This is an explanation iexcerpted from the article:

 “Introduction of Bowenwork for Nurses” by Susan Symmons, RN. Dip. BT. Instructor

One of the easiest and (most) recognizable medical explanations of how Bowen Therapy may work is by explaining the tendon reflex, whose function is to protect the tendons and muscles from excessive tension forces. The golgi tendons lie within the tendon organs, near the junction of the muscle and the tendon. Muscle spindles are sensitive to changes in muscle length. During passive stretching of the golgi tendons, muscular contraction impulses are transmitted to the spinal cord. In this reflex arc an inhibitory association neuron connects to the motor neuron. As the tension in the tendon organ increases, the inhibitory impulses increase and cause a relaxation of the muscle.

In this reflex arc, synapses with motor neurons controlling the antagonistic muscles occur, causing contraction of the opposing muscle. This in turn potentially will physically balance the muscle structure, which when injured is often found to be in a compensatory state of weakness or contraction. Hence Bowen can physically straighten the posture and balance muscle function over joints. An impulse is also sent to the brain from this arc giving the brain feedback of the state of the musculature.

An intersegmental reflex arc is created with stimulation to one muscle. This is when the impulse is from one site, but several muscles in the associated group respond. This lends itself to support the knowledge that a Bowen response can be over a general area without working on all the painful muscles. Eg, working on the vastus lateralis above the knee will provide relaxation to many muscles of the leg, just from doing one Bowen move.

The first two moves around the waist in Bowen Therapy result in an overall balancing effect to the body. They may be the only moves done for the day for some patients. During injury or compensation for injury, it is suggested that the fascia which surrounds the muscle fibers, which is an elastic strong layer between the skin and underlying tissues, shrink around the injured part to strengthen and protect it. After a broken bone, for example, the muscle may not be able to return to normal due to kinking of the fascia and impedance of lymph flow and circulation. Many proprioceptors are situated in the fascia. Under normal circumstances the fascia is lubricated with nutrients and a small amount of fluid allowing the muscle groups to glide effortlessly over each other.

To recap, Bowen stimulates the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system, causing the body to recognize compensatory patterns and to correct them, returning back to a normal healthy state. Involvement of the brain results in the body being able to prioritize which type of healing it requires, whether a fine tuning of the emotions is to take place, or healing on a physical level creating a balanced state of well being and lessening of  presenting symptoms and pain reduction.”

Tendinitis and Bursitis- What to Do?

Tendinitis, Bursitis and Bowenwork

   As we start into the warmer months we rush to increase our exercise and healthy activity. Unfortunately, however enthusiastic we are, we may be trying to build our exercise and activity level too quickly, as if we were trying to go 60 miles per hour immediately from a dead stop.

   The result is often mild to severe joint and muscle pain. While some soreness can be a natural product of exercise, when we have pain that doesn’t respond quickly and easily we pay a call on our physician. The physician may say that we have a case of Tendonitis or Bursitis, depending on whether the area affected is between a muscle and a joint or directly at a joint. The most common recommendation will be rest, ice and anti-inflammatory medication, together with the suggestion that “it should clear right up”. We dutifully begin our rest and ice applications, pick up and begin to take our meds and wait for the pain to decrease.

   The story can be picked up a few days later, with no change in our pain level, except for increased stomach upset from the medication. We ask our physician what else to do and are told there is nothing else to be done, either “it will improve” or “it is just a part of growing older”. This is not what we wanted to hear, or keep feeling. Where is our healing capacity? Where is our resilience? Are we becoming decrepit?

   Of course we are not falling apart even though we have begun to think so. It may be that we have been given a series of what can be called “arms-length” diagnoses. “Arms-length” meaning the physician is keeping us at a safe distance when they have no concrete answer to our problem. This isn’t to criticize the doctor; rather it is just an example of a profession-wide gap in training on musculo-skeletal and soft tissue issues. Physicians don’t have tools in their toolkits to address these issues, so they may resort to the arms-length suggestions to pacify their patients.

   If we use a system like Bowenwork or Voila that was designed to address structural imbalances and soft-tissue problems, we immediately have the tools in our toolkit that can provide solutions that are fast, safe and effective. Bowenwork or Voila can take the “heat” right out of a joint or muscle. What may seem to be tendonitis may be a muscle imbalance on either side of a joint or an over-contracting muscle, in either case they can help. What looks like bursitis may be a misalignment of the joint surfaces, which they can help, and without any joint manipulation, or “cracking”. If it is truly tendonitis or bursitis, there are specific protocols for each issue in either the Bowenwork or Voila toolkit.

   So if we are looking to start correctly and to keep going with our exercise resolutions, Bowenwork can be central in insuring that. Bowenwork can also be great as a tune-up to keep us humming along well after we have gotten fully into our warm weather activities. 

EFT- Emotional Freedom Technique Freeing Yourself from Painful Triggers

Emotional Freedom Technique

   This is an energy medicine technique developed out of a merging of acupuncture and psychotherapy. It has been effective as a therapy and self-care tool for more than 20 years. It allows us the opprtunity to disconnect from painful emotional triggers in our active and subconscious memories without having to actively process the memories or to try and forget them. The simplest analogy is cutting the wire between the explosives and the detonator.

We can have traumas in our lives that can serve as triggers for all types of emotional and physical responses long after we have experienced them. Even when we think we have let them go, we can be subconsciously reacting to a similar stimulus.  EFT gives us the freedom to release these uhealthy reactions.

EFT works by using tapping on sequences of acupuncture meridian points with specific verbal cues. The activation of the points serves to interrupt the feedback loop that is causing the triggered reactions.

There are many EFT sites and Youtube  videos that demonstrate the work if you are interested. I will simply leave a precis of the work below. I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to contact me.

EFT on a Page

EFT IN A NUTSHELL

THE DISCOVERY STATEMENT

"The cause of all negative emotions

is a disruption in the body's energy system."

Memorize The Basic Recipe.

Aim it at anyemotional or physical problem by customizing

it with an appropriate Setup affirmation and Reminder Phrase

.

Be specific where possible and aim EFT at the specific emotional events in one’s

life that may underlie the problem.

Where necessary, be persistent until all aspects of the problem have vanished. Try it on everything!!

THE BASIC RECIPE

1. The Setup...Repeat 3 times this affirmation:

"Even though I have this ________ ,

I deeply and completely accept myself."

while continuously rubbing the Sore Spot or tapping the Karate Chop point.

2. The Sequence...Tap about 7 times on each of the following energy points while

repeating the Reminder Phrase at each point.

EB, SE, UE, UN, Ch, CB, UA, BN, Th, IF, MF, BF, KC

3.. The Sequence (again)...Tap about 7 times on each of the following energy points

while repeating the Reminder Phrase at each point.

EB, SE, UE, UN, Ch, CB, UA, BN, Th, IF, MF, BF, KC

Note: In subsequent rounds The Setup affirmation and the Reminder Phrase are

adjusted to reflect the fact that you are addressing the remaining problem.

EB = Beginning of the EyeBrow

SE = Side of the Eye

UE = Under the Eye

UN = Under the Nose

Ch = Chin

CB = Beginning of the CollarBone

UA = Under the Arm

BN = Below the Nipple

Th = Thumb

IF = Index Finger

MF = Middle Finger

BF = Baby Finger

KC = Karate Chop - edge of hand

De-Stress for the Holidays and Give a Gift of Good Health

Here's my answer to Cyber Monday:

Give the gift of good health and lowered stress

1. I'm offering personalized gift certificates for your friends and family this week (11/26-12/3) at a 15% savings for individual certificates and a 25% savings for purchases of 4 or more. kevin@kevinminney.com, 510-333-4324

2. The good folks at HeartMath Institute have developed a Holiday De-Stress program that they're letting me offer to my clients, their friends and family for free.

Pick it up here : www.heartmath.org/destresskit
De-Stress Kit for the Changing Times

from Doc Childre

Founder of HeartMath®

14700 West Park Ave.

Boulder Creek, California 95006

© Copyright 2008 by Doc Childre. HeartMath is a registered trademark of the Institute of HeartMath,

14700 West Park Ave., Boulder Creek, Calif. 95006 • www.heartmath.org

Institute of HeartMath is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education organization.

HeartMath tools for stress relief and emotional management are being used

by companies, government, the military, hospitals, clinics and schools.

Doc Childre is the co-author of the following books: The HeartMath Solution, From

Chaos to Coherence, Transforming Stress, Transforming Anxiety, Transforming Anger,

Transforming Depression and The HeartMath Approach to Managing Hypertension.

Got the World on Your Shoulders? Does it just feel like it?

   Shoulder pain from impingement (meaning the pressing on the soft tissue of tendon, muscle, or nerve by bone), sometimes called “frozen shoulder” is a common problem. It occurs frequently in the first quarter of the year. Why? Because of New Year’s resolutions for being fitter, stronger, etc. Starting too hard or too fast in upper body workouts can bring on shoulder problems very quickly.

Why does this happen and what can we do about it?

   Shoulder impingement can happen with great frequency in modern society because of a combination of factors, some anatomical, others arising from posture, exercise, and overuse. The pain involved in shoulder issues can range from mildly uncomfortable to completely debilitating. Complications can include pain, numbness and tingling in the elbow, wrist and hand and affect the thoracic outlet for the nerve trunk and artery for the entire arm.

   There are several anatomical reasons for shoulder impingements. In order to have its range-of-motion the shoulder joint has it uses muscles and bones to provide stability. It has to be stable throughout wide ranges of motion in different directions so it cannot use a ball-in-socket joint like the hip.  Fifteen muscles cross the shoulder and provide for its movement capacity. They work in concert like a small orchestra, supporting and giving way to each other in a finely tuned manner. If imbalanced, the entire assembly will be affected. Even a small imbalance can eventually have a profound effect. 

    Another anatomical issue is the small amount of clearance between the bones of the collarbone and ribcage. The nerve trunk, artery for the arm and a tendon pass through a space less an inch across. The space can shrink from poor form in exercise, bad ergonomics (a forward leaning posture or too much extension of the arms at the keyboard) or overusing a set of muscles in comparison with their balancing set in the “orchestra”.  Decreasing the space inch can result in pain, blockage of blood and nerve impulse flow. Like a car’s valves, operating without sufficient clearance produces overheating (inflammation) and potential damage. Once pain and loss of function begins, further muscle contraction and “guarding” of the painful arm progresses to more and more pain.

    Classic “frozen shoulder” or adhesive capsulitis comes from tissues within the joint capsule of the shoulder that “glue” together, resulting in complete immobilization of the joint. This is not the case in most painful shoulders, especially if addressed early. If inflammation and tissue damage is kept at a minimum, functional recovery can proceed quickly.

    Restoring the balance of range-of-motion to the muscles that provide stability and motion for the shoulder can relieve impingement very quickly and easily, when Bowenwork restores the perfect pattern memory for the area the body has stored. Often in less than 3 Bowenwork sessions pain relief is followed by movement recovery, then exercise and postural correction for long-term stability. 

Own Your Niche: A review of a powerful book

I've finished reading and recommending to friends and colleagues a book by Stephanie Chandler called as you might guess, Own Your Niche. The author of several books on publishing and marketing, Own Your Niche is her latest.

   As a complementary health practitioner I have had to try many ways to achieve visibility for myself and my work. The internet offers a variety of solutions but can be very intimidating. There are methods of establishing expert status, but they can also seem overwhelming. It may be procrastination, but it has been hard for me to get traction for myself in these areas. I find Own Your Niche a terrific primer on which ways to be most effective.

  I find that Stephanie Chandler's book has solid simple-to-follow suggestions, clear explanations and lots of support material.The book is organized in an incremental way to help consolidate and increase our efficiency as professionals, building a step-by-step plan for success. 

   For those who are looking for a guide to developing their credibility and visibility in their profession with the end result being profitability, I heartily recommend Stephanie Chandler's book.

8 Ways to Make Your Resolutions Work for a Great 2012

    Each year we begin with the best of intentions, wanting to improve ourselves. Towards a healthy body and mind, better relations, more wealth in our lives, we make resolutions to improve. Unfortunately, we often overestimate what we can do and underestimate the time needed to make the changes for our healthy body. Making demands on a body that it isn’t ready for can show up quickly as pain problems. Also, we can be continuing our old pattern of over committing ourselves to activities and under serving ourselves in taking care of our bodies.

   A physical therapist with multiple clinics told me the first quarter of the year had guaranteed income from rehab from all the people trying to complete their yearly resolutions in the first 2 weeks. Sometimes we may need to reduce our activity level or seek care so that we can start off with a clean slate, injury- and restriction-free.

1.      If we remember that our new year’s resolutions are for the year and not for the first week or two, we’ll have a good chance of avoiding injury and pain problems. We’ll have a better chance of completing our resolutions instead of discarding them in the first month.

2.      Give yourself a clear reason why you want-to achieve your resolution, make sure you know why you might-not-want-to and see how the two measure against each other. Too much might-not outweighs too little want-to.

3.      Make sure you ask your friends to help, to give you positive feedback as well as constructive criticism. If you can have someone to be your accountability partner, so much the better for you.  

  

4.      Make sure you have a plan and even ask the experts in the field to help with it. You’ll set yourself up to succeed with these ideas if you believe in yourself and them.

5.      Please give yourself a schedule that uses steps of improvement, for incremental or step-sized change is change that lasts. Starting slow and working up is no crime. No matter if you want to walk/run farther, lift more, swim faster, taking it in bite-sized chunks can be a big factor in your success. If you worry you won’t make enough progress, remember that increasing just 10 percent per week means you’ll be doing more than 500 percent more at the end of the year. Not so bad, eh?

6.      You may be reading this article after you’ve begun overdoing your activity resolutions and have already begun experiencing pain and disappointment. Don’t worry and don’t try to push through the pain.

 

7.      Go see your local Bowenwork practitioner or other wellness practitioner for a tune-up and recovery session to get you back on the road to success.

8.      Be sure about your healthy start and take advantage of my bonus packages available on my website to support your new year’s investment in yourself.