Why I do what I do (and love it so much).
Charting new territory is not an easy task to do. Bowen Therapy is a fairly new modality, several decades in existence but in North America only since about the mid 1990’s. While many people have studied the healing effects, most of it has been independent studies or have been left unpublished. When it comes to treating the symptoms of concussions Bowen has even less recognition. While there are many Bowen Therapists, very few use Bowen for the resolution of concussion symptoms and there remains a fair amount of scepticism around what we are trying to accomplish. All innovation needs to start somewhere. A thought. A what if moment. And in this case a simple case of “Can you do something to help?” leading down a path of discovery. More on Craig’s story another time:)
I work on all sorts of injuries. Shoulders, groins, hamstrings, low back pain, pregnancy discomfort and the list goes on . The concussion journey started for me about a year or two after I became a Bowen Therapist and my first concussion client grabbed my attention and I was hooked. I live for this. Love every second of it. However, Bowen Therapy isn’t an easy therapy to describe and certainly when diving into the world of head injuries, an already murky territory, people kind of look at you as if you’re a bit ‘off’. This makes me smile most of the time and sometimes it gets a bit tiresome.
Sometimes when I question why I am working so hard for something so few people care about (in the grand scheme of things) I am reminded in the most simple way of my “why”.
My name is Chris Ramsami and I’m 45yrs old and at the time I suffered my concussion I played basketball 4 times per week, volleyball twice a week, indoor soccer once a week and also did cross fit 3-4 times a week when I could fit it in while raising 4 kids with my wife Brenda.I was playing basketball in April/2012 just before Easter with a rec league at work and as I was running back to play defence on my opponent I jumped in the air to intercept a pass, as I was about to receive the ball there was somebody shooting a ball at the hoop I was running toward and he went to retrieve the ball he was shooting as it came in our path and he grabbed the ball and went into a tuck position. It felt like I got hip checked and I tried to brace my fall with my hands as I hit the ground but it wasn’t enough to stop me from hitting my head. I went out for a few seconds, as I came around I felt really groggy but continued to play. After about 30-45 mins playing trying to shake it off I decided to go home but didn’t feel alert, just felt a out of it. Chose not to go to the hospital and decided to sleep it off which was not a smart move. Got up the next morning feeling the same and about an hour into working at my desk I got really dizzy and saw spots, felt dizzy and decided to go to the hospital to get checked out. The ER doc said that I suffered a concussion and I should go home asap and see me family doctor.After seeing my doctor, he took one look at me when I walked in the office and ordered a CT scan asap. The CT scan showed no swelling or bleeding but I still felt terrible. My doctor made appointment with a neurologist and was told to rest as it would work itself out. Returned to work in about 3 months and still felt uneasy, confused, headaches and the symptoms came back the same as my first day with the concussion. After seeing various specialists and seeing my doctor once a week I was told to go slow and rest but no treatment was offered to help me return full time to work or full time to my activities I was very irritable, lots of headaches, forgetful, light sensitivity, balance or vertigo, confused, moody and did not like being around people or anything that was too stimulating. In February 2013 my wife found Jenna Howe on the web and called her to talk about me. I did not see Jenna until April 2013 as I was very skeptical and thought there was no way that I would return back to my normal self especially with her or anyone else’s therapy. Jenna explained to me how the therapy would work and had me list all or any injuries I had suffered besides my concussion and that she would heal these as well. After my first appointment I was shocked and surprised at how I felt. Not groggy, could think more clearly and just felt better. I booked more appointments with Jenna because I finally felt that this was going to get me back to normal. After each appointment I felt better and better and started to increase my work hours and started to go back to working out at the gym but at a slow pace until I felt less symptoms.After about 10 or so appointments I was back to work full time and started playing volleyball, working out at the gym 3 times per week and feel like me again. Have started shooting hoops again but not played in a game because I’m a little hesitant about the contact with elbows, bodies etc. I would recommend Jenna and her Bowen treatment for concussion 100 percent! In fact, I mention this to everyone who would listen and a co-worker who has had a bad back for years to the point that he could not tie his shoes when I was telling him about my testimonial made an appointment with Jenna’s colleague in Vancouver and after his second appointment stopped my in the hall and was so excited! He was doing squats and deadlifts which he gave up because of his pain and was also playing soccer again at a very high level with no hesitation!My family and I can’t Thank Jenna enough for all her help and patience, not only has she helped me through this injury and tough time but she has become a friend to me and my wife Brenda! Thank You so much for helping us Jenna!
