Testimonial – Paloma Bowen Therapy

Piano Teacher No Longer Afflicted by Tennis Elbow

9 June, 2021 by Paloma, posted in Testimonial

As a professional piano teacher, M plays and demonstrates piano playing several hours every day, and has done so for over 15 years. Recently, she developed a pain in her lower right arm with a painful pinch in the elbow joint. It quickly got worse to the point where she couldn’t play the piano at all without pain.

Her GP diagnosed tennis elbow and prescribed anti-inflammatories and advised rest, but as a self-employed piano teacher, M couldn’t just stop. The NHS advice was that it could take up to 18 months for her tennis elbow to heal. M was feeling very discouraged, and by now, the pain was affecting her sleep quality.

A friend recommended she speak to Juan at Paloma Bowen Therapy to see if Bowen might help. She didn’t know anything about Bowen but was willing to try it, given her alternative. Juan’ professional approach benefited from the fact that he had also suffered from tennis elbow in the past, and Bowen had helped him heal in a matter of just a few weeks (nowhere near 18 months!).

After just three treatment sessions, spread out over a three-week period, M found the pain had progressively receded to the point where she could play and practise quite normally. Today, her tennis elbow pain has completely gone and in much less time than she had expected.

Many professional musicians experience pain as a result of the particular movements involved in playing their instrument, with the constant repetition and long hours of practice. M would gladly recommend Paloma Bowen Therapy, and in particular Juan, to any of her professional colleagues; especially those who don’t have the luxury of a long recovery period, which other treatments and therapies might advise.

Stan the Greyhound Runs Again – Pain Free

9 June, 2021 by Paloma, posted in Bowen for Dogs, Testimonial

Stan the greyhound was a rescue dog who had been a race dog for most of his early life. He’s a very gentle and lovely dog who loves interacting with people.

Recently, he developed a limp in his front left leg, which J, his owner, could see was causing him pain. J’s local vet was unable to find the cause of the problem, and her pet insurance referred Stan to a specialist vet. The specialist diagnosed a problem called “carpal hyperextension.” This condition means one or more of the tendons in Stan’s leg have been overstretched, causing the leg to pull short, resulting in a limp.

Unfortunately, the only treatment option offered by the specialist vet was surgery, costing £4,000-5,000! And this wasn’t covered by J’s insurance. A friend suggested she try a dog physiotherapist, so she did. The physiotherapist advised very short walks and some simple exercises, which Stan struggled to do. Still, it looked like J would be committed to spending lots of money on physiotherapy treatments for the foreseeable future, without knowing whether it would help or heal.

Juan at Paloma Bowen Therapy is a close friend of J’s, and he suggested she try Bowen for Stan. J knew it had helped people – friends of hers – and had been amazed at how effective it was, but she wasn’t aware it could also work for dogs.

Juan explained that dog and human anatomy are quite similar and that Bowen Therapy can be applied to dogs just as well as for people, with some adjustments. J knew she had nothing to lose in trying, and was open to anything that might help reduce the pain Stan was feeling.

After just one treatment session – which lasted only 10 minutes – the next day J’s daughter was walking Stan for her, and she noticed that he was much improved and didn’t seem to have such a pronounced limp. J’s daughter wasn’t aware of Stan’s Bowen treatment, yet she noticed the improvement!

J arranged a follow up treatment with Juan and again noticed a marked improvement in Stan in the days following. Juan recommended leaving any further treatment for a longer period, to allow Stan to adapt to the changes taking place in his body, which had become used to compensating for the effect his tightened tendons had had on his ability to walk and run.

A few weeks later, Juan carried out one more treatment on Stan and commented on how much more relaxed his tendons felt, confirming another aspect of Bowen Therapy, that the healing continues long after treatment. Today, J reports that Stan seems so much improved it is hard to remember he had a limp at all.

Dogs are wonderful companions and give their owners a lot of love, and no owner ever wants to see their dog in pain or suffering. It’s good to know that Bowen Therapy could help your dog heal from an injury or other issue, much in the way many people report it has done for them, and possibly even save you a lot of money in expensive surgery or ongoing longer-term treatments. Why not find out if Bowen Therapy could help your dog?

Sciatica Gone – One Treatment!

9 June, 20219 June, 2021 by Paloma, posted in Testimonial

L was struggling with sciatica pain around her bottom and hips, with the pain sometimes spreading further down her leg. Since starting a job which involved spending an hour driving each way, she noticed that her sciatica had worsened. L practised yoga and had tried other types of stretches and exercise, but none of these improved her sciatica. She had also invested a lot of money in massage therapy, which helped with relaxation but didn’t have any effect on the sciatic pain.

Through a family member, L found out about Paloma Bowen Therapy and made an appointment with Juan to see if it might help. L found his professional and friendly approach put her at ease and his knowledge of anatomy, and what might cause sciatica, enabled her to visualise the root of her problem and have confidence in resolving it.

The treatment itself was very gentle with only minimal moves throughout; as someone used to intense tissue stimulation from massage, L was pleasantly surprised how light-touch Bowen Therapy is.

After just one treatment, L reported an immediate and significant improvement. In the following days, she noticed she could sit comfortably and drive to and from work without pain. She was amazed!

L also noticed a dramatic improvement in her overall posture. As a tall woman, she had tended to stoop around shorter friends, but with her improved posture, she now stands tall comfortably.

In her follow up treatment, Juan didn’t seem as amazed as L was, as he knew the potential of Bowen Therapy to vastly improve conditions such as sciatica. He was really pleased for L, however.

L enquired whether a third treatment would be necessary, and Juan advised that with Bowen Therapy, ‘less is best’. However, he was happy to do further treatments if L wanted to, perhaps to address some other niggles and pains. His openness and honesty reassured L, as many other therapies tend to require lots of ongoing treatment, which can be costly.

L says she wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Juan and Paloma Bowen Therapy to anyone – not only did it address her sciatica, but clearly had a beneficial effect on her whole body and wellbeing.

Walking Pains Disappeared

9 June, 2021 by Paloma, posted in Testimonial

In her spare time, J works for a guided walks company, accompanying groups of walkers on picturesque walks throughout the UK. These walks typically span two to three days and often involve going up mountains and down into valleys. As a woman in her mid-fifties, J wanted a hobby which combined her love of the outdoors with a way of exercising and staying fit.

After doing several of these guided walks, she noticed a new pain in her lower legs whenever she was ongoing up any kind of steep incline. Having never had this pain before, she was unsure what would be the best way to treat it. She visited her GP who advised trying painkillers and was willing to refer her for physiotherapy. Unfortunately, the waiting list for physiotherapy was months long and she had several guided walks coming up soon.

J found out about Paloma Bowen Therapy and contacted Juan who was able to make an appointment very quickly, just a few days before her next scheduled walk. She was pleased that he didn’t seem overly concerned about her condition and was confident that Bowen Therapy could help.

J found the first treatment very relaxing, and she felt better immediately; not only in her lower legs but overall, which was an unexpected bonus for her. Juan gave her some simple stretching and strengthening exercise and advised she try these before and after a long walk, which she did.

J was amazed that after just one treatment, she was able to do a long guided walk, with lots of uphill and downhill parts, without the pain she had been experiencing. Her lower leg muscles still felt a little sore in the days following, but there was none of the sharp pain she had been getting.

In the second treatment, Juan advised that it was likely the soleus muscles which were weak and suddenly having to work very hard. By explaining in simple terms how J’s lower leg muscles worked, she was able to plan and prepare more effectively to build up those muscles and ensure proper stretching before, during and after a walk.

Following the second treatment, J noticed even less pain on the next walk, to the point where everything felt normal. J couldn’t wait until her third session to let Juan know – she was overjoyed!

Having never heard of Bowen Therapy before, J had prepared herself for a long process of physiotherapy and having to endure pain in the meantime. Now she knows about Bowen Therapy, J recommends it to anyone with any kind of condition, as she is aware Bowen can be used to treat any issue due to its unique approach of helping the body to heal itself. Of course, J recommends Juan specifically, whom she found to be really supportive and knowledgable. He not only took an interest in her condition but was interested in J as a person achieving her goal of walking pain-free.

New Baby, New Pains

24 April, 201924 July, 2019 by Paloma, posted in Testimonial

I had my first child around six months ago, and since then, I have noticed new pains in my shoulders, my upper back and a general feeling of being restricted in my movements. Before my pregnancy, and for some time during, I practised Yoga and was used to being supple and generally didn’t have muscle pain.

I knew Juan in a personal capacity, and he offered to help with Bowen. I was amazed by how different I felt after just one session, feeling immediately looser and relaxed in my shoulders and upper back. After the third and final session, I felt like I had before being pregnant and perhaps even better! I haven’t had any issues since, but if I ever need a top-up, I know where to go.

Although I know Juan independently of his Bowen practice, he was entirely professional and treated me as an individual client, objectively and confidentially. I have recommended Bowen to all my mum’s group, and I hope that they will go for treatment as it has worked wonders for me.

Restricted Shoulder and Tennis Elbow

24 October, 201829 July, 2019 by Paloma, posted in Testimonial

My work is very manual and involves lots of different movements, from lifting and carrying, to reaching and holding things tightly. Over time, my shoulder had become increasingly problematic to the point where any movement was limited and painful.

Alongside this, my elbow had started to become painful, and most noticeably when I gripped anything. Even a handshake became impossible without causing pain!

I tried physio and other treatments, such as heat and ice packs, and was taking painkillers daily to manage the pain – something I didn’t want to do. Nothing was working.

Having reached the point where my job was becoming unmanageable, I was told about Bowen Therapy by a friend, who recommended Juan at Paloma to me. I hadn’t heard of Bowen before and was a little sceptical about whether it could help, but my GP had told me that tennis elbow and shoulder pain could take up to two years to heal itself!!

Juan was very caring and understanding of my situation, and reassured me that although shoulder injuries can take a long time to heal, that Bowen was likely to improve my situation. He was right! Immediately after the first session I was able to shake his hand and lift my arm above my shoulder level without pain – an hour earlier this would have been impossible.

Juan treated me over several weeks (with gaps in between) and after each session my tennis elbow and painful shoulder continued to improve. It’s now 6-months later and I am completely pain free and able to do all that my job requires without any problems. I still can’t believe just how much things have changed.

I can’t recommend Juan highly enough. I’ve since been back for further treatment on my lower back, as I pulled a muscle working with heavy equipment. Again, after just one session, I feel much better and believe my back will be back to normal in no time.

Runner’s Knee and Shin Splints

6 September, 201824 July, 2019 by Paloma, posted in Testimonial

I thoroughly enjoyed and benefitted from my Bowen Therapy with Juan. The therapy itself identified issues with my feet and with my hip. I had initially booked in to address runners knee and shin splints. Juan treated my hip, knee and ankle. I had only positive side effects from this and found myself energised each week in between sessions. After completing the therapy, I’ve got back into my running, with the barefoot trainers Juan recommended and had zero issues with my knee or shins.

As a therapist, Juan was attentive and professional. He highlighted posture issues and addressed them with the appropriate therapy. I felt comfortable throughout our sessions and highly trusted and valued his nutritional and lifestyle advice, which I have followed and of which I am now seeing the positive benefits. I couldn’t recommend him highly enough.

Tender Coccyx

5 September, 201829 July, 2019 by Paloma, posted in Testimonial

Some years ago, I fell on some ice and landed hard on my coccyx. Following this accident, whenever I went over a bump while driving my car, or sat down on a particularly hard seat, I experienced a sharp pain around that area. I believed that it was a situation I would have to live with, even though it affected my quality of life, making me hesitant to try certain activities or go to certain places.

A friend recommended Bowen Therapy, so I contacted Juan at Paloma, who was very happy to see if he could help me. He explained how the coccyx is a very sensitive area, connected directly to the spinal cord, and that’s why any injury can be very painful, and even cause severe headaches or migraines for some people. In the first session, he did an initial treatment to balance my body before directly treating my coccyx in the second session.

After only the one coccyx treatment, the pain had disappeared! I was driving a few days afterwards and hit an unseen hole in the road and noticed that I had no pain. Previously, this would have resulted in sharp shooting pain.

Juan was very professional and made me feel very much at ease. As a woman, I felt very reassured and comfortable in Juan’s competent care. I would recommend him to anyone with any injury, and especially for coccyx pain.

Arthritis of the Hip and Joint Inflammation

20 May, 201824 July, 2019 by Paloma, posted in Testimonial

With a preference for holistic and alternative therapy, I was keen to explore Bowen to help relieve some of the pain caused by severe hip arthritis and joint inflammation in various parts of my body.

I welcomed an opportunity to form a case study for Juan who has demonstrated a real passion for his work and a genuine interest in my wellbeing.

Despite his relatively short clinical experience, Juan has adopted a very professional manner, balancing confidence and knowledge with a very personal and simplistic approach.

There are definite signs that my body is responding to the treatments, and I’m looking forward to working further with Juan on my journey towards better health. It’s been a very encouraging introduction to Bowen Therapy.

Chronic Shoulder Problems

20 April, 201824 July, 2019 by Paloma, posted in Testimonial

Juan carried out several Bowen Therapy sessions on me. He is a confident and knowledgeable practitioner with a calm and reassuring manner.

Juan recorded a comprehensive medical history and clearly explained how the therapy sessions would be carried out (left shoulder injury, muscle tension, general muscle weakness, low energy levels, kidney therapy). A range of therapies were applied (each one clearly explained) which resulted in relaxation and a general sense of wellbeing.

There was an increase of physical energy after each session and the experience of mental clarity. There were no noticeable side-effects to the therapy.

The treatment addressed muscle tightness and imbalance and produced healing effects in the left shoulder area treated. The treatment was non-invasive and was applied to targeted areas in which I could feel noticeable improvements with each session.

I would highly recommend Juan to others seeking Bowen Therapy as a competent, trustworthy, insightful therapist.