Bowenwork, Therapeutic Yoga, Plus Ayurveda: A Case study

A client referred her brother to me, telling him maybe I could help him avoid surgery. He agreed to try a “woo-woo” approach for that possibility. He had whiplash from a recent car accident. The pain in his spine led him to the ER where they also found a MRSA infection in his thoracic spine between the shoulder blades. He had surgery, via probe, to clean out the infection. There was no stitched incision, but he was still on IV antibiotics with a pic line when I first saw him. He also had a narrowing/tightening of the esophagus and his doctor said the only remedy was surgery, to “stretch” the esophagus. 

Michael’s midback and right shoulder were sore, restricting movement. He had already been out of work for over a month and had another six weeks of recovery. He wanted to be in less pain, be able to breathe and swallow well, and get back to work.

We started with Bowenwork in the first session: BRM’s, Esophagus and Upper Respiratory. He came back two weeks later, amazed. “It felt like you hardly did anything, but my back feels so much better!” His esophagus had also loosened up and was just barely starting to tighten again. 

Over the next couple of sessions I addressed the shoulder restrictions and did UR/TMJ and Coccyx for the whiplash. That third session I also added a bit of scar work over the area of his spine where they inserted the probe and “scraped out” the infection.

After the third session, he said he felt ready to return to work three days a week. He had been off for three months. Self-employed, he laid flooring, usually working alone. Doing heavy manual labor, being out that long, then going back to work is a big risk for reinjury. He agreed to come back for a therapeutic yoga session to develop a morning warm up program for the heavy lifting, squatting, and twisting-with-load movements his work required. 

Two weeks later, after his first three-day work week, he said he felt great! I did the BRM’s and Hamstrings. I also gave him “homework” involving a “seed sound” for the heart chakra, which includes the esophagus, after attending Farida Irani’s class, “Understanding Bowen from the Ayurveda Perspective”. I suggested he chant this out loud when alone in his truck, a little every day, and when his esophagus felt tight.

After that, he returned to work four days a week, and then came in again, mostly for upper back and esophagus work. I did Sternal, using Esophagus instead of Respiratory, for the lower stopper. When he returned a month later, he reported his esophagus was still fine, and that he chanted in his truck daily! 

Just as encouraging was a report from the doctor who had been considering surgery to fuse two vertebrae in his spine. Initially the MRSA infection had greatly deteriorated these plus the disc between, but in a new x-ray they were fusing themselves nicely. 

Michael is an “ideal client” who did his homework! We will still work monthly or so, helping his back adapt and minimizing scar tissue formation. With two surgeries averted, he has become a believer, is referring family, and continues to chant his heart chakra seed sound in his truck!