Alexander Technique
Appearing in the Popular Media
More and more, and more frequently popular media from radio and TV to magazines publish anecdotal or crediting scientific evidence about the success of The Alexander Technique. The following are short excerpts from the media and were available links to the complete story. Adobe Acrobat reader is required to view some of the documents.
Consultant advocates doctors be trained in Alexander Technique.
"Physiotherapy and medication gave only short-term improvement," said Dr. Tobin former Royal Society of Medicine's ENT section. "On being introduced to the Alexander Technique, I was somewhat sceptical that anything was going to work, but can only describe the relief gained, and maintained, as quite incredible."
Lessons in self-care method (the Alexander Technique) may help osteoarthritis sufferers
“The Alexander Technique teaches people to become more aware of their own habits – from slouching while standing to inappropriately tensing leg and back muscles while performing daily tasks – and lessons are aimed at improving movement coordination and reducing the muscular tension that has accumulated over a lifetime. Although Alexander Technique lessons are a well-known means of helping people with conditions such as back pain, this is the first time researchers have looked into whether this approach can have any effect on knee osteoarthritis.”
New York Times Editor Conquers Anxiety with AT.
Phyllis Korkki shares her experience with overcoming bouts of anxiety with the application of the Alexander Techniques' method of natural breathing. As children we practice natural "horizontal" breathing, but with time adults often shift to vertical breathing tensing up when under stress. Applying instruction by her AT teacher enabled the editor to return to natural breathing and handle the stresses brought upon by the deadlines of writing anew book.
The Alexander Technique: Can It Heal Your Back Pain?
“Use the Alexander Technique to improve your posture, fight pain, and feel better all over. “The Alexander Technique focuses on self-awareness and encourages patients to observe and "unlearn" habitual responses that interfere with the body's natural movements. Patients are re-educated to correct faulty alignment, primarily of the upper parts of the body, and are shown exercises that will help to lengthen and free the neck and spine.”
Best Bet For Neck Pain?
“I've long recommended the Alexander Technique for addressing chronic pain as well as for acute muscle strain. It aims for proper positioning of the head and spine by correcting imbalances caused by tension and unhealthy body mechanics. The technique focuses on unlearning poor habits of posture, movement, breathing and body orientation and replacing them with tension-free, fluid movement. It teaches you to sense muscle tension and then release it through corrective thoughts, breathing and posture.”
Sound Affect:
A Conversation with Kate Conklin
"On her website, Kate Conklin lists actors, singers, chefs, athletes and tech startups as a few of the professions that would benefit from the Alexander Technique – clearly, this technique is not easy to categorize. Alexander Technique is a method and a tool that is often used by actors and singers, and is commonly associated with posture, but it is so much more than that...
"I found a class in my town in Encinitas, and very luckily, ... [Eileen Troberman], is one of the world-class teachers of the Alexander Technique
"
Lupita Nyong'o on '12 Years a Slave' and the Technique
(Alexander Technique, for the uninitiated, teaches efficacy of movement. “It’s just become a part of me,” Ms. Nyong’o said. “It’s like when you learn a new language, all of a sudden you see it everywhere.”)
The Alexander Technique
Conclusions: Forty minutes of private lessons with a coach to release tension in the neck, fight neck/back pain and beat stress
Many Turning To 'Alexander Technique' For Pain, Stress Relief
Relief from chronic pain, no more headaches, better breathing, less stress - all are promises of the Alexander Technique. And it doesn't involve drugs or surgery either. So what is it and can it work for you? KDKA's Mary Robb Jackson reports reports on Alexanter Technique and certified instructor Lisa Levinson. (Click link to ideo and full article)
Sit Up Straight. Your Back Thanks You.
Conclusions: ...systematic, long-term approach to posture change, consider the Alexander technique, a method that teaches you how recognize and release habitual tension that interferes with good posture.
Alexander Technique: A Balm For Back Pain?
Morning Edition from National Public Radio (NPR) the syndicator for 797 public radio stations featured a San Francisco Alexander Technique instructor's success with alleviating back pain for a local professional trumpet player. The piece included recorded interviews with the student, the AT teacher and Paul Little author of the epic BMJ study on AT and back pain.
A Dramatic Cure for Back Pain
Conclusions: The researchers found that after 24 Alexander sessions, patients improved their ability to move freely by up to 45 percent. "And in the last month of the trial, these people reported only three days of pain," says study coauthor Paul Little, MD, professor of primary care research. "The group who hadn't had any lessons reported 21 days." Similar summaries appeared in both the April issue of O and the January and May issues of the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter.
Back Pain help with the Alexander Technique
This is a hort ABC TV video about the Alexander Technique and how it can help with back pain. It also reviews the Paul Little, MD studies then shows anecdotal successes of the application of the Alexander Technique and a New Jersey instructor.
Easing chronic back pain with the Alexander Technique
A discussion of the epic BMJ study on Alexander technique and back pain. It then goes on to showing how the Alexander technique makes a person aware of their own habits. "An office worker, driver, mum, dentist, musician or chef may all start to hold themselves partly contracted even when they are no longer involved in the pressure of their jobs. Some of these habits may begin to take their toll on the body; there may be compression of joints and congestion of internal organs, or some muscles will be doing too much work and some too little." It ends with examples of students overcoming back issues.
