Alexander Technique for Back Pain

By Sally Ann Quirke, Chartered Physiotherapist | Filed under: Exercises for Back Pain

Published: 04 December 2015

The Alexander Technique for Back Pain Management and Relief.

The Alexander technique is a treatment method that works to improve posture and your movement patterns. Think of it as an educational program that is run over a number of lessons, and what it teaches you is to become aware of your body and how you move. The programme designed to help you reduce wasting excess energy on movement and posture. It also helps reduce the collection of stress and tension in in your body, that can accumulate in the tissues over time.

There is no doubt that stress collected in the body over time is one of the main back pain causes that I see on a daily basis. This stress can be from physical, emotional and psychological causes. The end result can potentially lead to “dis-ease” somewhere in your body. In a lot of cases it presents as back pain.

Personally, I feel pain in my lower back when I have a build up of stress in my tissues. It is my bodys’ warning signal to me that if I don’t do something about my stress further “dis-ease” will result. It has taken me years of working on myself using the Pilates technique combined with craniosacral therapy to understand the connection my lower back has with stress in my life. Thankfully, I manage my stress well now with Pilates and craniosacral therapy and as a result I do not get back pain very often.

What I like about the Alexander technique is that it is another therapy which can provide great results in body awareness and stress management. It helps you to understand your body and ways of moving and working with it differently, so as to reduce the build up of tension in your body. I have completed a number of weekend courses on the technique, and although I do not consider myself an expert in this treatment method, I see it as having great value as part of the overall management of stress and back pain.

As with Pilates, this technique concentrates on posture, movement, balance and co-ordination.

When would you use Pilates instead of the Alexander?

Generally I advise Pilates for back pain, as it focuses on core strength which is a necessity in your back pain rehabilitation. However, I have referred clients for Alexander therapy when stress is the key aggravating factor in their presentation. A good chartered physiotherapist will give you the direction you require, in order to receive the best therapy for your back pain.

Find out more about The Alexander Technique:

If you want to find out more about this Technique - I suggest that you visit www.alexandertechnique.com. This is a website run by Robert Rickover who is a teacher of the Alexander Technique in Lincoln, Nebraska.

On this site you will find very useful background information for the Technique as well as lots of resources such as where to find a local teacher and workshops. Highly recommended!