Web version of "First for women on the go" magazine article

Webpage reproduced with permission from "First for women on the go" magazine January 30, 2006, page 38   Back issues of First magazine are available from dearpaige@firstforwomen.com

mind & body				The "plucking" technique that eases any ache
The touch therapy innovation proven to relieve chronic pain in 85 percent of patients   Scanning the smiling faces all around her, ViciLee Jacobs mused, I must be the most miserable person ever to step foot in Disneyland. With chronic back pain causing her to sit out most rides and complain on those she did attempt, ViciLee started feeling like she could give the nasty Cruella De Vil a run for her money.   What started as discomfort grew into severe pain as ViciLee got older. Countless physical therapy and chiropractic visits, as well as a slew of anti-inflammatory drugs, hadn’t helped. In fact, over the years the pain radiated into her hip and legs, as well. "I was barely functioning," she remembers.   Fortunately, she ran into an old friend who had become a trained practitioner of the Bowen Technique. ViciLee’s pal was confident that the holistic therapy, which relieves pain by applying light pressure to muscle and connective tissue, would help. Skeptical yet desperate, ViciLee decided to try it. "As I lay on the treatment table, there was no poking or prodding—in fact, she barely even put her hands on me. It didn’t fill me with very much hope."   The touch technique that gets to the source of pain The gentle nature of Bowen therapy may not seem capable of producing serious reductions in chronic pain, but patients in a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study rated its effectiveness in		remedying back and neck pain at over 85 percent. "Rather than employing invasive manipulation, Bowen therapy uses the thumb and forefinger to ‘pluck’ muscles in a specific sequence," explains Victoria Bowmannn, Ph.D., a Phoenix-based Bowen practitioner. This gentle pressure sends signals through the proprioreceptors (the nerve endings within the muscles) to the brain, telling the body to reset itself to a pain-free state.   Typically, only two sessions are needed. Each appointment lasts about 30 minutes and costs $45 to $75 per session. (It is usually not covered by insurance.)   "I had forgotten I could feel so carefree and energized!" Within five minutes of Bowen therapy, ViciLee felt her body relax more than it had in years. "I still find it hard to believe that I suffered so much and for so long from something that was able to be cured so quickly," says ViciLee. "The pain relief and general well-being I now have are things I had forgotten I could feel! We’re already planning another trip to Disneyland, and I guarantee Cruella will be nowhere in sight!" We're here to help! To find a Bowen practitioner near you, log on to bowendirectory.com	Relief from pain can be felt in just minutes with these moves. Each activates nerve endings in sore muscles to signal the brain to begin healing. "Simply use your thumb and forefinger to ‘pluck each muscle like a guitar," advises Bowen practitioner Victoria Bowmann, Ph.D. "You can do single moves for targeted relief or play a ‘concerto’ to address multiple aches."   Nix shoulder pain Cross your right arm in front of your body and place your right hand over your left shoulder (as if to pat yourself on the back). Pluck the large muscle between the shoulder blade and neck (where the trapezius connects to the deltoid). Repeat on the opposite side.   Soothe wrist aches Plucking the extensor digitorum on top of the forearm helps relax overworked arms, hands and wrists. "If done right, your ring finger will jump," says Bowmann.   Nix neck stiffness Place your right hand on the back of your neck. Use your fingers to pluck the trapezius (the large neck muscle near the spine). Then place your left hand on the back of your neck and repeat on that side.

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ViciLee Jacobs, Reiki practitioner Phoenix, Arizona (602) 380-3830

Victoria Bowmann Bowen practitioner, Phoenix, Arizona Bowen DVD author

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