Worth Selling the Telly For…?

The Times article acknowledges the importance of an approach that addresses the psychological as well as the physical factors which contribute to produce pain; and concludes that the prospect of relief that the Technique could provide may be worth selling the telly for!

This is just one of the many recent media headlines related to this important research.  You can read these articles by following the links to the right.

The Study was published in the British Medical Journal on 20 August 2008.  The full publication can be read here.  But here are some of the points that the study makes about the Technique in relation to back conditions :

i)        Back pain is a common condition managed in primary care and one of the commonest causes of disability in Western societies.  As yet few interventions have been proved to substantially help patients with chronic back pain in the longer term.

ii)        Lessons in the Alexander technique offer an individualised approach designed to develop lifelong skills for self care that help people recognise, understand, and avoid poor habits affecting postural tone and neuromuscular coordination. Lessons involve continuous personalised assessment of the individual patterns of habitual musculoskeletal use when stationary and in movement; paying particular attention to release of unwanted head, neck, and spinal muscle tension, guided by verbal instruction and hand contact, allowing decompression of the spine; help and feedback from hand contact and verbal instruction to improve musculoskeletal use when stationary and in movement; and spending time between lessons practising and applying the technique.

iii)        The Alexander technique is thus distinct from manipulation, back schools, and conventional physiotherapy. The practice and theory of the technique, in conjunction with preliminary findings of changes in postural tone and its dynamic adaptability to changes in load and position, support the hypothesis that the technique could potentially reduce back pain by limiting muscle spasm, strengthening postural muscles, improving coordination and flexibility, and decompressing the spine.

Links to the Headlines
------------------------------------------
Does the Alexander Technique really cure back pain?
The Times, 23 August 2008

Health: Alexander technique 'does ease back pain'.
The Guardian, 20 August 2008

Alexander posture technique 'most effective at reducing back pain'.
The Daily Telegraph, 20 August 2008

Back pain eased by good posture.
BBC News, 20 August 2008

An old cure for a modern malaise: Alexander Technique can beat chronic back pain.
Daily Mail, August 20 2008


Links to the Science
------------------------------------------
Little P, Lewith G, Webley F, et al.Randomised controlled trial of Alexander technique lessons, exercise, and massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain. BMJ 2008; 337; a884

Victoria Beckham Fights Poor Posture with the Alexander Technique

She's been wearing towering stilettos her whole life - but Victoria Beckham fears her love of lavish footwear has caused her pain and postural problems and may leave her with a hunchback look as she gets older.

Instead of ditching the heels in favour of a nice pair of flatties however, Victoria has turned to the Alexander Technique.

It seems years of bad postural habits have 'caused her bones to be improperly aligned, with her muscles, joints and ligaments taking more stress than they should'. 

The Alexander Technique appears to be doing the trick.  A friend of Mrs Beckham said, 'You can tell that something is working as the years of Victoria's shoulders being slumped are now over'.

The Core Stability Myth

As we go into another New Year and many of us resolve to 'get fit', recent research gives us cause for concern...

According to a recent article in The Times, the founding principles of Pilates and the mainstay of many gym regimes are flawed.

In recent years the central message we get at the gym is that the deeply embedded muscles in our trunk must be strong if we are to look good, stand up straight and have bodies that move freely and without pain.  Few gym workouts are conducted without the instruction to "engage" the core by pulling in the belly button and sucking in the stomach!

But among exercise scientists there is growing dissent about whether this pursuit is worthwhile or even safe.   Read The Times article here.

In the Alexander world, this is a welcome challenge.  We do not consider muscles to be things to be stretched and pressed and bullied into shape.  They will support us perfectly well if given the right 'direction'!  As you can find out in an Alexander lesson... 

An article about good posture might not be the first thing you would expect to find in The Economist.  But a recent edition highlights new research which demonstrates the psychological benefits of posture.  It concludes that the way we stand and hold ourselves can have a dramatic effect on how successful we are and how we feel about ourselves and others.

Read The Economist article here.

And read more about the psychological benefits of the Alexander Technique >>