Physiotherapy
Integrating Acupuncture with Manual Medicine
A Different Approach to Physio
As Karen is both a physiotherapist and acupuncturist, she offers a unique and integrative approach to pain management. She combines gentle manual techniques such as Muscle Energy Technique (MET) and Craniosacral Therapy with Chinese medicine modalities like acupuncture and herbal remedies.
This powerful combination allows Karen to address pain from both a structural and physiological perspective, helping to restore balance, improve structural alignment, and enhance circulation, while supporting the body’s natural healing process.
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When this holistic approach is complemented by targeted exercise therapy provided by physiotherapists skilled in rehabilitation, the outcome is a more effective, long-lasting recovery.
This comprehensive treatment method not only works to alleviate pain but also helps to promote overall well-being, build resilience, and foster long-term health. Other sources that promote core stability such as pilates are also a great support for this approach.
Muscle Energy Technique
Muscle Energy Technique (MET) is a gentle yet precise method of manual medicine that targets the neurological system to restore the resting length of muscles. Developed by osteopaths Mitchell and Greenman at Michigan State University, Karen had the opportunity to participate in short courses there while residing in the USA.
MET addresses adverse tension in muscle groups that can negatively affect the biomechanics of the joints they cross. By eliciting a gentle voluntary contraction of the muscles against a counterforce, MET helps restore normal joint alignment, alleviating discomfort and facilitating healing.
This technique is particularly effective for treating neck and lumbo-sacral pain and dysfunction. MET can be used independently or combined with other therapies, such as acupuncture or Bowen Technique, to achieve a more profound therapeutic effect on the affected area. Focusing on restoring muscle function and joint health, MET provides a non-invasive, targeted approach that encourages long-term pain relief and improved mobility.
Bowen Technique
The Bowen Technique is a gentle yet powerful therapy that activates the body's natural ability to heal. Using precise movements on muscles and connective tissue, this method sends signals to through the neuromuscular system to encourage realignment. Short pauses between these movements allow the body to process and integrate the changes, promoting deep and lasting healing.
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Many clients experience noticeable benefits after just one session, with ongoing improvements unfolding in the days that follow. As the body readjusts, physical and emotional tensions are released, muscles relax, circulation improves, and organ systems rebalance. Significant transformations often occur by the second or third treatment.
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Safe for all ages—from newborns to the elderly—Bowen Therapy is highly effective for a wide range of conditions. Throughout her career, Karen has found this technique particularly beneficial for back and neck dysfunction that has not responded to conventional physiotherapy. The deep relaxation achieved through Bowen Therapy is often compared to the effects of acupuncture.
