Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique was developed 100 years ago to help people improve their posture. Brita Forsstrom, who has been teaching the Technique for twenty four years,explains more ...

When Australian actor Frederick M Alexander was looking for a cure for a throat problem which was threatening to end his stage career over 100 years ago, he stumbled across something interesting. Using an arrangement of mirrors he noticed that he tensedhis neck muscles and pulledhis head back and so constricted his vocal muscles in such a way as to damage his voice whilst performing. Much observation and experimentation led him to make the important discovery that improving the use of the head in relation to the neck was the key to solving his voice problem, as well as improvinghis overall health and well-being.

From this discovery Alexander came to develop what is now known as the Alexander Technique as a wayo f not only helping other performing artists, but of generally helping people with a wide range of physical, mental or emotional conditions resulting from ingrained habits.

But what is the Alexander Technique and how can it help those with spinal compression fractures caused by osteoporosis?

All in the posture

Most people - whether they have experienced curvature of the spine because of fractures or not - share some common bad habits in terms of posture: the head is retracted back on the neck, causing the neck to slump or pull forward making the chin poke forward. To compensate for this misalignment at the top, the upper back gets pulled back, the lower back pulled in and the whole spine is shortened. Next the hip joints stiffen and the pelvis is pulled forward and the knees are locked back.

These misuse habits, which tend to become more ingrained with age as people are exposed to the stresses and strains of life and will naturally be worse among people with osteoporosis, can cause them to draw their bodies into defensive postures.ln a person with severe long-standing osteoporosis the posture may have got worse because of the loss of bone and weakening muscles.

To keep our bones strong and healthy they need to be weight-bearing. If we constantly use our bodies with poor alignment as we stand, walk and get on with our everyday lives, the bones are not allowed to weight-bear effectively. In addition this puts a loto f strain on joints, muscles,tendonsand ligaments.

Body alignment

The Alexander Technique helps people to improve the alignment of their bodies. Poor alignment and poor sense of balance go hand in hand. Good balance is essential for those living with osteoporosisas it helps prevent falls and possible fractures.

We all recognise the easy poise of a small child. When toddlers fall they let go, their joints are free and they simply sit down on their bottoms. When people faint or fall when drunk they are also less likely to fracture bones because the relaxation of muscles allows free movement in their joints. However, if we look at what happens when adults, and especially older adults, lose balance,the habit of pulling the head back on the neck and stiffening the hip joints makes them fall backwards. They try to break the fall, twist and often fracture the wrist or the top of the femur. It is this lack of freedom lack Of freedom in the joints that makes it more likely that they fall awkwardly or heavily and something has to give.

Get the balance right

By improving balance people are less likely to fall and this will help prevent injury and fractures. Furthermore, as people learn to improve their use with Alexander lessons,they will begin to use their muscles appropriately,so previously over-tense and shortened muscles will lengthen and muscles that were too lax will be more engaged inactivity improving overall muscle toneto help strengthen the body.

It is never to late to start investigating what the Alexander Technique could do for you.lt is usually taught in a series of one-to-onelessons addressinq a person's individual needs. The teacher uses gentle hands-on guidance and verbal explanation to help you become aware of the way you stand and move. With expert hands,the teacher encourages release of unnecessary tension and suggests subtle changes to your balance. Paying particular attention to the head and neck, you are then helped to maintain a more poised and freer use of your whole body in simple everyday actions such as getting in and out of a chair, walking, bending and lifting. Gradually your teacher may introduce more complex activities and you will be able to apply this new way of consciously guiding your actions for your self.

One difficulty in changing our postural habits is that we can't self-diagnose. As Agatha Christie said:"Curiousthings, habits. People themselves neverknow they have them". You can't trust the feeling - when your Alexander teacher has helped you to stand tall with ease you look in the mirror and see that you are straight yet youfeel crooked. This is why you need lessons froma qualified Alexander Technique teacher. People usually say that they feel lighter, taller and 'morethemselves'afterlessons.

Although not a therapy but rathera health-education method,the Alexander Technique can be broadly classed under the wide range of complimentary therapies such as acupuncture, aromatherapy, herbal medicine, homeopathy, reflexology and relaxation techniques people may use alongside other medicines to help manage their pain. As with all complimentary medicines, there is no firm scientific evidence to prove they help with osteoporosis, but many people find them useful in coping with the condition.