Preparing for Your Bowen Session
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No doubt you will want to gain the greatest value possible from your Bowen Therapy sessions, as you will be investing both your money and your time. As previously mentioned, there is no guarantee that this modality will be effective in resolving your issue, but you would be discerning if you were to put yourself in the best position for it to be as effective as possible.
I encourage you to follow the guidelines below to maximise the effect of your Bowen treatment. If you choose not to follow these guidelines you will not be judged, nor declined treatment, and your treatment may even be successful. However you will never know just how effective your Bowen treatment could have been.
Your Bowen treatment will be more effective if you have not had a massage, physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic or other bodywork session for five days before your Bowen Therapy treatment. Drink Plenty of Water Please drink adequate water over the days leading up to your Bowen treatment. Ensuring your body is well hydrated will maximise the effect of the Bowen moves. It is more effective to sip water regularly rather than to consume a full glass at a time. Aim to gradually increase your intake of water to about 25ml per kg of bodyweight per day. As a general guide, that works out at:
Do Not Apply Heat or Ice Do not apply heat or ice to an inflamed area for 24 hours before your Bowen treatment. Apple cider vinegar is effective in reducing inflammation, and can be applied by soaking a face washer in ACV and placing it over the inflamed area. To contain the moisture, wrap it in gladwrap and then cover with a bandage. Leave it on overnight, or for at least four to five hours. Repeat the next night. If your skin is sensitive, or becomes sinsitive, to the ACV it can be diluted with water. Discontinue use if skin becomes irritated. Print and Complete the Bowen Client Information Sheet and bring it with you to your First Consultation Most people are busy, and only have an hour to spend on a Bowen treatment. By completing the Bowen Client Information Sheet and bringing it to the first visit you will have more time for your initial treatment. Don't worry if you can't answer all the questions - we will go through it together when we see each other. Please list the pain or discomfort you would like resolved first, and then any other pain or discomfort you are experiencing. If you can, please rate it on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is no discomfort whatsoever, and 10 is so much pain you would probably pass out. It would also help if you would colour in the areas of the body that are effected, but if you get confused we can do it together at your appointment. Consider the Result You Want Decide what you would like to achieve from your series of Bowen treatments. Make some goals on pain reduction or symptom management to discuss with your Bowen therapist. Consider your pain or inconvenience levels and rate them on a scale of 0-10 so that you can compare the "before" with the "after", which will be one week after your Bowen treatment. Choice of Clothing Whilst I prefer to work on bare skin, Bowen can be effectively performed through clothing providing it is loose fitting and of a light cotton material. There are some moves that are required to be done on bare skin. One is at the top of the backs of the legs (applicable to most treatments), and the other is at the top of the arm (applicable for treating the shoulder). Please consider what you wear to the Bowen session so that you are comfortable and the moves can be performed effectively. Blankets will be provided for warmth, privacy and comfort, and the room will have reverse cycle air conditioning for your comfort. To prepare yourself further for you Bowen Treatment, read What to Expect During Your Bowen Treatment. |
