywhere, with nothing else needed, it is so easeful & the results are very quick & profound. It supports stability of mind no matter the worries, fears of uncertainty, we never know what is around the corner, so to simply focus on each moment is very refreshing. This doesn’t mean that we can’t plan or prepare for the future, but for me, it has meant I can live a happier life where I feel contented, no matter the thoughts or emotions I have.

It is an ancient Tibetan practice that has been developed for the modern day. This practice has ultimately supported me to see the best way to take care of the self, how to make decisions & have clarity on how I would like to live my life. This is a pic of me below on a relaxation retreat, ahhhh super relaxed. See here for more info https://www.bright.how/ also books can be found here.

Relaxation self care tips

Exercise You Enjoy

Do something you actually enjoy, working out doesn’t need to look like pain & misery e.g. running for hours on the treadmill, do what is practical & will fit into your life, maybe a 7 minute workout each morning would work for you, or a Pilates class? There are many around, I personally love Sean Vigue pilates, he is on YouTube, so you just need a mat. I also have been tuning into a kundalini yoga class with Kirsty who is so down to earth, lovely & Bristol based. What about Hula Hooping!? It will help boost the happy endorphins & to promote good sleep, which is essential at this time.

Food To Nourish You

Our eating habits may well have changed due to panic buying, fear taking over when shopping that you forget what you need, or comfort eating. Even amidst comfort eating, be kind & gentle on yourself, you are a soft squidgy animal being that is feeling a lot at this time. I definitely laid into eating more sugars, alcohol & caffeine at the start of the pandemic, but now I have settled back into a typical diet, one where I relax, eat plenty of veg, protein, carbs, choccie & cake when I feel like it, but mostly cut out alcohol & caffeine as it triggers off urinary infections for me. I always say go with what you see you need to eat, if you listen to your body it will tell you. It definitely feels a time to nourish, bake & enjoy food together if you can. If you notice some foods don’t agree with you, test it out by not eating them for a few weeks & see how you respond, even better go & get some intolerance testing done here is a great lady I know which can help with that. She is still doing online testing.

I love juicing, my favourite is apple, carrot & ginger, I also love raw choccie occasionally, here is my fav, yum yum!

Self care chocolate includedCarrot orange ginger juice

Office/Work Posture at Home

Adapting to working from home, I wonder what are postures are like? How many hours a week, a month, a year do we spend doing the same actions repeatedly at work? If you are used to staring at a screen, give yourself little eye breaks every so often by looking away into the distance, hopefully there will be something nice to look at too! Below is a suggested desk height posture, I use a portable adjustable laptop stand, but there are fixed stands available too. You can also get an iPad stand & a phone stand to save holding the item, its way more relaxing just try it! An ergonomic mouse really supports my wrists & a good chair is a great help too, here are some supportive chair options. These can all be used at home as they are lightweight and portable.

Self care correct posture working at desk

Earthing Mat & Electromagnetic Chips

I love Wifi & the benefits of the internet & I am often seen with at least two devices! Yet I also give myself down time away from the screen, this can look like doing something else that you love, maybe going for a walk. There is this idea that Wifi rays can not be so good for us & we do not really know the long term side effects of living with Wifi. The truth is I am not sure what to believe, but what I do know is I love to take care & it feels supportive for me to sleep on an earthing mat & I buy earthing chips which can be stuck on all your devices too. I do not need to intellectually understand how this works but it feels a supportive thing to do & I share it here so you can read more & go for it if you would like to.

Fresh Air

Whether in your garden, sticking your head out of the window, like a dog in the car, or your daily allowed walk, really enjoy the fresh air, which is seriously low in pollution at this time. I have seen more stars at current in Bristol than ever before as there is less pollution. The bluebells are amazing at this time!

Lavender fields Dorset

Bed Time!

We spend a vast amount of time in bed over our lifetime, please invest in a good quality pillow & mattress that will support to keep your spine aligned. Also how do you wind down for bed? A few stretches? A bath? I love to relax in short moments which supports me to feel calm & when I remember, I naturally reflect on the day & all the things I enjoyed. It is when we are asleep that the body gets a chance to reset, so do take care of yourself here.

Comfortable sleeping position self care

Relaxing Treatments at Home

Whether a hot epsom salt bath, full of magnesium to soothe aches & pains, a foot soak with some rose petals, foot scrub, home made facial, gua sha crystal massage, don’t forget to treat yourself. I found these heated eyemasks by Spacemasks, which are amazing.

Spacemasks Eyemask Bristol

Focus on What You Love!

For me that looks like dancing, colouring in book for grown ups, walking & smelling flowers, watching netflix, catching up with friends & family. This is a time which is difficult, but we also are having to adapt to a new schedule, so to focus on your loves is a good support with the change. You could start by writing a list if you are not sure, no matter how small it is.

Reach out, for personalised self-care guidance or to share any feedback from this post.

Thanks for reading, please take care of yourself you little precious beings.

Emily xx

Reiki Benefits

What are the benefits of reiki?

Reiki in Bristol

Benefits

Reiki literally translates as universal life force energy. It is perfect for anyone that feels they need healing, feel out of sorts, stagnant, stuck, unsure what decision to make and, or suffering from emotional/physical stress or trauma. Reiki can help us cope by encouraging relaxation and bringing balance to both mind and emotions.

Benefits include relaxation, stress relief, improvement to immunity, reduction in blood pressure, a sense of calm, clearing any blockages energetically and physically, a sense of purpose, clarity on a situation or in making a decision, this can come in the appearance of colours, images or words.

Treatment

During any of my treatments, I always provide a health consultation, so I can listen and understand what is going on for you and how I can support you fully. I tune into a higher source of energy, called universal energy and I ask for information and support for the individual, thats you. I use different oracle cards as a way to receive support, these look like this:-

 

The consultation can be delivered online, or face to face. I then provide a reiki healing session, using crystals and universal energy from angels, spirits and guides that are here to help me and you, yeay! Just because you cannot see something, dosen’t mean it dosen’t exist!

This is a beautiful time to give yourself permission to relax, to open your mind and energy to information, that is needed to support you. Reiki is a non-invasive therapy, using mostly no touch or light touch.

This treatment can be delivered in person, or long distantly. [Please note during the coronavirus pandemic, long distance is the only option available until otherwise stated]. So you can find a nice warm and comfy spot to lie or sit in and I send you warm, beneficial healing, yippee.

Reiki’s gentle energy is easily adapted to most medical conditions and may be used safely by people of all ages, including pregnant mothers, new-borns, surgical patients, the frail and the elderly, in any situation.

How does it work?

When giving Reiki, practitioners have been shown to emit electo-magnetic or bio-magnetic energy from their hands. The frequencies of the energy emitted vary from one moment to the next; but many appear to correspond to those that medical researches have identified as being the optimum frequencies for simulating the healing process in tissues, bones and other body parts so far investigated.

Two ways in which these pulsing magnetic fields may stimulate repair of bone and other tissues include:

A cascade of reactions takes place from the cell surface to the cytoplasm and on the nucleus and genes, where selective effects on the DNA have been documented.

A phenomenon called amplification, in which a single hormone molecule, neurotransmitter of photo of electromagnetic energy has been shown to trigger a cellular response; and in fact very tiny fields have been shown to produce the best effects, suggesting that living tissues are much more sensitive to external fields than previously considered possible

One theory is that energy healing works up by opening up the communication channels that enable cells in the body to talk to each other, and opening up the terrain through which cells are able to migrate to places where they are needed to initial repair or to fight diseases. Another is that these methods help to calm the person so their immune functions can operate smoothly.

Contact me here to book a healing session. 

 

Back Pain Therapist Case Studies

Read case studies and results from Emily, a back pain therapist in Bristol

Bowen technique back care

1 Symptoms and prevented activity

49 year old mum had recurrent episodes of her back seizing up and feeling out of place, she was prevented from doing anything when this happened, including working and especially working and gardening and she loved gardening.

Treatment and results

She had 4 Bowen sessions and the pain was resolved, the client wasn’t expecting it to work, but she couldn’t believe the quick and long lasting effect it had. She is now able to do so much more in the garden and has since had no further episodes of her back pain. Client now returns, for a luxury facial to feel relaxed and pampered.

2 Symptoms and prevented activity

34 year old counsellor was presenting with shoulder tension and pain, which was affecting her daily life, low self confidence and dissatisfaction and emotional stress from her work. 

Treatment and results

The client loved receiving treatments in Bowen, Reiki and Reflexology, so she often chose a different treatment depending on how she felt and had also asked what I saw would be best too. Results were complete relaxation, stress reduction, release of shoulder tension, increase in wellbeing, increase in confidence and encouragement to focus on her passions in the workplace, which led to a change in job.

3 Symptoms and prevented activity

24 year old student was presenting with back pain, after a fall to the coccyx, that had been untreated. Every few months her back would feel out of place and that would mean missing work, she was also suffering with migraines. She previously had found the chiropractor too aggressive for her preference and it created a bad pain in her neck.

Treatment and results

She began with a hot stone massage and she couldn’t believe how much this alone eased her symptoms, she then went on to have 4 sessions of bowen which completely resolved her migraines, back and neck pain and meant she was no longer taking days off work as her back wasn’t coming out of place. She now comes as and when for a top up either in bowen or hot stone massage.

 Quote taken from Kim from Google reviews

“I have been visiting Emily since April receiving marvellous treatments to help with aches and pains, specifically an injury on my lower back and neck. I first had a hot stone massage which made me feel as though i was in heaven and freed up a lot of aches in my body the warmth of the stones is very soothing. Emily made me feel at home straight away and really listens to what you are saying to ensure her treatments are personalised for you as an individual. Having spoken to Emily about the Bowen therapy I have since had a course of 3 treatments which completely fixed and reset my neck and back and helped me get back to my old more active self. I now just top up my treatments with a massage or bowen to keep the pain at bay…and just because I feel so damn lovely after a treatment!! couldn’t recommend Emily any higher – she is fab. Thankyou :)”

4 Symptoms and prevented activity

48 year old nurse suffering from stress, migraines and insomnia. This affected her work and social life with tiredness and needing to rest when migraines were present.

Treatment and results

After 1 bowen session her migraines had completely resolved and she had the best night sleep for a long time. She went on to have 2 more bowen sessions to relieve tension in her hamstrings, provide a balance to the body and aid relaxation and stress reduction.

5 Symptoms and prevented activity

34 year old fitness coach presenting with back pain after a coccyx injury, which affected her when exercising and she was experiencing difficulty in conceiving.

Treatment and results

Client received 9 sessions of a mixture of reflexology and bowen. After 4 sessions her back pain had completely resolved, after 4 more sessions she informed me that she was pregnant, this was a very heart warming moment to have supported someone along their journey of a wish to conceive a baby.

6 Symptoms and prevented activity

 34 year old female that books in monthly hot stone massages, overall improvements are.

“I have experienced so many positive changes. I came to you initially as a gift to myself because I had recognised I was suffering from stress. You’ve always been so kind, gentle and nurturing and have listened and responded to what I’ve told you. When a reoccurring back issue flared up you suggested Bowen Technique might be helpful, and after only two treatments I am no longer suffering from any back pain. This is remarkable for me as the pain has been there in the background for some time. I cannot thank you enough.

The other thing you have done so well is give me gentle guidance around how I can improve my wellbeing. You’ve always done so in such a brilliant way…it’s never felt like you are preaching to me or trying to tell me how to live my life. That sort of approach would’ve completely turned me off but you’ve been so brilliant…it’s enabled me to make good choices and change some of my less healthy habits. I have replaced my endless cups of tea throughout the day with water and have been allowing myself to snack when I’m hungry. The latter might seem like nothing, but for me, with my seemingly endless issues around food, it is a major step forward. I am so very grateful for the impact you’ve had on my life.

It was such a big step for me to invest in myself in this way and commit to a regular session with you. But I’m so glad I have. It’s making a huge difference to my life.”

7 Symptoms and prevented activity

56 year old musician who loves playing the violin but experienced constant pain in her shoulder, neck and back with stiffness and limited range of movement. This also affected her sleep as the pain was so bad.

Treatment and results

Bowen treatments improved her sleep, she now no longer has pain in her shoulders, neck and back. She has more energy and has began exercising more, which is benefitting her too. She still comes for preventative treatments as she is continually using her muscles a lot when playing her violin and bowen supports with overall health and freeing up stiffness. She says how much she looks forward to coming for a treatment and finds it so relaxing.

8 Symptoms and prevented activity

28 year old marketing manager was suffering from constant back pain, which she felt at work, when driving and when sitting on the sofa, this was seriously impacting her daily life and preventing her from feeling comfortable, on top of that she wasnt sleeping well.

Treatment and results

4 bowen treatments later, her back pain had completely resolved and she was sleeping much better, she could sit on the sofa without any discomfort. She chooses to comes back monthly for top ups as preventative care, which is her preference to support herself, after years of back complaints.

Taken from Felicity from Treatwell

“Emily has really helped me over the past few months. I had never tried Bowen therapy before but the results have been fantastic. Emily is really lovely too and her treatment room is so calming and relaxing.”

 9 Symptoms and prevented activity

65 year old housewife presenting with a slipped disc, from a previous injury, so she had a lot of back pain, sciatica, (shooting pain down the side of her leg) she was unable to walk and sit, without feeling some sort of pain. 

Treatment and benefits

6 bowen treatments have been received and she felt relief from day 1, such as being able to walk straighter, freer and the pain had reduced. The slipped disc has completely resolved and the client comes back monthly to support with overall health.

Taken from anonymous on Treatwell

Emily is very good at explaining the treatment. Very relaxed quiet atmosphere. I have benefitted from reduced pain and better posture from my damaged spine

 

10 Symptoms and prevented activity

27 year old sports lover had a ski injury with cartilage damage to the sternum, she experienced a lot of pain in her shoulders, arms, ribs and back when breathing and moving, she was unable to lift objects at work, the pain was seriously impacting her everyday life.

Treatment and results

After only 3 bowen sessions all symptoms had resolved, except minor pain when breathing due to cartilage damage to the sternum, which will take a little longer to heal. She told me she had another skiing trip booked after the first session and I said lets take it easy as you might not be able to ski and then she successfully managed to ski! Also enjoy her holiday as she quickly sought help for her injury. She is now way more relaxed and had the trauma/stress from the injury removed from her body. 

Taken from Jess from Google reviews 

“Emily helped me massively over 3 sessions! I was in some serious pain when I first came to see her, and a couple of days after my first session I had already gained back the majority of my movement that I had lost due to an injury.

She is very kind, provides a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere, and is very good at what she does. I highly recommend Emily and will definitely be going back for a visit when needed!

You do not need to put up with back, neck or shoulder pain, bowen technique can provide a quick long lasting support.”

Jujitsu student had ‘crunched’ her neck doing a backwards roll, which led to serious limited neck movements and a lot pain and discomfort in moving.

Treatment and results

She came to see me right after the injury for an emergency appointment, she didnt realise that Bowen is safe enough to treat right after an injury, she felt relaxed, the shock was taken out of her body and the body could begin to repair. Her neck movement returned shortly after the treatment and then had a follow up session a week later and was able to get back to training the following week. 

Taken from Indi google reviews 

“I badly injured my neck during jujitsu training and had to immediately stop. I was shaky and in shock. I called Emily as she had completely cured my RSI with 2 sessions of Bowen previously and so I wanted to see how quick she could see me now for this. She was pleased I called so quickly because Bowen can be used immediately on injuries as it’s non invasive and can really help the healing process right from the start. Treating acute injuries is another area she’s specialised in and she wished more people contacted her when they had just injured themselves, rather then days or weeks later.

I used to be physiotherapist for 10 years and I never touched a patient who had literally just injured themselves (especially on the neck!) and would recommend rest and ice or heat etc for the initial period. It was such a relief to find there was something I could actually do immediately to specifically help my injury directly. Within the hour I was on the treatment bed in the incredibly relaxing environment and in the safe hands of Emily. I was made comfortable as my neck had seized and my muscles in spasm. I felt my body immediately able to relax at a time of such pain and shock.

Emily carried out the treatment and I have no idea what she does or how Bowen works but after the treatment the shock in my body and mind had gone – I was no longer shaking! I felt more aligned, calmer and the pain had certainly decreased. I knew with this type of injury I wasn’t going to be pain free and have full range of movement for a while, but I knew I had significantly helped the healing process already and as Bowen continues to work over several days, and with Emily’s post treatment advice too, I was so confident that a more rapid healing would continue and that I was taking the best care.

I went back to see Emily about week later a lot better for the severity of the injury and very pleased with the progress, I was quite amazed actually as with the loud crunch of my neck I thought it would be weeks,  maybe even months, before I was back to normal again. So not surprisingly, I still had some decreased range of movement, pain at the end of range and most annoyingly, I still kept waking several times at night with discomfort. Immediately after the session, I literally couldn’t believe it; I had complete range of movement and no pain at the end of range at all – such immediate results! Not only that, but that night I slept like a baby, and have done every night since! Very happy 🙂

In all my time as a physio I have never seen or experienced such dramatic results for such an acute and significant injury. Neither for my clients or that of any of my colleagues. A few days later and I’m back to training again. I have no understanding of how Emily does it but she is just completely brilliant and magic as far as I’m concerned. I simply can’t recommend her enough: If you have any injuries or pain at all anywhere, do yourself a massive favour and just get to her as quick as you can!!”

12 Symptoms and Prevented activity

Anne was presenting with hip pain, lower back pain and knee pain, which was noticed after sitting for too long and driving

Treatment and results

Anne had already received Bowen from another therapist who relocated so she knew the potency of the results and although her symptoms were relatively minor, they were still problematic to her. After 2 sessions all symptoms had resolved and she now returns for maintenance treatments as and when.

Taken from Anne from google reviews

“Believe in Bowen! Bowen therapy with Emily is to be highly recommended. It is a remarkable treatment which realigns your body and miraculously eases any aches and pains you may have.

Some years ago I was convinced I needed a hip replacement after suffering with a painful hip for months. After x-rays showed there was no issue with the joint, I chose to go for Bowen treatments following a friend’s recommendation who has also experienced its benefits. The pain went within 2 or 3 treatments and has never returned. More recently, Emily has freed my other hip of pain as well as my knee. General every-day living such as driving, lifting, working at a computer, carrying uneven loads, sitting awkwardly etc. can, over time, put the body out-of-kilter. I cannot recommend Bowen therapy enough as a means to reverse these strains.

My elderly neighbour who was suffering with such a bad back that she wasn’t able to walk up stairs can now, after 2 treatments with Emily, do so easily – she is both amazed and delighted. I would urge anyone, whatever their age, who is suffering from any aches and pains to try Bowen therapy. Be amazed and believe in Bowen!”

13 Symptoms and Prevented activity

50 year old fireman struggling with lower back pain, sciatica and right shoulder pain which he could only raise up the side to a certain point, so it was restricting his range of movement. He also had a sore wrist and felt general concern and motivation to take better care of his body. 

Treatment and results

After 2 sessions the shoulder pain and sciatica had resolved, however the left shoulder now felt pain, most likely due to compensation patterns 

14 Symptoms and Prevented activity 

23 year old marketing executive with recurring kidney infections and lower back pain.

Treatment and results

After 1 session the thirst and urgency to urinate became slightly exacerbated for 24 hours then completely resolved, which usually lasts for up to a week. The follow up 3 sessions were able to align her pelvis which resolved her lower back pain and meant she had less recurring kidney infections.

15 Symptoms and Prevented activity 

66 year old retired teacher and grandmother had slept ‘funny’ her neck was seriously restricted and she couldn’t move her head to the right, she was in a lot of pain.

Treatment and results

After 1 session of Bowen she regained full movement in her neck and was amazed at how improved she felt with only 1 session,

16 Symptoms and Prevented activity

67 year old man with what he suspected was tennis elbow in his right elbow, this was causing him pain, it was swollen and felt warm to touch.

After 1 session of Bowen, the swelling had reduced, the pain had reduced and there was considerable improvement, after a second session the pain had reduced further and there was more movement to the elbow joint and shoulder.

Contact me here to book a treatment.

Loss of Libido in Menopause

Menopause and Hormone Balancing

I share an introduction to hormone balancing, including offering support with loss of libido in menopause.

During menopause there is an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone, both of these need to be balanced in equal amounts in the body, as they support each other (although have very different roles).

When menses stops, the GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) located in the brain’s hypothalamus can become overactive, producing symptoms, as the ovaries are not doing their usual job of producing estrogen and progesterone, as part of menses. Therefore symptoms occur and yes you can feel irritable, miserable, depressed, strange, cranky, grief, loss of libido in menopause and many more stories spiral out in the mind and body.

It’s important to know you are not alone, you never need to collapse in to any stories, your body is in need of some support, so reach out.

HRT (hormone replacement therapy) the most conventional method of treatment, doesn’t always work for everyone and can have side effects. 

Hormone balancing or hormone release technique works naturally without synthetic hormones through relaxation, nudging the body gently into harmony.

Alignment takes place over the coccyx and TMJ, which support the pituitary gland & hypothalamus to soften & regulate. The ovaries & uterus are also worked over to provide a balanced happy body (these points are accessed over the abdomen in a non-invasive way) 

Bowen works directly over fascia, a web like substance that surrounds all tissues, cells, muscles & joints.

I would advise asking your doctor for a salivary hormone test, to detect which hormone you are deficient in. Very few western women are deficient in estrogen, at menopause estrogen levels reduce from 40 to 60% but progesterone falls to zero! Both of these are needed to be addressed. Symptoms are also a great way to detect hormone balance:-

Estrogen Deficiency Symptoms

Vaginal dryness

Hot flushes

UTI

Small doses of estrogen may help

Estrogen Excess Symptoms

Weight gain

Water retention 

Breast swelling

Headaches 

Hypertension 

Insomnia 

Mood swings

Anxiety 

Symptoms supported with Bowen Technique are hot flashes, vaginal dryness, loss of libido, mood swings, tender breasts, insomnia, anxiety, migraines, bladder weakness and incontinence.

Typically treatments are 1 week apart, with a reduction of symptoms this then is 2-4 weeks apart.

Contact me to schedule a free consultation to see if this is the right programme for you.

 

I just want to be taken care of

How do I care for you?

Yep, you’ve guessed it, I love caring and I would love to break down all the ways I care for you during a treatment with me.

Aroma diffuser – I always hand pick an essential oil to create a relaxing, amazing smelling therapy space for you.

The music I play is super relaxing as it is created by a pianist for relaxing treatments, but the pianist is meditating whilst playing, so that carries a soothing relaxing power, yeah.

I have an extra wide comfy high grade couch for you to recline on or zzzzzz on.  Often people say, “I could just fall asleep already”

The therapy room has a chilled ambience carefully created to be super cosy and relaxing.

Eco friendly treatment space

I ask direct and clear questions in the consultation to look together whats needed to fully support you.

I have an understanding of many therapies, which means I can bring all different skills to the table.

I have a natural healing gift – (received from my nan)

I aim to reply to you within 24 hours

From the moment you walk through the door, throughout the treatment and after you leave, I am totally present and focused on supporting your health with all of my skills. (kind and caring are my big strengths)

I practice an ancient mind relaxation technique from a guru, so I hold a stable mind and presence and can see things clearly and that helps others to relax too.

Happy being with guru

I take time to care for myself to be the best therapist – (reading up, evaluating, upgrading, spas, pilates, fresh air, dancing, sleeping, good food, hydrated, receiving treatments myself)

I only offer bespoke treatments just for you.

I love caring and treating people.

I do all that I can to support someone, yet I encourage self care empowerment. 

I am very in tune with people’s bodies (feedback from clients)

I’m happy to share that I treat in an eco-friendly home, see my green policy here.

I have amazing listening skills, and I truly love to meet you where you are at, understand and support you.

Caring for you listening

I have a BSc Health Sciences degree in Complementary Therapies (hons) now I’m just showing off, but this is more for you to understand, how much I value my work and would love to support you. 

I love working with clients who are:

  • tired, stressed out, in need of some pampering and relaxation.
  • have back, neck or shoulder pain/injury/restriction and need some realignment.
  • struggling with menopausal symptoms and would like some hormonal balancing.

Contact me here for more information or to book a treatment.

Bowen Technique Bristol – What is Bowen Technique

What is Bowen Technique?

Bowen Technique is a soft tissue technique where the therapist makes a rolling move over precise points of the body, working over muscles, fascia, ligaments and nerves. This sends neurological impulses to the brain, creating a vibrational pattern that re-aligns the muscular-skeletal system, improving muscle flexibility, movement and posture.

Bowen can relax and relieve stress, as it works mainly via the autonomic nervous system, therefore producing good results by penetrating to a deep cellular level. It is also balancing to all the systems of the body.

rolling move over precise point

What to expect from a Bowen treatment?

A Bowen treatment can give immediate relief and you will experience benefits over a very short course of treatments, as little as 1 to 3 sessions.

Practitioners will treat you over thin clothes or underwear and you will be covered using towel techniques similar to traditional massage at all times. There is NO forceful manipulation. 

Pauses are inserted between sets of rolling moves to give the brain time to integrate and process the treatment. This is when Bowen ‘asks’ the body to recognise and make the changes it requires. Each pause allows the body to hold the adjustments for longer, ‘the body prefers a whisper to a shout’ and in the week after your treatment, the body continues to respond and re-adjust safely according to its needs.

During the pauses, your therapist may stay or choose to leave the room to reduce interference with the healing process. It is a relaxing experience and unique for each person. You may encounter a number of sensations and reactions during your treatment such as changes in pain, movement of pain, feeling a change in symptoms or change in temperature

Relaxing treatment for health care

How does it work?

Bowen influences the body through the connective tissue known as fascia. Fascia plays a major role in muscle coordination, postural alignment, and overall structural and functional integrity.

A Bowen treatment aims to help the body as a whole – helping bring the body back into balance, while also addressing the injury/pain site.

Posture and compensatory patterns are also assessed, to ensure the problem has a higher chance of staying resolved.

An example below of side effects when the pelvis is out of alignment.

Pelvis misalignment bowen


What can it help?

This treatment is perfect for those that have musculoskeletal discomfort, misalignments, exercise/sports injury, a previous injury that never fully resolved, tension, want some support with your posture and in need of some relaxation too! 

  • Back pain & Sciatica

  • Neck & Shoulder Restrictions, including Frozen Shoulder

  • Migraines & Headaches

  • Pelvic Tilt/misalignment, uneven Foot Length

  • Knee, Ankle & Foot complaints

  • Hormonal Imbalances/Fertility complaints

  • Pre & Postoperative Recovery

  • RSI, Carpal Tunnel & Tennis Elbow

  • Sports injuries & Accident Injuries (can support realignment after accidents and falls)

  • Stress Reducing & Emotional Release from tissues & cells

  • TMJ & Jaw complaints

  • General wellness maintenance (Like for your car, you can do the same for your health and wellbeing)

Booking details found here.

See also my back pain case studies blog too.

Self Care Tips

Self Care Routine Ideas

Simple and effective self care tips, to take the best care of you! These aim to be responsive to your preferences and lifestyle.

Relaxation – find inner peace in each moment

Relaxation is our natural state, like in nature, everything already is as it is and relaxation supports all of our body systems & mind to work at their best. A regular form of relaxation is a great way to provide self care and it can be whatever works and provides support to you. I love to take short moments of mind and body relaxation, which can be carried out anytime, anywhere, with nothing else needed, it is so easeful and the results are very quick and profound. It supports stability of mind no matter what we might think or feel. It is an ancient practice that has been developed for the modern day. This practice has ultimately supported me to see the best way to take care of the self. This is a pic of me below on a relaxation retreat, ahhhh super relaxed. See here for more info https://www.bright.how/

Exercise You Enjoy

Do something you actually enjoy, working out doesn’t need to look like pain and misery e.g. running for hours on the treadmill, do what is practical and will fit into your life, maybe a 7 minute workout each morning would work for you, or a Pilates class? There are many around and I personally love Sean Vigue pilates, he is on YouTube, so you just need a mat. I also love weight training with dumbbells to strengthen my muscles, I do a lot of massage so this helps to keep me strong & prevents injury. What about swimming, Kundalini Yoga or Hula Hooping!?

Food To Nourish You

Food can nourish body, mind & soul and different foods can support you at different times depending on what your body needs. There seems to be great awareness about the importance of eating for nutrients, it makes sense that each meal is full of goodies your body needs to heal & repair. I always say go with what you see you need to eat, if you listen to your body it will tell you. If you are like me and get hungry quickly, I do like to prepare a little with meal plans and snacks as this can support blood sugar levels. If you notice some foods don’t agree with you, test it out by not eating them for a few weeks and see how you respond, even better go and get some intolerance testing done here is a great lady I know which can help with that.

I love juicing, my favourite is apple, carrot & ginger, I also love raw choccie occasionally, here is my fav, yum yum!

Self care chocolate includedCarrot orange ginger juice

Office/Work Posture

How many hours a week, a month, a year do we spend doing the same actions repeatedly at work? If you are used to staring at a screen, give yourself little eye breaks every so often, by looking away into the distance, hopefully there will be something nice to look at too! Below is a suggested desk height posture, I use a portable adjustable laptop stand, but there are fixed stands available too. You can also get an iPad stand & a phone stand to save holding the item, its way more relaxing just try it! An ergonomic mouse really supports my wrists and a good chair is a great help too, here are some supportive chair options.

Self care correct posture working at desk

Earthing Mat & Electromagnetic Chips

I love Wifi and the benefits of the internet & I am often seen with at least two devices! Yet I also give myself down time away from the screen, this can look like doing something else that you love, maybe going for a walk by the sea. There is this idea that Wifi rays can not be so good for us and we do not really know the long term side effects of living with Wifi. The truth is I am not sure what to believe, but what I do know is I love to take care and it feels supportive for me to sleep on an earthing mat and I buy earthing chips which can be stuck on all your devices too. I do not need to intellectually understand how this works but it feels a supportive thing to do and I share it here so you can read more and go for it if you would like to.

Fresh Air

Weather countryside, forest, sea air or just a walk away from your work at lunchtime, it really supports you in all ways to take time out. Sometimes it can be tempting to feel too busy to stop, but ultimately time away restores and provides clarity so you might even come back with more ooomp to finish off the task you started. Also the extra O2 and exercise will support circulation.

Blue sky fresh air self care

Saunas

Yippee for saunas, sweating out toxins, easing up joint ache, limbering up muscles, flushing toxins, cleansing the skin, helping to support the immune system and a good recovery post workout. I also heard it can make your hair shinier by allowing the sebaceous glands on the scalp to secrete! Wahoo. I also sneak in Eucalyptus or Peppermint oil to add even more of a kick, breathing in all the antibacterial goodness. See below some benefits of Eucalyptus oil. 

Health benefits eucalyptus self care tips

Bed Time!

We spent a vast amount of time in bed over our lifetime, please invest in a good quality pillow and mattress that will support to keep your spine aligned. Also how do you wind down for bed? I love to relax in short moments which supports me to feel calm and when I remember, I naturally reflect on the day and all the things I enjoyed. It is when we are asleep that the body gets a chance to reset, so do take care of yourself here. 

Comfortable sleeping position self care

Relaxing Treatments

We all need an MOT, like our cars, to prevent and maintain good health there are so many amazing treatments to support you! I offer treatments in Bowen Technique, which is great for healing injuries new or old, it realigns fascia, which is an amazing sticky tissue surrounding all our joints, muscles, ligaments and nerves. I find after a Bowen treatment, I train better at the gym, as my posture is straighter and I have better movement of my muscles and joints. Aromatherapy massage and Reflexology are also great for supporting tense muscles too, using bespoke essential oils to match your health needs. 

Relaxing treatment self care tips

To reach out to ask a question, or to know more about the treatments I offer, please click here. Thanks for reading, please take care of yourself you little precious beings.

Emily xx