What can The Alexander Technique bring to your practice?
State of the art preventative medicine.
“Lessons in the Alexander Technique taught me how to sit in a state of lumbrosacral poise, and my chronic low back pain gradually became cured. The Alexander Technique is true education. Compared to surgery (e.g. for low back pain or for chronic obstructive lung disease) a course of instruction is inexpensive.” -John H.M. Austin, MD, Professor of Radiology; Chief, division of Radiology, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY
The Alexander Technique is not a therapy, but an educational process. It is not meant to replace treatment from a physician, physical therapist, psychologist, chiropractor, or acupuncturist, but to augment these and other modalities in order to provide well rounded, balanced care.
Most of us walk around unconscious of how we move through our daily lives. We put all our attention on the goal (“I’m going to get this project done tonight no matter what it takes!”) and ignore how we get there. In doing this, we develop harmful postural or movement patterns that throw the body out of balance and weaken the structure as a whole. When the system is compromised, it only takes one wrong step and a little twist to cause a serious injury. Many students come to me in pain and exclaim in frustration, “I don’t know what I did!” Some students with chronic pain in one area begin to experience what seems to be unrelated pain in other areas. By working with an Alexander teacher, the student learns to change patterns of behavior and/or patterns of movement. The student learns how to become aware of the things that they themselves are doing that are causing them harm. Stop the harmful movement patterning--the bad habits so to speak--and oftentimes the pain miraculously begins to abate on its own. Help the student to become aware of how they might be protecting an injury by creating unnecessary tension in other parts of the body, and the mysterious ‘unrelated’ pains start to dissipate.
New studies in the past several years have shown promise in everything from back pain to Parkinson’s Disease to eating disorders. A 2010 study conducted at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital shows how Alexander Technique appears to, “enhance the posture and proficiency of surgeons who perform minimally invasive procedures.”
We would love to work with you in conjunction to your practice.
We’ve included some recent articles and links to studies below. For more information or to request free literature, contact us.
Recent Articles and Medical Studies of Note
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Article: Overcoming Pain by Dr. Mark Borigini. Read what a board-certified rheumatologist who has devoted his career to treating a wide variety of illnesses that cause chronic pain and disability has to say about Alexander Technique in Psychology Today. Health Alert: The John Hopkins online journal shares a quick thought about the Alexander Technique as an alternative therapy for chronic back pain. Article: Interview with Judith C. Stern, MA PT in Spine Health magazine. Article: The Psychological Benefits of the Alexander Technique: A Personal Story By Adam Bailey Article: Chronic Pain: How the Alexander Technique Can Help by Joan Arnold & Hope Gillerman with Terry Zimmerer Article: The Alexander Technique and Parkinson’s Disease: A Case Study in Generating Hope for a Degenerative Condition. Article: Applying Ergonomic Principles in the Workplace. Article: New York Times writer Lesley Alderman writes about how Alexander Technique can help with back pain. Article: Pregnancy and Childbirth with the Alexander Technique Listen: Shirley Wade-Linton, an Alexander Technique teacher and registered dietitian in Courtenay, Vancouver Island, British Columbia talks with Robert Rickover about ways in which Alexander Technique can help people with eating disorders. Listen: NPR’s Morning Edition talks with Josephine Grey, an Alexander Teacher in San Francisco. Links to pages devoted to the latest research http://www.alexandertechnique.com/research.htm http://www.stat.org.uk/pages/research.htm Recent Medical Studies British Medical Journal back pain study The Impact of the Alexander Technique in Improving (the surgeon's) Posture during Minimally Invasive Surgery - A 2010 study conducted at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio. For more on this study click here Enhanced Respiratory Muscular Function in Normal Adults After Lessons in Proprioceptive Musculoskeletal Education Without Exercises Randomized Controlled Trial of the Alexander Technique for Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease Home |
"The Alexander Technique remains the best of the self-carestrategies to prevent the sequel of poor posture and poor breathing." - Harold Wise, MD, PC, New York, NY
"The Alexander Technique has been very helpful in identifying the postural and breathing habits that contribute to my fatigue and muscle soreness. I found it a good value: cost effective, making me less dependent on chiropractors and more comfortable at work." -Douglas J. Bush, DMD, Chester, NJ "I fell and suffered a compression fracture of the back. Upon recommendation of a fellow therapist, I started treatment in the Alexander Technique. I have noticed not only a steady reduction of pain, but improvement in my general flexibility, balance and bearing. I use the Technique in conjunction with other physical exercise, and have found no contraindications." -Jean P. Binnie, MA, MS, NCPsychA, Hamptons Counseling Center, Hampton Bays, NY "In addition to its physiologic and musculoskeletal benefits, the Alexander Technique is extremely helpful in relieving the psychological states of depression and anxiety that so often accompany chronic pain and disease. It is my belief, based on professional experience, that the Alexander Technique should be part of all preventative health and education programs. It is as basic as good nutrition." -Jill Sanders, DO, New York, NY "The Alexander Technique makes sense in that appropriate use of the body will lead to reduction of various musculoskeletal disorders and remediate others which are established. No equipment is needed, just the skill and training of the teacher. This technique is very worthwhile as a primary preventative therapy. It is especially useful when posture is a key factor in back injuries while lifting and for workers who perform repetitive tasks while sitting." -Robert D. Greene, MD, Emergency Department, Norwalk Hospital, Norwalk, CT |
