Howard Bult
Howard Bult
31 Hill Avenue
Victoria Park
Bristol
BS3 4SN
- Trading As:
- Howard Bult
- Product:
- Bowen Therapy
Background Information
Misleading Advertising – Howard Bult has breached the UK Advertising Standards Code for making unsubstantiated efficacy claims for Bowen Therapy.
The ASA published an adjudication against Howard Bult on 8 February 2012. Howard Bult made a number of unsubstantiated efficacy claims for Bowen Therapy and its effects on the website www.howardbult.co.uk Howard Bult claimed that the therapy could treat back-ache and neck pain, knee problems, sports injuries, RSI, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow and respiratory ailments, chronic fatigue, hayfever, headaches, kidney problems, infant colic and ailments requiring lymphatic drainage. Howard Bult claimed Bowen Therapy could be used as a means of stress management and health maintenance involving regular appointments 2 to 4 times a year and that it was generally regarded as safe and effective for people of all ages.
The ASA was concerned that Howard Bult did not provide evidence to support the efficacy claims. The ASA noted that the Bowen Association UK submitted a study relating to the efficacy of Bowen in the treatment of frozen shoulder but considered that it did not show that Bowen Therapy was effective in the treatment of frozen shoulder. The Bowen Therapy Professional Association provided two studies which they said were background research into why hands-on therapies worked. The ASA was concerned that those referred to the Bowen Therapy’s use in the treatment of cerebral palsy, asthma, migraine and Parkinson's Disease. The ASA considered that those were conditions for which medical supervision should be sought and that that it was unlikely to be acceptable for Bowen Technique practitioners to refer to those conditions in their marketing communications.
Although the ASA has adjudicated against Howard Bult and has made several subsequent requests for an assurance of future compliance, Howard Bult continues to feature problematic claims on his website. Because of Howard Bult’s continued non-compliance we took the decision to place his details on this section of the ASA website on 07 March 2012. These details shall remain in place until such time as Howard Bult has appropriately amended his website to ensure compliance with the ASA adjudication and the CAP Code.
Relevant Adjudication
