Articles

KNITTING June 2009
Are you sitting comfortably?
It’s not just your yarn that can get knotted. Clare Kelly explores how the Alexander Technique can ease a painful knitting posture Picture your perfect afternoon - steaming cup of tea, a bar of - the smoothest chocolate, your favourite film and, of course, your current WIP (work in progress). Sounds idyllic doesn’t it? But imagine the scene a few hours in - achy shoulders, a complicated pattern and knots not only in your WIP but your back too. Most of us have experienced the aches and strains from working in front of a computer all day - you might have even had a bout of Repetitive Strain Injury, but did it ever cross your mind that the way you knit could also be a cause for concern? Read More

FINANCIAL TIMES 15 November 2008
Why Alexander truly is great
One of the best things I've found to do recently has been to lie on the floor in my study with four Chicago paperback translations of Greek tragedies under my head. The virtue of this exercise has had nothing whatever to do either with Chicago or with Greek tragedy (no references to hubris and nemesis in this column). It is a practice recommended by F Matthias Alexander, the Australian actor and reciter who originated the Alexander Technique. Read More

BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL 20 August 2008
Randomized controlled trial of Alexander Technique lessons, Exercise And Massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain
In adults with recurrent or chronic low back pain, all three interventions led to better self reported function and less pain at three months, but only exercise prescribed by general practitioners and training in the Alexander Technique had sustained benefit at one year (MRCT ATEAM trial). Supervised exercise is effective but needs to be tailored to patients' preferences and expectations. Read More

TELEGRAPH 11 July 2008
The knowledge: how to improve your posture
Standing too straight is just as bad as slouching, says Brita Forsstrom, an expert in the Alexander Technique. Make it Easy. 'Good' posture is surprisingly effortless - we only need actively to use 14 out of 640-odd muscles for standing up. And although 'bad' posture is most often identified as slouching, standing up straight like a sergeant major, poking the chest out and tilting the head back is actually just as unhealthy. You should also watch out for leaning down on to one hip, and pulling the shoulders back, too. Read More

PRIMA June 2008
Alexander Technique and RSI
Fran Giaquinto, 51, from Tulla, County Clare, Ireland, feared the pain in her hands could stop her from working. "I'm a laboratory researcher, which involves fine movements with my hands and fingers. Eight years ago, this suddenly became extremely painful. The pain was shooting up my hands into my forearms and shoulders and, after a few weeks, it was so excruciating that after 15 minutes of any type of work involving my arms - washing up, driving, writing, working on the computer - I was in tears with the sickening, deadly aching pain. My doctor referred me to a physiotherapist, who said mine was the most severe and extensive case of repetitive strain injury (RSI) that she had ever seen. She warned me that I was unlikely ever to recover fully - and I began to wonder if I'd ever work again. I spent thousands of pounds visiting osteopaths, chiropractors and massage therapists, and although they all provided some relief, it never lasted. Then a colleague recommended an Alexander Technique teacher. I went for my first appointment with her in September 2000. I was in too much pain to do any kind of exercise, so all I did was to lie on the couch while she took me systematically around my body, encouraging me to tense each muscle and then relax it. I went for a total of ten sessions over the next two weeks and, by the end, the pain started to disappear. I went for further lessons once a week and after four months, my life was totally unaffected by RSI. I'm staggered by the results!"

TIMES 18th April 2008
The Alexander Technique as a Treatment for Mental Illness
In our culture today the connection between physical and emotional problems is gaining currency. Surprisingly, the best answer to coping with the stresses of life is by using a hands-on approach that straightens the body. This technique can help in balancing moods, changing behavioural patterns and managing life's challenges. To most people, the Alexander Technique is a method of improving posture or relieving backache. However, the emotional and psychological benefits have convinced many to continue lessons long after their aches and pains have disappeared. Read More

GUARDIAN 2nd October 2007
Postures New (excerpts)
Once, the phrase "good posture" brought to mind either a violently perpendicular, ramrod-backed sergeant major stance, or a deportment class full of debutantes balancing books on their heads. Nowadays, the definition of good posture cleaves to a far more natural ideal....The most popular ways of doing this are currently yoga, pilates and the Alexander Technique..... The Alexander Technique is a more fundamental approach than either pilates or yoga. It aims to teach people to regain the natural poise we all had as children. "It's about unlearning bad habits and giving you a gentle awareness, at the back of your mind all the time, about the right, loose, free natural way we all used to do things at one point in our lives," says Noel Kingsley, Alexander teacher.

GUARDIAN 13th July 2004
Back to basics
Are you a slumper? Ashley Seager was, but cured his bad posture - and his chronic back pain - with the Alexander Technique.

Many people will have heard of the Alexander technique but have only a vague idea what it is about. Until earlier this year, I didn't have the faintest idea about it. But, hunched over a computer screen one day, I noticed that the neck- and backache I regularly suffered were more painful than usual. Read More

EVENING STANDARD 18TH May 2004
The Power of Posture by Michael Bloch
As a studious boy, I used to walk to school carrying a heavy bag of books. As a result, I reached adulthood with my right shoulder almost an inch lower than the left. I imagined this to be a permanent deformity, was rather self-conscious about it and had my jackets specially made to hide the discrepancy. Read More