Frederick Matthias Alexander, the actor who invented and developed the Alexander Technique at the end of 19th century was an actor who suffered from severe back pain only when performing. After years of analyzing his pain patterns, Alexander concluded that the tension originated in the neck and head and then extended to the rest of the body due to the movement habits of a person. After understanding the source of the pain, Alexander created a system that will help himself and his clients to break habits and to move more efficient.
What Exactly Is Alexander Technique?
First of all, Alexander technique is considered an educational process more than anything else. The main goal for a person who attends the lessons that teach the Alexander technique is to be aware of their body, their movements and to change the habits in order to make it more functional and efficient. The idea behind Alexander technique is making the mind aware of the body and vice versa.
Second of all, Alexander technique is allowing people to bring their levels of tension of the neck and head to normal levels, minimizing the impact the tension has on the spine and the back muscles.
Is The Alexander Technique Good For Back Pain?
There are no long studies to conform the long term results of the Alexander technique, but there are some short studies that confirm patients feel better after going through the lessons, the massage and through a walking exercise program. Some patients experience less back pain while other do not experience back pain at all after going through the lessons and the exercises.
How The Alexander Technique Can Improve Back Pain?
In order to decrease the level of back pain a person might experience, people have to go to a series of lessons that are taught by a licensed teacher. During these lessons people will learn, one step at a time, how to minimize the tension in the head and neck.
Some of the topics of the Alexander technique lessons may include:
- Learning how to sit up straight
- Learning to be aware of the tension in the body
- Learning how not to overuse the musculature while standing up or walking
- Learning how to have a good posture
- Learning how to walk comfortably while having a good posture
You might think you know these things, but let’s be honest, we all know we should keep our back straight all the time but who does that on a regular basis, especially when some of us have office jobs and we sit more than 8 hours per day.
The Alexander technique can improve back pain if people follow through with their lessons they learned from their certified teacher and if they also make an effort to pay attention to their body’s needs and messages. Most of us have back pain from bad posture and we should all be willing to change some our bad habits not only to reduce pain but also to avoid permanent spine problems caused by bad posture and the tension in our neck and head.