Application of Canine Bowen Technique (CBT) for Holistic Treatment of Dogs & Cats
Canine Bowen Technique (CBT) is a soft-tissue remedial technique involving ‘light-touch’ moves of fingers or thumbs over muscle, ligament, tendon and/or fascia at specific points of the dog’s body. The work is very subtle and involves no hard or prolonged pressure. It offers dogs a gentle, non-invasive and effective hands-on technique that aims to promote healing, pain-relief and body/energy rebalancing.
Canine Bowen Technique is a holistic technique. By “holistic” we mean that it “treats the body as a whole, without referral to named disease”. So Canine Bowen Technique Association (CBTA) practitioners do not treat the veterinary-diagnosed disease or condition per se, but treat the dog, as they see it, on the day.
Canine Bowen Technique is not a substitute/replacement for normal veterinary care, but rather is complementary to it.Increasingly, there are many issues and ailments for which conventional veterinary medicine (or allopathy) may not provide all the answers. Especially as age becomes a factor in our pets’ lives, issues such as arthritis take over and we may not always readily know how to tackle something for which there may not be an adequate treatment in allopathy.
Enter alternative therapies, such as Bowen Therapy. In tandem with veterinary visits and conventional diagnoses, such alternate, miraculous therapies really shine.
Bowen Therapy, developed by Tom Bowen in Australia, is a body-work technique that was actually initially developed for humans, and later adapted to animals such as dogs, horses etc. Essentially, it involves very soft, light touches to certain soft tissue points on the dog’s body.
Originally developed over half a century ago for use in humans, Bowen Therapy has also been adapted to animals – including dogs — with great success.
You may have heard of Bowen Therapy for humans, but this non-manipulative modality for pain relief and injury recovery has also been adapted for use in animals. Animal Bowen Therapy is having a significant impact on the lives of dogs and other animals, and yields remarkable success in treating a wide array of conditions.
What is Bowen Therapy?
Bowen Therapy stems from the work of Australian therapist, Tom Bowen (1916-1982). He treated an estimated 13,000 human patients a year with the techniques he developed, and saw an 80% to 85% success rate in reducing symptoms associated with a wide range of conditions. After his death, many of his students continued his legacy; today, Bowen Therapy is practiced in many countries and is taught worldwide.
This unique therapy can help accelerate healing and recovery with only a few precise “moves”. It works with the autonomic nervous system and helps detoxify the body by putting it in rest and repair mode. When performed on specific points, each Bowen move activates the nerve cells, which send a message to the brain. The brain receives the signal, processes it, then responds back, asking the body to re-balance itself.
Bowen therapy uses a holistic technique to stretch the soft connective tissue in the body. This gentle stretching can promote pain relief in the muscles and alleviate related neurological conditions.
Bowen therapy, also known as Bowtech or Bowenwork, originated in Australia. This holistic therapy may provide some relief, but evidence of its effectiveness is limited and mixed.
Bowen is a holistic therapy – it’s not meant to isolate a specific ailment, symptom or condition, but factors in the body as a whole. Animal Bowen Therapy takes into account the dog’s lifestyle, emotional state and overall well-being. By observing the dog’s movement, physical symptoms and imbalances, a practitioner can tap into his blueprint and reset his body to heal itself.
What are Animal Bowen treatments like?
A Bowen treatment consists of a series of small light-touch moves across fibres, muscles, tendons and ligaments at precise locations on the body. The practitioner generates a vibration (Bowen Move) in a specific area, which if given enough time, resonates until the tissue tension in the area is reduced and relaxed.
Each dog’s unique needs dictate the treatments and moves. The dog is either lying or standing comfortably and is never forced to physically participate. Periodic breaks are required to allow the body time to realign and rectify itself before the next sequence of moves.
The first Bowen treatment takes about an hour, and includes an assessment of the dog’s movement, imbalances and symptoms. Sessions are spaced a week apart for optimal results. A series of treatments is generally recommended for most conditions, each building on the last. Longstanding issues may require additional treatments or a maintenance plan.
What are the benefits?
Animal Bowen Therapy can effectively relieve acute and chronic pain, improve posture and joint mobility, speed recovery from injuries and accidents, reduce physical and emotional stress, and enhance overall health and energy. Here are just some conditions Animal Bowen Therapy can help resolve:
- Stifle injury
- Shoulder/neck injuries
- Degenerative myelopathy
- Digestive issues
- Spondylosis
- Spine misalignment
Most dogs experience relief after three sessions, and often the results are surprising. Many people report that while their dogs were undergoing treatment for one concern, they also experienced restored movement and energy, changes in hair coat, and reduced emotional and behavioral responses.
Animal Bowen Therapy is a safe and gentle modality, with rapid and powerful effects that will promote your dog’s health and overall well-being.
Canine Bowen Therapy assists dogs with:
- Osteoarthritis
- Dogs recuperating from illness
- Lower back soreness
- Hind limb and tail injuries
- Intervertebral disc disease
- Hip dysplasia
- Patellar luxation
- Shoulder and fore limb disorders
- Head / neck or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders
- Breathing disorders
- Stress / anxiety disorders
The technique
The basic technique consist of sets of small, gentle, precise moves performed using the thumbs, fingers or palms. Each move starts with a preparatory action called “taking slack”, in which a small “reserve” of loose tissue is created.
- This is done by first moving the skin overlying a specific muscle or tendon to the edge of the structure, in the direction opposite to which the move will be performed.
- Gentle pressure is applied and held against the edge of the muscle or structure, so as to stretch and displace it slightly from its normal shape and position. This is called the “challenge” (Figure 1a).
- A slow rolling move is made back over the muscle or structure while maintaining the light pressure. The muscle or tendon springs back to its original shape and position as the thumb or fingers pass over it (Figure 1b). This is a dynamic event, similar to plucking a string on an instrument.
- Finally, a two-minute “hands-off” wait ensues to allow time for the nervous system to respond. Changes in tissue tension, mental/emotional state, and energy/activity are seen to occur during this waiting period.
The most basic sequence of moves is performed along the spine, and is aimed at balancing/releasing tissue tension from the cervical vertebrae to the sacrum and coccyx. During the course of a treatment, some moves may be repeated or augmented with additional procedures to address other areas or organs. The moves are usually done only once or twice over an area, the pauses observed, then the next region addressed.
Physiological basis and theory
There is no clear consensus as to how the Bowen moves work. Anatomically, the various moves are made over sites of acupuncture points and meridians, trigger points, neurolymphatic reflex points, and proprioceptors of the joints. Alpha motor neurons, which directly initiate skeletal muscle contraction, receive both inhibitory input from the Golgi tendon organs and excitatory input from muscle spindle fibers that are activated by the stretching action of the challenge. Skin pressure and vibration from the “plucking” effect of the moves also stimulate somatic sensory pathways which convey information to the alpha motor neuron and by various spinal tracts to the thalamus, then the somatosensory cortex, prefrontal cortex, and limbic system. The latter includes areas associated with behavior and emotion, conditioned fear and anxiety, memory, sympathetic inhibition, and the fight or flight response.
Veterinary clinical applications
TB/AB {Touch Balancing/Animal Bowen™ (TB/AB)}
is a good first line therapy for any condition in which physical or emotional stress is a factor. In any emergency or acute condition, one or two specific moves can be employed to help reduce shock and pain.
- For chronic musculoskeletal conditions including back pain, sacroiliac pain, or cervical problems, a TB/AB treatment can immediately begin to address compensation patterns of movement or muscle use that may be contributing to overall painfulness, and improve freedom of movement.
- Specific procedures for respiratory and digestive issues can help correct a variety of problems in these systems, and support homeostasis.
- There are even instances of this technique being instrumental in restoring normal blood glucose values in a diabetic animal.
- TB/AB can often address emotional/behavioral issues associated with fear, physical trauma or abuse. Dr. Peck (co-author of this article) has had very good success treating thunderstorm phobia and separation anxiety in dogs using only this technique.
TB/AB is a versatile, wide-ranging and effective therapy that has many uses in equine and small animal veterinary practice. Because it is very non-invasive, most animals will accept treatment with minimum restraint and quickly come to enjoy it. It is particularly valuable for subtle or difficult to diagnose problems, for rehabilitation after injury, and to improve or maintain performance in show or sport horses; but it also can help chronic gastrointestinal, respiratory or behavioral problems.
Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
Image-Courtesy-Google
Reference-On Request.
