Home » » Stress Relief » The Alexander Technique - A Resource for Reversing Back Pain and Continued Self-Care

The Alexander Technique - A Resource for Reversing Back Pain and Continued Self-Care

© Idelle Packer, MS, PT, CTAT and Certified teacher of the Alexander Technique

Back pain is often debilitating, insidious in its gradual onset or arbitrary in its sudden occurrence with no obvious precipitating event. Lessons in the Alexander Technique can illuminate postural or muscular patterns that cause cumulative stress on the neck or back. With this knowledge, the person with back pain is equipped to recognize and prevent these harmful patterns and learn to move in harmony with the body's design. In the early lessons, the student with back pain is typically looking for relief, and depends on the teacher's manual guidance to release excess muscular tension. The goal of the study, however, is to become independent in applying the operational principles to daily activities as diverse as sitting at the computer, weeding the garden, playing an instrument, or driving a car. When does the Alexander Technique improve or eliminate back pain?

When back pain is caused or exacerbated by general postural and muscular malcoordination, Alexander skills will reduce or eliminate back strain by increasing proficiency at "conscious inhibition". In other words, you will become aware of movement patterns that tend to compress the spine and limit movement potential, and learn to replace these patterns with an easy upright posture in sitting and standing and a "lengthening spine" in all activities. The student of the Alexander Technique learns a preferable balance and coordination that improves posture, reduces stress to the neck and back, and refines kinesthetic and proprioceptive skills. Is the Alexander Technique the same as posture education and body mechanics?

There is a distinction between the Alexander Technique and body mechanics or posture education. The Alexander Technique teaches you to think in a new way. Your perception of what is actually happening to your muscles and joints is clarified. You gain a new understanding of how your pattern of thinking may be affecting the state of your muscles and joints. You become aware of harmful habitual movement patterns and faulty thinking. Once familiar with an alternative freer experience in movement, you can choose it!

When posture and movement mechanics improve after lessons in the Alexander Technique, the change is a by-product of a new way of thinking about movement. The student of the Alexander Technique's new general coordination is a result of consistently utilizing a particular thought process and a particular relationship of head, neck, back and limbs in activity. The profound connection between the mind and muscular response is unique to the Alexander Technique and is the basis for a practical and lasting solution to the dilemma of back pain.

The copyright of the article The Alexander Technique - A Resource for Reversing Back Pain and Continued Self-Care in Stress Relief is owned by Idelle Packer, MS, PT, CTAT and Certified teacher of the Alexander Technique. Permission to republish The Alexander Technique - A Resource for Reversing Back Pain and Continued Self-Care in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.