History of Bowen Therapy
Bowen Therapy was developed by Tom Bowen (1916-1982). The actual origins of his concepts are unknown or, at least, unclear, though there appear to be links with Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is known that while working as a massage therapist in Geelong, Australia, Mr. Bowen recognized apparent common causal relationships in many seemingly unrelated painful conditions, particularly musculoskeletal and neurological. He identified this causal link as being the soft tissue or fascia.
After years of clinical work, and much reading and study of other modalities, Mr. Bowen developed a unique set of specific Moves employing different sequences and timing intervals. The Moves provided fascial release and integration, stimulating a variety of anatomical or physiological responses. These moves frequently resulted in immediate and often long-term resolution of the majority of presenting problems and pain conditions.
In 1975, the government-instituted Webb Committee of Inquiry into Chiropractic, Osteopathy and Naturopathy in Australia reviewed Tom Bowen’s work. They found he was seeing some 13,000 people a year and achieving a success rate of over 80% in relieving presenting conditions. From its Australian origins, this innovative and unique Bowen Technique has been adopted worldwide with practitioners in many countries, including New Zealand, the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, and the European Union.