I’ve suffered on and off from lower back pain for a while and being 6 months pregnant isn’t helping much. I‘m doing yoga, taking vitamins and avoiding heavy lifting, but I’m a bit wary about treatments that rely on snapping and cracking my spine back into shape. I need a gentler touch.

A couple of years ago I was introduced to Bowen Therapy by a friend who used me as a guinea pig whilst training to become a practitioner. I love a  local treatment and it doesn’t come much more ‘local’ than Bowen; Geelong’s Tom Bowen developed this holistic and non-intrusive therapy around 50 years ago.

Bowen is safe for everyone, from children and pregnant women to arthritis sufferers and the elderly, and can be carried out directly on the body or through clothing. Some people only require few treatments and others use Bowen regularly for general health maintenance.

During a session, the practitioner performs a series of gentle moves across fascia or soft tissue associated with particular muscle groups, tendons, ligaments or nerves. After each movement, the therapist leaves the room or pauses for the muscles to realign, allowing the body to respond and the healing process to begin.

On the day of the treatment, drink lots of water and abstain from rigorous exercise. Your Bowen therapist may also recommend exercises and stretches to maximise the potential effects of the treatment.

Bowen is a bit of a ‘cure all’ and can be used for musculoskeletal injuries, frozen shoulder, headaches, abdominal and digestive issues, fatigue, insomnia, stress and back and neck pain. If you’d like to give it a try, I’d recommend the lovely Nina George who’s based in Port Melbourne.