The effects of The Bowen Technique on hamstring flexibility over time

This research paper is a controlled trial looking into the impact or potential dangers of bowen therapy on Hamstring injuries and lower back pain. It concludes that a single treatment of the Bowen Technique significantly increases the flexibility of the hamstring muscles in asymptomatic individuals and maintains this level of increase for one week, demonstrating continuing improvements.

The hamstring muscles are regularly implicated in recurrent injuries, movement dysfunction and low back pain. Links between limited flexibility and development of neuromusculoskeletal symptoms are frequently reported. The Bowen Technique is used to treat many conditions including lack of flexibility. The study set out to investigate the effect of the Bowen Technique on hamstring flexibility over time. An assessor-blind, prospective, randomised controlled trial was performed on 120 asymptomatic volunteers. Participants were randomly allocated into a control group or Bowen group. Three flexibility measurements occurred over one week, using an active knee extension test. The intervention group received a single Bowen treatment. A repeated measures univariate analysis of variance, across both groups for the three time periods, revealed significant within-subject and between-subject differences for the Bowen group. Continuing increases in flexibility levels were observed over one week.

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