For Stefan

For Stefan http://forstefan.com Creating a wonderful life for Stefan For Stefan For Stefan Evo RSS Parser 60 For Stefan http://forstefan.com/images/evo/minilogo.gif http://forstefan.com 94 15 For Stefan en-us admin@forstefan.com 2012-05-20T21:20:32-04:00 hourly 1 2012-05-20T21:20:32-04:00 Bowen Therapy http://forstefan.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=13#13 Bowen Technique is a generic term used to describe a variety of therapies based on the work of the Australian body worker, Mr. Tom Bowen (Thomas Ambrose Bowen 1916–1982). The term Bowen Technique is often used interchangeably with the term Bowen Therapy.

Tom Bowen’s work consisted, for a large part, of rolling or flicking moves over muscles, tendons and ligaments. Mr. Bowen was very holistic in his work, often treating the whole body and not just the immediate area of a problem. He referred to himself as an Osteopath prior to the term becoming a protected title in the state of Victoria in the 1970s.
Contents

History
The Early Years

Tom Bowen was a manual labourer, working and living in Geelong, Australia. In the 1940s, Mr. Bowen’s wife suffered from asthma, and he was determined to help her. Tom Bowen began to develop ways of treating his wife using hands-on therapy. He also changed her diet, and ordered “medicine” from a pharmacist in Queensland. His wife’s condition improved dramatically and her family believe this was due to the “medicine”, diet and hands-on work that Tom Bowen provided.

In the 1950s Tom Bowen began visiting a renowned “physical manipulator” by the name of Ernie Saunders. It is from Ernie that Tom learnt the basis of his work. Others, including Bill Mitchell, also studied with Ernie around that time. There is a striking similarity between the work of Tom Bowen and Bill Mitchell.

In the late 1950s, Tom Bowen began a part-time practice from a friend's home. He did this in the evenings while working full time at the Geelong Cement Works. Through word-of-mouth, his practice grew quickly. Eventually he opened a full-time practice in Geelong.
The rest of Tom Bowen’s career

As Tom Bowen’s reputation grew, other therapists wanted to learn from him. He would take on interns who would observe him working for half a day a week. If Bowen did not believe someone had what it took to learn his work, he would not keep them on. It is generally believed that there were six people who spent a significant amount of time with Bowen. These were:

   Dr. Nigel Love (Chiropractor, Geelong)
   Kevin Neave
   Oswald Rentsch (Masseur, Hamilton)
   Keith Davis
   Dr. Romney Smeeton (Chiropractor, Colac)
   Dr. Kevin Ryan (Osteopath, Geelong)

As Bowen continued to develop his technique until his death in 1982, those who interned with him came away with different perspectives on how he worked. This was also influenced by their previous education and professional experience.

It is known that Tom Bowen asked Dr. Romney Smeeton, Dr. Kevin Ryan and Mr. Oswald Rentsch to pass on his work to others. It is unclear whether he asked the same of his other students.
Methodology

The Bowen Technique involves a gentle, rolling massage, with only very light contact. The 'rolls' are supposed to either tighten or loosen off muscles depending on the way the move is done.

The practitioner will stimulate sets of vaguely described points, often with approximately two minute pauses, to allow the body to respond to the stimulation. In some unexplained way, the body supposedly integrates it into the "body's system", such system not having been adequately described as yet. The Bowen Technique is a form of massage, and it claims to release areas of built-up stress in the muscles, and clients describe experiences of profound relaxation after a session, often falling asleep after the first few moves. However, no data has been systematically gathered on this aspect of Bowen Therapy.

A view held by some Bowen Therapists, although no evidence nor plausible explanation exists, is that the specific way that Bowen Technique addresses the muscles stimulates the stretch and golgi tendon reflexes as well as joint proprioceptors in a way that heightens the sensory awareness of the body in the area worked on. This can lead to strange sensations such as heat release, tingling and a general increased awareness of the areas being worked. These sensations are sometimes mistakenly associated with some form of "energy healing". Through increasing sensory awareness the move taps into the body’s ability to self regulate which, in turn, practitioners claim stimulate the body to heal itself.

It is claimed that Bowen is a stand alone therapy, and should not be mixed with other treatments, however no evidence exists for this claim. Bowen himself was very specific about his clients not receiving other treatments for at least seven days after a Bowen session and did not perform any other therapies himself.

Variations of soft tissue manipulation are practised in the UK medical system, however Bowen Therapy remains an unproven, and not widely accepted therapy.
Research

To date only three experimental studies have been performed that have collected data following treatment of the Bowen Technique. Firstly a study by Kinnear and Baker (1999)[1] was performed, entitled Frozen Shoulder Research Programme. This study considered the effects of Bowen on shoulder flexibility and pain. The study showed significant improvements (p<0.05) in shoulder flexibility compared with the control group. Changes in complaints of pain were not tested statistically. Lack of ethical, methodological and analytical detail in this study draws caution to the strength of inference from the findings.

A further study by Whitaker et al. (1999) investigated the effect of heart rate variability and ANS changes in subjects treated with Bowen. Two groups were treated - those with medically diagnosed fibromyalgia (n=7), and a group without pathology or symptoms (n=11). The results showed a significant change in HRV in the fibromyalgia group but not in the asymptomatic group, mainly demonstrating a decrease in heart rate. All subjects in the former group reported some relief in symptoms. However, three of the fibromyalgia group were used for more than one reading, resulting in 11 sets of data per group, thereby raising issues of methodological bias. Furthermore with no control or placebo group, HRV comparisons are not possible, giving rise to questions of validity.

The first properly conducted study, with approval from ethics and applying strict methodology using The Bowen Technique has now been completed and was accepted for presentation at the First International Fascia Research Congress in Boston in October 2007 (Abstract[2].) This examined the effect of The Bowen Technique on Hamstring flexibility in asymptomatic individuals and was conducted by Michelle Marr BSc (Hons) PT MCSP, senior lecturer at Coventry University and Julian Baker Principal Instructor of The European College of Bowen Studies. The study concluded that "A single treatment of the Bowen technique significantly increases the flexibility of the hamstring muscles in healthy subjects and maintains this increase for a period of one week" (see reference for full conclusion).
Application

A typical session takes place over 30 to 45 minutes, with occasional 2-5 minute breaks during the session to allow the body to respond to the treatment. Sessions are usually part of a series of three to five sessions, beginning with general stress loading points such as the lower and upper back, before moving on to problem areas specific to the person being treated. However, for the sensitive individual, a session can last only 10–15 minutes.

The Bowen Technique has been used on animals as well, and practitioners of Bowen Technique for animals can be found all over the world. There is currently no evidence that the technique has any beneficial effect on animals. It is claimed that the Bowen Technique helps to "re-balance the body, increasing performance, relieving muscle and tendon strain, and increasing quality of life for both performance animals and pets", however these claims are yet to be proven through properly controlled, randomised studies.]]> 13@http://forstefan.com Bowen Therapy 2011-03-25T00:36:25-04:00 Ability Camp http://forstefan.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=12#12
ABILITY CAMP

Whether your child was a preemie born with complications, a child with a brain injury or Cerebral Palsy or if you are an adult that has suffered a stroke you should never have to wonder, "Isn't there something more that I could be doing?"

Ability Camp offers an intensive training and rehabilitation program improving the lives and functional outcomes for preemies born with complications and children with brain injury or Cerebral Palsy as well as adults who have suffered a stroke or brain injury. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy combined with Conductive Education programs in a setting where families can stay together and support each other while having the ability to use the therapy equipment after the class is unique and families have travelled from all over the world to attend.

This intensive training goes well beyond traditional therapies and has been able to produce results and recovery far above the standard therapy, treatment and rehabilitation.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is used in an attempt to stimulate areas of the brain that may be under active named "The Recoverable Brain" by the late Dr. Neubauer. By combining Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy with an intensive training known as Conductive Education we help teach the brain to form neural pathways and communicate with the body more effectively.

Many parents have commented their children have learned more in five weeks than they had in five years of traditional therapy and adults that have suffered complications from a stroke or brain injury have still been able to make progress as much as 15 years later following the injury.

Our programs help improve gross and fine motor skills, balance, mobility and independence. These concentrated sessions provide time for clients to learn new skills, repeat, and reinforce these skills on a daily basis.

If you are looking for something more than traditional therapy, treatment and rehabilitation you have come to the right place, please take a look around the website, and contact us for additional information including a free DVD. Over the past 14years we have been very successful at helping people improve and change their lives.

We also offer Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Autism, ADD, ADHD, Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and other non traditional uses.

More info ;  ABILITY CAMP ]]> 12@http://forstefan.com Ability Camp 2011-03-25T00:29:34-04:00 Purpose Society http://forstefan.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=11#11 Welcome to the Purpose Society. Our staff are committed to working with you and your family to meet your goals. The Purpose Society was established in 1983 and has provided social services to thousands of children, youth and families. Currently, we provide the following services or programs:

Edmonds Youth Resource Center
Family Futures
Food Bags, Showers, and Laundry
HIV/AIDS Educational, Support Services and Resource Library
Kitchener Out of School Care
Madison Daycare
Pregnancy Support
Ready Set Grow Daycare for Young Parents
Rosser Daycare
Young Adult Learning Centre
Youth and Family Caseworkers
Youth Source and free Youth Medical Clinic
Yukon Crescent Daycare

Program brochures are available in the lobby of the main building. If you can’t find what you are looking for PLEASE ASK us to help you find it.

How to Receive Service or Make a Referral
To find out more about the services that are currently being offered by the Society, to receive service or to make a referral, call the main administrative office at 604 526-2522.

Our Approach
Purpose staff realize that families and individuals are the experts about their life. We take a client centered approach to our work. Taking a client centered approach means that during the time you receive services from us, your goals come first. We are guided by what you say you want and/or need.

Services offered focus on the health, resiliency and resourcefulness of individuals. Services are provided in a safe and respectful environment where diversity, differences and connection to community are valued.

Website : Purpose Society

]]> 11@http://forstefan.com Purpose Society 2011-03-25T00:20:34-04:00 Stefan's fund Raiser Dinner http://forstefan.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=10#10

Please come to a Fund Raiser for Stefan!! Sat. Nov.13th, 6:30pm til 1:30 am at the Pearl Banquet Hall 201-13030 76th Ave. Surrey. Dinner, dance, silent auction. Tickets $25 per person. Call 778-317-0853 If you can't make the event you can donate an item for the silent auction. Love to see all our friends there..... ? This is to set up a trust fund for him. : )

]]> 10@http://forstefan.com Stefan's fund Raiser Dinner 2010-10-18T02:02:01-04:00 HBOT Benefits http://forstefan.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=7#7 The science of medicinal uses of concentrated oxygen has been developing rapidly over the past several years. HBOT provides a means to flush our bodies with pure oxygen and undo some of the damage caused by breathing poor quality air. Research has shown that at 1.5 ATA, many of the regulatory hormones, neurotransmitters, and enzyme systems operate in a balanced, optimized state. HBOT also produces several long term health benefits, including enhanced growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis), optimization of the immune system's ability to remove toxins and destroy bacteria, increase the activity of fibroblasts (the cells responsible for tissue repair) and enhanced metabolic activity in previously inactive brain cells. ]]> 7@http://forstefan.com HBOT Benefits 2010-08-18T02:35:14-04:00 The Physiology of HBOT http://forstefan.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=6#6 The limiting factor of oxygenation at normal pressures (1.0 ATA) is our own blood and tissue physiology. At 1.0 ATA (atmospheres absolute), the red blood cells are able to carry only a limited amount of oxygen, which includes a very small percentage (about 3%) dissolved into our blood plasma. At higher pressures, oxygen is more readily dissolved in all bodily fluids, including blood, plasma, lymphatic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, and interstitial fluid.

   This increase in oxygenation helps to reverse states of tissue oxygen depletion, known clinically as hypoxia, which is often a leading cause of cellular damage during disease states.

   It is important to understand the difference in physiology between healthy and injured tissues. Research has demonstrated that oxygen administered to healthy patients results in an action called vasoconstriction, meaning that once their blood vessel walls and surrounding tissues have been sufficiently saturated with oxygen, the vessels themselves constrict to restrict the flow of blood to the tissues. This is a natural protective mechanism of the body, which aids in reducing the toxicity of too much oxygen to healthy tissues. However, in damaged tissues, where oxygen toxicity is less of a concern due to an already depleted state of tissue oxygenation, the vessels remain open and dilated until the hypoxic state is reversed. This phenomenon allows the oxygen to be routed through the body via the pathways in which it is most needed by the tissues.

   At higher pressures (those approaching 3.0 ATA), oxygen's toxic properties are used to fight infections and cause damage to susceptible cancer cells. These effects occur in a therapeutic window between the level of oxygen that is toxic to us as complex human organisms and the level that is toxic to simpler organisms and single cells such as bacteria and tumor cells. Research in this area has proven quite promising and more research is currently underway.]]> 6@http://forstefan.com The Physiology of HBOT 2010-08-18T02:29:54-04:00 What is HBOT? http://forstefan.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=5#5 HBOT is normal oxygen delivered under pressure at higher concentrations for medical and prescriptive purposes. "Hyperbaric" is any pressure greater than the pressure at sea level (1.0 ATA). The greater the pressure, the greater the dose of oxygen delivered. In addition to pressurization, the percentage of oxygen is increased from room air (21% oxygen) to a maximum of 100% oxygen.]]> 5@http://forstefan.com What is HBOT? 2010-08-18T02:21:22-04:00