Please see diagram, this is to illiastrate how a “hidden primary” leads to pain in different areas.

This “client” presents with lower back pain and sciatia in the right leg, and also mentions that his left shoulder is hurting.

However, the primary dysfunction on this example is on the left hand side of the neck this causes a dural drag through out the body

So if the therapist works on the localised pain in the back and in the shoulder, you may get some short term relief. However, a long term solution will not reached untill the primary dysfunction is resolved.

When practiced efficiently, this approach allows the Bowen therapist to optimise the function of the Central Nervous System (CNS) through a simple process of locating and correcting relevant spinal dysfunctions (the ‘locating’ is carried out using holistic assessment  and screening methods and the correction is achieved with regular Bowen Therapy).  In this way, the Bowen Technique may be used to correct significant spinal, pelvic and cranial dysfunction.

Importantly, the same holistic assessment methods can be re-employed post-treatment to verify that a particular treatment was successful.

The Vertebral Subluxation

According to the World Health Organization, a vertebral subluxation is “A lesion or dysfunction in a joint or motion segment in which alignment, movement integrity and/or physiological function are altered, although contact between joint surfaces remains intact.  It is essentially a functional entity which influences biomechanical and neural integrity”.

As Bowen therapists, we can simply view the vertebral subluxation as a dysfunctional joint associated with disturbance of the nervous system.

The Sustaining Muscle Spasm

As Bowen therapists we direct our treatment interventions at resolving abnormal muscle tensions in the body. Specifically determined which muscle tensions needed therapeutic input in order to restore body function. When it comes to restoring function it is important to recognise that some muscle tensions are more significant than others.

As we have just noted, the vertebral subluxation produces a disturbance in some parts of the CNS which then results in a tension state that we have called the dural drag.  The asymmetry observed with the dural drag (the functional short leg) is best viewed as a secondary tension since it is a tension state that results from the subluxation.  From a Bowen therapy perspective, certain specific and localised muscle tensions may generate and/or sustain  the vertebral subluxation.  These are the muscle tensions which we shall consider to be primary in nature and it is these localised muscle tensions that require the full attention of the Bowen therapist.  Graham Pennington coined the term “sustaining muscle spasm” (SMS) to describe the particular point of spasm or tension that acts to “hold” the spinal subluxation in place, thus helping to sustain functional asymmetry and the short leg.

The chiropractor attempts to restore function and symmetry by directly influencing the spine and its segments. It should be noted that the Bowen therapist achieves these goals by locating and resolving the sustaining muscle spasm.  The overall result of each therapy is to manifest a state of structural integrity of the spine (and other joints) and thereby facilitate optimum function of the central nervous system so that healing and regulation may result.