RE: Document those Reaction / Response from Patients

April 7, 2005

Hi Joe,

Joe [japostol2000]

Can you tell me if the responses that the patient experience(whether bruising, diarrhhea, or whatever the "bodys response") mean anything? Is there any documented cases that they will get response A or response B?

The responses definitely mean something. It is sign that the body is changing. A common experience is a feeling of being achy for a couple of days usually due to release of lactic acid. In the instance of bruising it is usually an issue of the blood flow increasing to the area as part of the healing process. But for me to know ahead of time how they will react is impossible. Some people react very strongly to Bowen and will have a huge reaction, others will receive exactly the same sequence of moves and tell me that nothing changed. Having said that, I can always feel changes under my hands when they return for their next session. So there is cause and effect but it is very subjective. I hate to compare it to taking allopathic medicine but even there the doctor can only tell you some of the known side effects and cannot predict how your body will react. I don't make a big issue of possible responses as I feel that some people will have reactions because I suggested it!! I simply say "Any change, no matter what it is, is a good thing. Keep track of them and let me know." A Bowen session sends signals through the body that restore "rest and digest" in the nervous system but does it very gently by showing the body rather than telling it how to let go. That I can and do explain to my clients along with other descriptions of how the body reacts. The degree of letting go is determined by how much the body can handle releasing at a time. Sometimes the unwinding of compensations can take several days, weeks or even months in the case of old injuries.

Having said all that I am intrigued by the idea of releasing on other levels than the purely physical. I have treated by making the moves above the body in the energy field in the case of areas that are very sensitive or animals that are hard to handle. Does it work? Most definitely. Are the releases different to hands on? I haven't thought about it and not sure how I could compare unless I did hands on one side of the body and hands off the other. That still doesn't allow for the fact that the person wasn't balanced in the first place!!

I also leave the room between each series of moves for the body to integrate the signals. Sometimes when I am treating in someone's house I cannot leave the room but I do try to make sure I am outside that person's energy field so that my energy isn't influencing their changes. Do I tell people this? It depends upon how open they are to the concept of energy etc. I am not above gently talking about how we feel is affected by who we are with to suggest that energy does exist and does play a part in what is happening Everyone can relate to that. With others I can talk freely about the Energy component of what I do, how I work in areas that coincide with acupuncture points, chakras etc. and these are the people that quite often can feel the changes in energy flow during the treatment. I modify what I say and how I say it based upon the person's belief systems and how willing they are to open themselves to the less concrete aspects of healing.

When someone tells me that "something" may or may not happen to me any unknowns are big "what ifs?". How can I distinguish what happens as a response to the treatment as opposed to something totally different?

Yes, this can be tricky for sure. But I ask them to keep track of any changes that occur, no matter how seemingly unrelated. Any change is significant to me and who knows what the cause was?Suggestion:1. Lay things out to the patient as doc said the the road map is important.

Yes, I agree. I have to modify the road map around people's belief systems though. I have a very concrete one for those who require it and can work from there. 2. You may also want to set up your practice so that it is a requirement or it is to their benefit (or however you want to phrase it) that they document and get back with you on how their body's responses were over XX time frame so YOU can continue with the sessions....

I do keep document each move and my own feedback from my hands as I treat. I also sit with the client for a while before starting the treatment to discuss changes, experiences etc. This helps guide me to what to do this session. Having them document it more formally is a great idea and I am going to implement it.

I felt more in control of my situation when they asked me about X, Y or Z or even if they told me to note how I my body is responding to the session.

I do tell people that any feedback during or after a session is very valuable. In some instances people want to know what I am feeling under my hands and I do share. The pauses when I leave the room allow the person to integrate the moves and sometimes they feel shifts during this time. Quite often they go into a very deep relaxation. When it comes time to turn them I always wait until they are ready to turn as, if they are still actively processing, turning too early can disturb this. This also involves them in the treatment, gets them to listen to their bodies.

Did I answer your questions?

Elizabeth