Case Studies

Unable to run more than 20 yards without Ventolin
Written by Alastair Rattray.   Published on 06 February 2004.

Olivia is six and has been on steroids since she was a baby. She could not run more than 20 yards without needing her inhaler and would often have difficulty speaking without taking many breaths. She could not sing more than a line at a time without gasping for breath, though she loves singing with her sister. Breathing was always laboured with her shoulders rising up and down in a typical fashion and wheezing constantly. Any cold would lead to a chest infection needing antibiotics. She was on Becotide morning and evening and Ventolin, when needed, during the day and during the night. She was starting a cold when I arrived to treat her and her mother had not given her any medication "so we can see what happens!".

At the end of her first treatment, the wheezing virtually stopped. The following day she ran all the way home from school, and has not stopped running around all day ever since. She was starting a chesty cough the day I arrived for her third treatment. That cold also stopped by the following day. Her medication halved from the start and by last week (mid January) she had no Ventolin at all, all week. She caught the flu from her mother recently but managed well, without any wheezing at all. Interestingly, her breathing was totally normal with no sign of the laboured breath we started with just before Christmas, and she was back to school the day after treatment. She is often singing whole verses with her sister now.

Her mother commented about Christmas Day: "I had to note all this because previously I would not have opted to go out, especially for a day, as this would have been a worse case scenario for Olivia's health and my stress levels. What actually happened was so rare, I had to note it down. Olivia was just one of four very happy, very healthy, excited children today. No pump, no allergic reactions, no need for Mum to act like a neurotic nurse! Lovely day, a mini miracle!" This was after just 2 treatments.

She has now onto a "maintenance" programme with treatments every 2 -3 weeks or as needed. She is still running everywhere!

Update 16 March 04 After 40 days (and nights!) Olivia had not used her Ventolin until she visited an Aquarium attraction with the school. The strong chemicals caused a little wheezing needing Ventolin once. So she had another treatment and is fine. Still running.....

Update 25 April 2004 Olivia is still fine and will have another treatment this week, 5 weeks on. There has been a lot of dust from building work being done in the house, so she is a little wheezy and Ventolin has been used once or twice. When she caught a virus recently, she did not develop a chest infection and her chest was clear, so antibiotics were not needed. She is full time at school (from a maximum of 2 days a week before Christmas).

Update 23 September 2004 After a five month gap, Olivia has had another treatment today having been a little wheezy over the past two days. During the whole of this time, she has not had an infection, something which happened all the time before she had Bowen last December. She has a normal life, is often playing outside, which again she was always unable to do, and is fully integrated at school.

Update 9 June 2005 Olivia is still very well generally and attends school regularly, probably over 90% of the time. her mother commented during an interview about Olivia's case that the day she had her first Bowen treatment "everything changed" in their lives. Olivia has been able to go to many places she could not visit in the past, and can take part in many events which were just unthinkable before she had that all-important first treatment lasting only a very few minutes.

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