SHOULDER and neck pain can cause people no end of torment as anyone who has ever suffered from it can tell you in excruciating detail.

But now those with the complaint no longer need to suffer in silence - a tried-and-tested technique could make their pangs a painful but soon to be distant memory.

Experts say Bowen therapy not only helps ease pain in the shoulders and neck but can benefit people with conditions as diverse as asthma and migraines.

The non-invasive technique involves small circular movements of the fingers and thumbs over muscles and tendons that are claimed to release energy that triggers the body's own natural healing system.

Unlike massage, no oil is used and the aim is that the fingers and thumbs work without slipping on the regions where the pain is deeply rooted.

Tim Willcocks, who is based at the Malvern Natural Health Centre in Abbey Road, Malvern, has been using the technique for the last 12 years and said some people who have the treatment receive instant benefits, although others may need a series of sessions to realise the full benefits.

Now he is offering three treatments this month and next to those with neck and shoulder problems so they can see for themselves the advantages of the technique.

During a nationwide back pain project held last year, there were 22 participants in the Worcester area who had three treatments each and more than 50 per cent reported a "great improvement" in their back pain, while nearly another 40 per cent found some improvement, and only 10 per cent reported "no change".

That was broadly similar to results over the whole country, with 351 people taking part - 35 per cent reported full recovery, 55 per cent partial recovery and 10 per cent no change.

One woman who needs no convincing of the benefits of Bowen is Anna Brazier, aged 65, of Pickersleigh, Malvern. Mrs Brazier has suffered from a bad back since the age of 18 when she injured it bending down.

The pain really began to develop in her 40s and she was determined to do something about it. She has visited her doctor, had hospital appointments and tried acupuncture and physiotherapy to try and stop her back from hurting - but she says the best thing for has been Bowen therapy.

Mrs Brazier only encountered the Bowen technique after reading an article in your Worcester News, when she decided to try it as a last resort when all the other treatments had failed.

She said: "I was getting pain from my back -- sometimes I could hardly move. I now feel much better and happier and Tim is now working on my neck and shoulders which has helped with my migraines. For me it has been life-changing. I only wish I had found out about it years ago."

Mr Willcocks' personal findings for back pain over the past 12 years show a 48 per cent "good-to-excellent" improvement, he said.

His corresponding 12 years' records for neck and shoulder pains indicate an even greater improvement of about 60 to 65 per cent.

Mr Willcocks also said the technique could benefit people with asthma, frozen shoulder, whiplash, migraine, IBS, sports injuries and fertility issues.

FACT FILE

* Tom Bowen (1916-1982) who devised the technique in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, used to say that his healing ability was a gift from God'. But like a gifted musician he worked on this gift and developed it all through his life. Before his death in 1982 he even said that: "I have taught you boys 10 per cent of what there is now you go and find out the rest."

* Bowen Therapy now comes in a wide range of flavours: Bowen for Sports Injuries; Fascial Bowen for kids with cerebral palsy, autism or ADD, Neurostructural Integration Technique and Neural Touch which integrates Bowen with other developments.

* The Bowen Therapist's European Register (BTER) is the largest registration body for the whole range of Bowen therapists. All are fully qualified and insured. For more information visit www.bter.org.

* Bowen Therapy in Malvern: To contact Tim Willcocks to fix an appointment call 01684 567721 or viist www.thebowenman.co.uk.