14/09/2025
I'm delighted to share this inspirational case. It is a write-up of a recent peadiatric patient treated at our clinic by Kate Pennington.
Case 98: Treatment of severe pain and headache in a 7-year-old girl following Meningitis
Poppy (7 years old) came to the clinic complaining of severe and continual neck pain and headaches. She had been unable to attend school for the last 11 weeks, including the two weeks she had spent in hospital.
At the onset, the pain was so bad she could not move off her bed. A visit to the emergency department led to her admission, where a lumbar puncture confirmed a diagnosis of meningitis. She was treated with intravenous antibiotics and strong analgesics to help her sleep and to help manage the pain.
After completing the course of antibiotics, Poppy was discharged, however, she continued to experience debilitating neck and head pain, and she was required to take ongoing analgesic medications. It was at this point that she was brought to our clinic.
Whilst conducting a detailed intake assessment I discovered that just prior to the onset of the headaches, Poppy had slipped in her gymnastics class. She was doing a pull up manoeuvre when she lost her grip and fell awkwardly, momentarily hanging with her bodyweight suspended by her neck and chin.
Poppy was very reluctant to have any treatment at all – Whilst in hospital, she had developed a very real fear of doctors. She was very anxious about what I might be going to do, so her mother had organised to have her cousin accompany her to this appointment to provide emotional support.
I conducted a gentle holistic tonal assessment and observed she showed a right sided dural drag with a reverse double cervical turn test (this indicated Poppy had multiple issues involving disturbance at both ends of the dura). Upon palpation, the scalene muscles on the left felt rigid and the tissues around the right temporomandibular joint felt very tense and restricted. I released these tissues as gently as I could and Poppy endured the moves well.
I had her turn prone and then I applied a regular right-sided coccyx procedure. Assessment following the coccyx move showed she had entered the window of symmetry, so I concluded the treatment.
When she and her cousin arrived for treatment the following week, Poppy was all smiles! She had returned to school and was enjoying life again. Her headaches had completely resolved, and she was no longer taking any pain medication. On assessment she showed symmetry and the target tissues of the previous treatment all felt completely normal again. I was amazed at how quickly her body had responded to the inputs and I marvelled at how the body can heal itself if we just create the right conditions.
Comment: The outermost layer of the meninges, known as the dura mater, is a strong but sensitive fascial structure. Holistic tonal assessment allows us to identify areas of tension linked to dural irritation. The Bowen moves applied during this treatment specifically targeted key sites where the dura attaches.
The assessment process guided us in delivering precise input to those attachment points and helped determine when the treatment was complete. When the body entered the Window of Symmetry, it signalled that the central nervous system had shifted from a protective, adaptive mode to a new state involving global reorganization and healing.
