A HELMSLEY-based Bowen therapist has become one of the first in the country to achieve a new national standard of excellence for his therapy.

David Tomlinson has been registered by the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), the only voluntary regulatory body for complementary healthcare which has government backing.

The recognition places him at the forefront of a national drive to provide a guarantee of standards and safety for the public, and to encourage complementary therapy to be available through the NHS.

David said: “Achieving registration is not only great news for me and my clients, but a vital step for Bowen.

“It is a wonderful therapy which can and has brought relief to many people, and now it is achieving national recognition.”

Bowen Therapy is a non-invasive, hands-on therapy which has been found to help a variety of conditions including back, neck and shoulder pain, stress-related conditions, asthma, hayfever and migraines.

It is suitable for people of all ages, from babies with colic to mature clients who suffer from arthritis.

David added that Bowen is one of only a small number of therapies so far recognised by CNHC.

“By providing an independent verification of standards, CNHC allows such organisations as NHS Trust, primary care trusts, private healthcare providers and individual doctors to refer patients, with confidence, to practitioners of the Bowen Technique or to make the therapy more readily available in health centres, clinics, doctors’ surgeries and hospitals.”

David’s clinic is by the Walled Garden in Helmsley. For more information phone 01439 770075 or email relax@helmsley-natural-health.co.uk