Microsoft word - today's therapist knock-on effect pain relief nov-dec06.doc

Today’s Therapist
International Trade Journal - Issue 43 Nov Dec 2006
The Bowen Technique
Knock on effects of pain relief
The effects of sorting out one physical problem can often have other happy consequences in a person’s state of health 13 April 2006: one week later, he came for his second Bowen and well being. This was illustrated very well in the case of treatment. He reported that the intervening week had been Mr A., a 64-year-old retired farmer, who I treated recently. ‘brilliant’. He had had only one day with pain in his right knee, for no obvious reason, and it was gone the next day. History: arthritis diagnosed in spine in 1995 after a history of He was no longer experiencing the burning pains and back pain due to hard work and jarring jumps onto concrete. cramping in his legs and was feeling as if he had a whole April 1998: operation to relieve ‘gaspingly awful pain’ in 28 April 2006: because he was doing so well, the third Bowen treatment took place after a fortnight’s break. He Dec 2000: second operation for pain to try to relieve reported that he had continued to be absolutely fine over the ‘awkward’ scar tissue from first operation. fortnight. He had just experienced an occasional twinge when standing up after sitting. He also reported stiffness in 2003: in hospital for 8 – 9 weeks with pain – doctors his legs upon arising in the mornings but it wears off quickly wouldn’t operate again, and he was put on epidural injection as he moves about. Right knee still feels weak and he as maintenance but this has ‘been awful’ since. perceives it as cold, but this is now a minor irritation because December 2005. His last epidural was apparently improperly administered and they ‘touched a membrane’. 18 May 2006: after a break of three weeks, he reported that The Hospital, clearly worried that something was amiss, he has not been bad at all. He had only one day with any rang him every day to see if he was all right, but he was not: real pain, again in his right knee, and he couldn’t put any he was sweating, was not mentally ‘with it’, wasn’t eating. pressure on it for a day. He had run out of dihydrocodeine a His wife rang the Pain Clinic to inform them. No treatment week or so before and had decided to stay off of it. But he or admission to hospital was offered to him. His reaction feared that his right knee pain might have been because of went on for 10 days before it cleared. He has not had any coming off of it so suddenly, so he got some more and would now try to come off of it very slowly, decreasing the amount bit by bit. He also reported that he had completely come off March 2006: he ‘fell in a heap’ with severe pain and a doctor the oramorph, the diclofenac and the cocodamol and he had did a house call. Diagnosed sciatica. He was sent to a cut the nortriptyline from 6 per night to 3 per night. physio and this eased the extreme pain a bit but he still felt very uncomfortable and inflexible. Also, his right knee had In addition to the greater mobility and freedom from felt weak since his collapse. Also, his perception of his right constant pain that Mr A has enjoyed, the effect of coming off knee is that it is stone cold, although it feels warm to the of all of his pain medication has been relief from long- standing and very uncomfortable constipation. He is thrilled with this unexpected bonus and, of course, it makes a big 6 April 06: came for first Bowen treatment. Chief complaint was pain in both legs – burning sensation and cramp. Also As I write, in October 2006, Mr A. continues to be free of his Mr A. is on the following medications to control pain: back and leg pain. He has been off the dihydrocodeine now for some months and is fine without it. He enjoys Bowen treatment for the relaxation it gives and for this reason, as well as a preventive, he continues to have a treatment every Janie Godfrey is a Bowen Technique practitioner in Frome and has Seratide – morning & evening for asthma Ramipril – 1x day for high blood pressure Tamuloson Hydrochloride 1xday to stimulate urination Immediately after his first Bowen treatment, he was amazed how much looser he felt, much more flexible. As he stood up after treatment, he leaned over to pull his shoes closer to B O W E N T E C H N I Q U E
him, using his hand. Then he realised that he hadn’t done that in a very long time as he would ‘normally’ have used his CertECBS VTCT MBTER NHS Directory of Comp. Therapists stick to move his shoes closer because he was too stiff and in too much pain to actually bend over. But now, he had actually leaned over automatically, without thinking, and it hadn’t hurt him – he was astonished.

Source: http://www.janiegodfrey.co.uk/docs/knockOnEffects.pdf