Living with back pain, whether temporarily or with a chronic condition has the ability to change your entire life, and not for the better.

James Steele spent the first 30 odd years of his life walking on egg shells to prevent another attack of muscle spasm in his lower back which would leave him horizontal for days or even weeks at a time.

After going to many different therapists, “most of them quacks with no qualifications or insurance” Jim came across a chap who was practising a technique called Bowen Therapy.

After just one treatment Jim knew that he had found something amazing, and such was his enthusiasm and belief in this treatment that he vowed to learn how to learn the Bowen technique of healing. Was it not for the suggestion that he should try out a guy who could ‘fix’ backs, Jim believes, and his doctor confirms, that he would have ended up in a wheelchair.

The ‘holy grail’ as Jim calls it now, took him five years to master under the tuition of the Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia which was running courses in Leicester. Post graduate courses have since furthered his knowledge.

Although he spent many years running a successful clinic in Glasgow, he now runs a clinic at his secluded converted farmhouse in Troon. Surrounded by fields it has an enviable view over to the isle of Arran. “I have many farmers that come to me with back pain, particularly at the weekends and evenings, as I know that dairy farmers in particular can’t get to me through the day, but I am fairly flexible in my hours to suit my clients.”

The Bowen Therapy is a treatment that doesn’t just aim to treat one area of the body; it is an all over treatment. “When clients come in, I treat them from their neck to their feet and everything in between.

“It improves structural alignment (makes you stand up better) while reminding the body to go back to its default setting. The treatment works by knowing where the trigger point of each muscle group is located, which in turn releases pain and allows the muscle fascia to become rehydrated and relax itself.”

Jim takes his work very seriously and his enthusiasm and commitment is palpable. He talks excitedly about his future plans to have Bowen Therapy recognised on a wider stage.

He already is part of the Bowen Therapy European Register, and a member of the Complementary and National Health Care Council which was set up by the government. He is striving to have clinical trials set up which will prove the effectiveness of his techniques.

His current project is centred on gaining funding for the Bowen Neural Therapy Research Society which he has set up. He wants to achieve charitable status which will allow him to access funds to will allow him to set up a team of therapists to go to schools across Scotland and show teachers a very simple technique which may well prevent the onset of serious asthma attacks in children.

“Just by using their thumb on the diaphragm, teachers have the ability to save lives, but I have to run a clinical trial first. I would be pleased to trial it on 2000 school children, with half being under the care of their GP and the other half being taught how to do this technique themselves. I am confident that I know what the results will be,” claims Jim.

Jim also claims to have a very good success rate with his clients that he treats for the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. “There is no cure for MS and I am not a miracle worker, indeed the man who did miracles left this planet 2000 years ago, but I have had very good results which allows my MS clients to have a better quality of life, while perhaps helping them to live longer.”

Jim continues: “I am trying to raise awareness of the results that can be achieved by using Bowen Therapy and I would ideally like to see this therapy being prescribed by NHS doctors.

“But unless we have some clinical trials under our belt, then that is unlikely. That is why I am fighting so hard to bring this therapy to the attention of those in the medical profession.”

The other person in this partnership is Jim’s wife Sheila, who is a clinical aromatherapist. Through her work, they have introduced a range of products that Jim and Sheila make for their clients under the name Moss-Grove.

They are having success with their natural arthritis lotion which is made up of therapeutic essential oils, some ‘food-grade’ additives and not much else. All of their products are manufactured using the same blend of healthy ingredients that sits well with their ethos of leaving the planet a little better than they found it, while everything comes with full application instructions and other helpful tips.

Their own cottage industry has grown from producing their lotions, which include: liquid soaps, skin repair lotion, deodorants, foot lotions, muscle ease lotion and a few more (check website for full range), They can turn out around 500 bottles a day, do all their own labelling etc, which keeps costs down.

Jim says: “We are just a little company making the best use of organic essential oils, while making sure there is nothing in our lotions which will harm fish in the sea when washed down the sink. We take that responsibility very seriously.”

“Our skin repair lotion came about to help deal with the cracked dry hands that some, well, probably all, of my farmers who come to me seem to have. This lotion is very good at moisturising and will help the skin repair itself ready for the next day’s punishment.”

Jim has developed a product that is ready for testing at university and which he thinks may be able to kill the bugs that are the scourge of many hospitals, where antibiotics have been over-used. “I think I have a very strong case with one of my antibacterial blends which I believe may kill MRSA, but I have to prove it before it can be used within the NHS. However I am grateful for the support that I have received from Interface at Edinburgh University who will help me to study the ability of the product that we have blended.”

Jim is a busy man, always thinking of new ways to get his message out there, that his therapies are so much more effective than a pain relieving pill from the doctor, he puts it simply: “The Bowen Therapy simply reminds the body how to get on with the job that it was designed to do. Taking your traffic lights from red to green!” And we could all do with a few green lights now and then.


www.bnth.org
www.moss-grove.co.uk

Tel: 01292 679135

The Scottish Farmer reader offer

Get 30% off the ‘Farmers essential repair kit’

Arthritis Lotion / Muscle Ease Lotion/Skin Repair Lotion

Normal cost would be £25.60, but for readers of The Scottish Farmer,

Moss-Grove Natural Products are offering the three bottle set at £17.92 (free delivery to anywhere in the UK).

Fill in the coupon on page 42 of this week’s issue and send a cheque or postal order to:

Moss-Grove Natural Products, PO Box 8566, Troon, Ayrshire KY10 7YF.