Why a page on celiac disease, you ask? And what is celiac disease anyway? Briefly, celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disorder that is triggered by a protein found in the gluten of wheat, rye and barley. It results in the autoimmune destruction of the structures in the small intestine through which we absorb most of our nutrients. It is one of the most widely undiagnosed and misdiagnosed diseases in the US, partly because it was once considered very rare (many physicians were taught that they would likely never see a case in their entire careers) and partly because it can manifest with an incredible array of symptoms that can make it appear to be any one of a large number of other illnesses. However, recent studies indicate that approximately 1 in 3 Americans have the genes for the disease, and about 1 in 133 have symptoms, but about 97% of those people remain undiagnosed. This is tragic, as the illness can be debilitating and sometimes fatal.
I include a page here for two reasons. The first is that many people who seek bodywork have chronic health issues, and many people with chronic health issues may have celiac disease as the underlying cause. Because so many celiacs also develop a host of other autoimmune diseases and chronic health problems, I believe that everyone with any kind of chronic health issue should be tested for the illness. Some countries, such as Italy, routinely screen all children so that the disease can be diagnosed and the diet modified (a gluten free diet is the only treatment) early in life, thus avoiding most of the damage the illness causes.
The second reason is that I have celiac disease, and have found that Bowen Therapy can affect the symptoms. I was very ill and was misdiagnosed for many years before I finally came across some information on it and had myself tested. But a few years before I figured out what I had, I discovered Bowen Therapy and received weekly treatments for over 6 months - during which time nearly all of the symptoms, which I later learned were from celiac disease, disappeared. The symptoms slowly returned as a few years passed without Bowen treatments (and before I started a gluten free diet.) It would be fascinating to do a study on whether Bowen Therapy actually halted and reversed the disease process, or if it merely masked the symptoms. Unfortunately, such a study is beyond my scope at this time. However, I believe it is very important for people to know about celiac disease, and get tested for it if they feel there is even the smallest chance that they could have it. I do not want run the risk of having the Bowen treatments I do masking a potentially serious illness in my clients while the disease process continues on unnoticed.
If you are interested in learning more about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease, there is quite a lot of good information to be found on the internet now. I am including links to the Celiac Disease Foundation and Celiac.com to get you started. Enjoy!
Walkabout Healing Arts | Kelly Ravner | NST Advanced Practitioner | 307-739-1529 | 137 W. Snow King | Jackson WY