# Bowen Technique

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowen-technique/588751>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [July 12, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowen-technique/588751 "2011-07-12T15:07:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowen-technique/588751/1 "2011-07-12T15:07:09Z")

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Inspired by the recent Reiki thread. Anybody tried this?

I had a few sessions after recommendation from several people who’d pulled muscles, hurt their backs etc. Strange sensation of someone doing very small movements, then schlepping off for a while, coming back and doing a little more. Unfortunately the registered nurse giving the treatment had to go away for a while so I got stuck mid treatment. It definitely helped me, so I’ll be going for more when she returns.

Skeptic friends: Why go back if it didn’t cure you?  
Me; There’s a lot going on with my back & neck that a few treatments wouldn’t solve.

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**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowen-technique/588751/2 "2011-07-12T15:17:15Z")

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Sounds mildly [cranky](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowen_Technique), but at least there’s actual touch involved—unlike Reiki, which I gather involves waving your magical hands over the subject _à la_ Star Trek tricorder.

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**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowen-technique/588751/3 "2011-07-12T15:23:52Z")

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The default position for pretty much any therapy like this is that it doesn’t work. Certainly not through the mechanism claimed (if _any_ mechanism is claimed at all)

There is very little of its therapeutic effects that cannot be explained via the placebo effect.

You are in a calm environment, having your non-specific, non-life threatening ailment being personally attended to and being relieved of large wodges of cash in the process. You are likely to want this to work and voilà, you experience a benefit.

You may well feel it helped you, I don’t doubt it. Problem is that often under properly controlled conditions these therapies do not show a significant effect.

Feel free to cut out and copy this explanation for most new-age therapies and alternative medicine.

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**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowen-technique/588751/4 "2011-07-13T01:25:38Z")

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Thanks. I’m still hoping someone will come along who’s tried it. It’s a form of massage really.