Tom Bowen and the birth of a revolutionary treatment
Bowen Therapy refers to the body of work produced by an Australian named Thomas Ambrose Bowen, or Tom Bowen as he is more commonly called. Despite having no formal medical training (but referring to himself as an osteopath), Bowen initially worked as a masseur and discovered an unusual characteristic — something that can be described as an extreme hypersensitivity of his fingers and hands; this enabled him to feel nerve transmissions and detect blockages in a person’s nervous and muscular systems. In the late 1950s, he discovered and explored unusual relationships between specific health complaints and patterns of muscular dysfunction in his patients.
Drawing the line: differentiating Bowen therapy and NST
From years of clinical research, Bowen developed a unique system of myofascial stimulation. This system, which he called soft tissue therapy, resulted in the practical and long-term correction of patterns of muscular dysfunction and accompanying health complaints presented by his patients.
Death, rebirth, and revolution
There were only six men to whom Bowen taught his technique. After Bowen died in 1982, these students produced different interpretations of his work — and the Neurostructural Integration Technique became one of the more notable versions.
A more dynamic and practical approach
NST is the choreography of Bowen’s later, more advanced principles. It does not aim to replicate precisely what Bowen was able to do, as his work continually evolved throughout his practice until his death. Today’s NST practitioners also cause the system to grow as they learn new things about the human body.
This treatment effectively relieves back and shoulder pain facilitates increased energy levels, and promotes better health. Patients experience deep relaxation from this method of pain relief.
NST Bowen Technique: neuromuscular therapy
1. The philosophy behind the Neurostructural Integration Technique is rooted in the work of remarkable chiropractor Major Bertrand DeJanette, who developed a Sacro-occipital technique.
2. The tool used for extensive validation and testing was Applied Kinesiology.
3. The NST technique itself was derived from the breakthrough work of Tom Bowen.
From the personal clinical experience of specialists who have utilized both Bowen Therapy and NST, the latter is the more dynamic and effective system. Implementation is much faster, and the results are better.
NST also adapted Bowen’s principles into a more teachable system, taught within a theoretical and practical model. Clinical practitioners complete an NST course covering the spinal area and extremities.
A comprehensive and farther-reaching solution
According to practitioners who have taken up NST courses, this specific version of Bowen Therapy offers more opportunities for health professionals to address their patients’ concerns. David Howells, a chiropractor, Bowen Therapist and more recently an NST teacher in the UK, stated that clients would consistently prefer the NST approach “as they feel the work seems to go deeper in addressing their problems.”
