Looked into Bowen treatment which was recommended over here. Sounded really great but.... I contacted a person who does Bowen and was told it costs £90 per treatment and I needed at least 6 treatments before I know if it helps at all. Decided to pass.
In the meanwhile, started accuptantre every 10 days or so. I thinks it helps, at least with anergy and breathing.
Now on 10mg prednisolone, being investigated for MS.....hope for the best.....
😮 mine costs £30 and I know someone else who does £35 and I'm in a part of the country where prices tend to be on the higher side. Sounds a bit steep to me.
Where are you? I am in London. Found one person that does it around my area.... £30 is reasonable. Does it help you?
Cambridgeshire. I find it is of benefit especially as anything very hands on like massage or reflexology is just too much for me at the moment. I don't have PMR, only GCA, but with the steroids my muscles are rubbish so I injure easily and I also get a bit lopsided with tension. The biopsy also didn't do me any favours.
Hi,
PMRpro always reckons you’ll know after 3 sessions whether it’s going to work.
I had 5 sessions at £50 a time, mind the therapist did other things as well for my arthritis, which all sounded very plausible but unfortunately nothing seemed to work for me - so I gave up!
£90 does sound a bit OTT though.
I also think it is a crazy price and no guarantee for improvement....so not going for it
Hi mepoly20
Good luck regarding further investigations. I had similar investigations in the 90s....was clear and symptoms turned out to be connected to bulging discs in lower back.
Me and Bowen.................PMRpro a very close friend, tried for about 18 months for me to give it a go, I should have listened earlier.
Within 4 sessions, out of wheelchair (still in garage), zimmer frame followed about ` month later. Six months walking stick, now lives in handbag (it folds) and comes out only when pavements etc look uneven.
So yup it worked for me. I still go for booster sessions at six monthly intervals, then I had an op (gall bladder) went a bit awry and ended up with 4 weeks in hospital and three months with District Nurses. So back to Bowen and luckily my lovely Joanna, did home visits for me for one month.
I can confirm that a registered practioner will do no more than three one hour sessions in three consecutive weeks and then tell you it is not working for you.
How can I say this with confidence, because another person who is a family member went and is there was no improvement after the sessions, Joanna told her know more.
BTW, in Australia, there a university degree courses on Bowen. So if a practitioner does not have the qualification.............
Most countries have an organisation for that keeps a list of qualified Bowen Therapists, if they are not on that list. Do not even contemplate trying them or paying them hard cash.
Me: GCA 5 years and 7th year in remission starting on 1 Jan 2018.
I have tried Bowen 3 times- the last one was for PMR and OA. Never worked for me and the last one stirred up something -enough to give me a flare! So not always helpful and at £90 not worth the risk!
Then I would be suspicious she isn't a genuine Bowen therapist and is just out to make money. That is extortionate and any good Bowen therapist will tell you that if it hasn't helped in 3 sessions it probably won't. I was told that by someone who TEACHES Bowen - who you would think would know!
Rates should be more like £35 outside London and some will offer the 3 for £100 or so. This clinic offers half price Thursday afternoons - normal price is £60 - and also some concessionary prices for people with Financial constraints (pensioners????)
thebowenclinic.co.uk/low-cost/
This lot bowentherapyuk.com/index.html
say clearly on their site that, while how long it needs depends on the condition, often 3 or 4 sessions are all that is needed.
It won't cure the PMR - it is the add-ons those of us who use it find it helps with - and you may have to consider it every 6 months or so. I did and so do a few others I know.
Have a look on the Bowen Association site:
bowen-technique.co.uk/find_...
or this one
who are both picky about who they approve. Maybe you'll find someone easily get-at-able with a decent price. Some offer a parallel session - 2 people done at the same time. Each movement is followed by a rest period so it is perfectly possible to treat 2 people in tandem without skipping technique.
All best wishes for a good outcome from the investigations you are going through.
I would not have paid that fee either therapies are more usually £30-50.
I had a disappointing experience with one too. It seemed to be a " laying on of hands" then clearing off into another room without explanation. A bit of a charlatan I think.
I found Acupuncture ridiculously painful - I was surprised and embarrassed.
Let us know how you get on!
Hi mepoly, I paid sixty pounds a session for three sessions, which I thought was pretty steep. In my case it was a total waste of time but a lot of people say they find it really works well for them. I also tried acupuncture which also did nothing for me. All to our own.
While I totally get your search for alternatives, i too have been down the a similar road. just hours prior to being hit with dizziness which woke me up in the night 2 months ago, I had been to an osteopath because my neck was so suddenly stiff, likely the start of ?PMR. I had some gentle stretching of my neck that evening. I will never have that done again.
I also had recently been to a massage therapist who had to suddenly stop due to a pounding pulse in my right neck. She said she had never seen that in her 18 years of massage. Very worrying.
I did find amazing results from Reiki in relieving tension and it is hands free.
All I can say is from my experience, be careful. I have a rheumatological disease nyd ? GCA ? vasculitis ? PMR. I have spent so much on trying to align my spine, get rid of muscular tension, only to end up with this. Prednisone is the only thing that has worked unfortunately.
Thanks for your reply
Bowen Therapy ???
Bowen Therapy - It didn't work for me, but... 
