The Alexander Technique - A Resource for Reversing Back Pain and Continued Self-Care - Page 3
© Idelle Packer, MS, PT, CTAT and Certified teacher of the Alexander Technique
Find a chair with good upper and lower back support, and move your hips to the back of the seat. Try improving your chair design by experimenting with use of a pillow. Some people prefer placing the pillow behind the waist and upper back; others may get adequate support by placing a small rectangular pillow just above the waist for thoracic support.
Keep your feet flat on the floor or use a footrest. Without slumping, allow the back of the chair to support you. Without stiffening, lean into the chair back and envision your back lengthening and widening.
Pay attention to neck and jaw tension. Notice your breathing. Sit at a comfortable distance from your work surface.
When you have to reach or bend forward, do so from the hip joints (the bend at the top of your thigh) rather than the waist. When you look down to read or write, allow your eyes to lower while maintaining the ease of the neck and the poise of the head. Avoid rounding your neck or collapsing the upper chest. Get up periodically to walk around or stretch. 7. Try these thoughts while walking:
Think of your body expanding and releasing into length; neck free; head directed lightly upward.
Allow your legs to swing freely from your hip joints by leading with the knees.
Allow the arms to swing.
Note: It is possible to follow the above eight practices while still engaging your old habitual pattern of utilizing excess muscle tension. For this reason I recommend working with a certified teacher as you explore the material in this section. While good body mechanics are extremely important, a study of the Alexander Technique will teach you to recognize the more subtle patterns of muscular tension that interfere with optimal performance. Ultimately, the healing course of your back will depend on your ability to integrate the operational principles of the Alexander Technique into movement patterns of everyday activities, work efforts, therapeutic exercise, and recreational sports and activities. If your back pain is caused or exacerbated by general postural and muscular malcoordination, I believe you will be rewarded with success in decreasing or eliminating your pain.
"The Alexander Technique stresses unification in an era of greater and greater medical specialization. Its educational system teaches people how to best use their bodies in ordinary action to avoid or reduce unnecessary stress and pain. It enables clients to get better faster and stay better longer. This is undoubtedly the best way to take care of the back and alleviate back pain." - Jack Stern, MD, PhD, Neurosurgical Group of Westchester White Plains
