Many people suffer from low back pain. Regardless of age or gender, approximately 80% of the population will experience some form of back pain. Relief from back pain is one of the most common conditions that Mark treats at his clinic.
Causes of back pain can be varied,and there are a some warning signs to look out for that may indicate that you are in need of a Bowen Therapy treatment, and can include:

• Functional disorders of the lumbar spine accounts for 85% of low back pain! Functional disorders of the lumbar spine includes sprains and dysfunction of the facet joints between the lumbar vertebrae, sprains of the spinal ligaments and also sprains and dysfunction of the muscles of the lumbar spine and pelvis
• Sacro-iliac joint (SIJ) strain is a common cause of low back pain, with or without sciatica, and responds well to osteopath treatment.
• Pelvic Distortion – when the pelvis is tilted forward, back, from side to side or twisted, this greatly affects how the spine rises up from the pelvis. The pelvis only needs to be tilted by a small amount to trigger a pattern of muscle contraction elsewhere in the body. Mark treats Pelvic distortion on a regular basis and believes it is the number one contributor to back pain and the onset of postural problems.
• Spondylosis is a medical term to describe wear and tear to the spine. The intervertebral discs becomes drier and decreases in height. Fissures or slits can develop. Minor accidents or misalignment can aggravate these slits or fissures which then become inflamed, the pressure of which can press on a nerve root, resulting in pain radiating down the leg or sciatica.
• A prolapsed intervertebral disc (also called a herniated disc) occurs when a fissure appears in a disc which already has spondylosis, and the gel like nucleus of the disc comes out and presses against a nerve root causing nerve root syndrome. CAT scans show prolapsed discs in one-third of adults over 20 years old, but only 3% of these produce symptoms.  Nerve root syndromes is when there is pressure on a spinal nerve, which can be due to a prolapsed disc, a bone spur caused by degenerative changes, an inflamed facet joint or a rotation between two vertebrae narrowing the space where the nerve comes out.
•  Sciatica is when nerve root impingement causes pain down the leg. The pain tends to be sharp, affecting a specific area, and associated with numbness in the area of the leg that the affected nerve supplies.
• Myofascial pain can involve muscle and facia in any part of the body, and can produce a large number of different symptoms, according to its location, however there are always trigger points and related areas or referred pain. The pain can vary from mild to severe. Usually knots can be seen under the skin, these can sometimes be felt. Myofasial pain can occur at the same time as fibromyalgia. Myofascial pain can be caused by a connective tissue disease or an emotional disturbance.
• Fibromyalgia results in widespread pain and tenderness throughout the body. Generalized stiffness, fatigue, and muscle aches are reported.
• Spinal stenosis can result from spinal disc degeneration coupled with disease in joints of the low back resulting in spinal-canal narrowing. A person with spinal stenosis may have pain radiating down both lower extremities while standing for a long time or walking even short distances
• Spondylolisthesis describes the forward displacement of a vertebra in relation to the vertebrae below.

Treatment of back pain is a bog part of the work that Mark does at the Bowenz Clinic.
Many pain problems and more specifically back pain, are a result of the body’s centre of gravity being distorted – The pelvic structure becomes distorted and this in turn puts strain on the spinal structure. The body compensates by activating specific muscles to remain contracted to keep the body upright and opposing muscles to extend. Muscles are designed to contract and release. Continued contraction of muscles has a direct affect on the skeletal structure and all the body’s systems.

Balancing the Pelvic Structure is one of the keys to regaining and maintaining balance, a healthy posture and a life without back pain. Bowen Therapy treats back pain by addressing the body as a whole and assists in re-establishing  balance in the central pivot point of the body.

Mark treats most of his clients with a Pelvic Procedure that aims to regain a more balanced structure which in turn greatly influences how the spinal structure performs, clearing away old muscle memory patterns and allowing the body to develop new neural pathways. This is one of the fundamental ways of sorting out back pain issues.