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Alexander Technique

This technique was developed by F Matthias Alexander (1869-1955) and is based on the correct use of the body and good posture.  Alexander believed that this correct use had to be learnt again after bad habits had been acquired.  He based his technique on the relation between the head, neck and back, and on the use of the small muscles and the large muscles of the neck.  The technique will not affect the curvature itself but may help to improve breathing and ease postural pain.

The technique is a principle based and taught method for learning how to stand, sit, move and undertake everyday activities in ways that use more thought and skill with less inappropriate effort and strain. Helped by individual hands-on guidance, oral instruction and advice from a teacher, people discover how to prevent overhasty mental and physical responses and become more calm, alert and aware. They learn to develop a more considered and effective approach to any activity, reduce unwanted habits and acquire better ones.

People find that their postural muscle tone and co-ordination benefit considerably when they project the taught Alexander technique thoughts or mental directions, and pay more attention to their inner sensations arising from the support provided by a chair or the ground. With practice, people find they can increasingly let go of habitual patterns of muscle tension that have previously been relied on and that may have been causing or aggravating musculoskeletal pain, joint stiffness and deterioration in general functioning. Balance and movement skills therefore improve.

A large, randomised controlled trial which was published in the British Medical Journal in August, 2008, has shown that NHS patients with chronic or recurrent back pain who participated in Alexander technique lessons reported a substantial long-term (measured up to 1 year) reduction of days with pain, a measureable increase in the number of daily tasks they could do, and benefits in quality of life, compared with patients who received usual care from their GP. Patients liked learning and using the technique because it made sense and because they could practise it while undertaking everyday activities or relaxing. Other preliminary research has suggested that lessons in the technique could be effective in a wide range of health-related conditions, including improving posture.

The Society of the Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT) was founded in 1958. Members of STAT are registered to teach the Technique after completing a 3 year, full time training course approved by the society or one of the affiliated societies overseas.  There are currently about 1000 registered Alexander Technique teachers in the UK, with 850 being members of STAT.  Most cities and towns will have a practitioner.  They are covered by professional indemnity insurance and are required to adhere to the Society’s published Code of Professional Conduct and Competence.  For more information visit: www.stat.org.uk which has a ‘find a teacher’ section.

Case Studies:

Lauren Bates

The Alexander technique probably saved my life, or at the very least allowed me to lead the personal and professional life that I had planned for myself. I know that sounds like a very bold and dramatic statement, but since starting to study the technique in my early twenties, I have been fortunate to have an almost pain free spine, a perfect pregnancy and a wonderful sense of being in control of my own health and wellbeing, none of which I was told I would have on the day I was diagnosed with scoliosis.

I had notice, at the age of 15, that the top of my spine seemed out of line, but my family doctor did not diagnose a problem; the view from all seemed to be that I was still growing and that things would sort themselves out. I can only presume that there was less awareness of scoliosis than there is today.

It was not until I was 21 or 22 that I realised I was starting to feel pain, usually after long days at my desk, or standing for too long. I found myself regularly taking painkillers before nights out when I knew seats would be in short supply; these were my college and clubbing days! I saw a GP who informed me I had something called scoliosis and that, among other pieces of advice, I shouldn't expect to be able to carry a baby to full term; he then issued me with stronger pain killers and an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon. Shocked and with an unusual sense of resignation, I thanked the GP and went home with my box of pills.

I did attend that appointment with the surgeon who described my scoliosis as moderate to severe and recommended surgery that, to me, sounded like something out of the dark ages. I said I’d think about, but I already knew that I was determined to do everything to find another way to manage the condition.

A week later, I was so lucky to receive a call from my stepmother who had read an article about the Alexander technique. I will never forget her saying, “Well, it might be worth giving it a go”. Back then, I could not have known about the monumental effect that that telephone call would have on my ability to manage my own pain and to take back control of my life – control that I truly felt that scoliosis was trying to take from me.

I found my Alexander teacher on the STAT list and I have had lessons with her on and off for the past 20 years. Not only has she helped me with my physical wellbeing, including helping me to achieve a 100% pain free pregnancy, but she has also become a friend and one of the most important people in my life.

Jane Gray

It was during puberty that my spine started to rotate and develop into an S shaped curvature. I was seen by a specialist consultant (it was the start of the 1970s) and offered corrective surgery. At the time this was a risky operation with a fairly high chance of paralysis from the waist down so I declined the operation. I was left to get on with my life and a doctor did comment that I should stay as active as possible in order not to end up in a wheelchair by the time I was 30. With these words ringing in my ears, I have led a busy, active, life and did not let my scoliosis be an issue. I did normal things like marry and at 34 had a child by C-section. I thought it would be pushing luck to have a second child although there is some regret in this decision. For 40 years, I denied my scoliosis and did not seek medical advice nor, to be honest, did I require it.

Ironically, since the whole thing started at puberty, it is at the other end of the fertility spectrum, the menopause, that my scoliosis has given me a wake-up call. My posture has gradually worsened and I have been diagnosed with onset of osteoporosis for which I am receiving medical treatment. I now feel at 54 that I am fighting time and the desire to stay upright and mobile is paramount.

The Alexander technique has helped in vital ways. It has enabled me to read my body and be able to adjust my posture when standing, sitting and lying down, to lengthen the spine and help relax the muscles that support the spine. I am in no doubt that the Alexander technique sessions will be something I will do for the rest of my life. Thankfully, I knew about the technique from my career in music, but most people I suspect are not aware of this link and because it is not mainstream practice, it is not free.

It is too late for surgical intervention to put right what is obviously wrong.  I have heard about successful operations to correct the curvature in teenagers and I am so happy that they are less risky and more successful than they would have been when I was in my teens.