The Alexander Technique is commonly thought of as a form physical therapy that is used in particular to help with conditions that are correlated with long chronic tension or stress such as back pain, stiff necks ‘frozen’ shoulders etc.
Whilst it often does bring relief for back and neck pain (because these conditions are often caused by chronic stress or muscular imbalances) the Alexander Technique actually describes a method that is designed to change the habitual movements in everyday activities and bring freedom of movement, improved balance and coordination. The method or technique is intended to reeducate your mind and body rather than being a series of treatments or exercises.
It is a process that teaches you a simple and practical method for improving your overall physical ease. It helps you discover a new balance in your body by releasing unnecessary tension and it can be applied to all routine activities e.g. standing, walking, sitting, lying down, lifting and so on,…As such it brings freedom of movement, improved balance and coordination to everyday, repetitive activities.
A particular focus of the Alexander Technique is to learn how to use of the appropriate amount of effort for a particular activity, which gives you more energy to share across all your activities.
As mentioned above, the Technique is not specifically designed to address back pain and stiffness, stiff necks and so on. However, because these conditions are often connected with long term issues of poor posture and movement, chronic tension or stress, the Alexander Technique also relieves back pain by correcting the underlying causes of the condition.
You can watch this 13-minute introductory video on the Alexander Technique produced by the British Medical Journal in 2008 as part of a major study showing the effectiveness of the Alexander Technique in alleviating back pain.
Video link Introduction to the Alexander Technique
Easing back pain during pregnancy
Many expectant mothers experience low back pain during their pregnancies, but unfortunately, the majority of them don't know there are treatments available. Pregnant women who experience back pain or sciatica due so partly because of their weight increase; the average expectant mother gains between 25 and 35 pounds. There are other changes to the pregnant woman's body. As the baby grows, it can put pressure on the nerves, muscles and ligaments of the mother's back and pelvis. Pressure is increased as the baby grows even larger and descends in the uterus, and as the baby grows, the mother-to-be may overcompensate for the extra weight
Yoga Exercise For Back Pain - Salute to the Sun Exercise
Yoga exercises offer many health benefits. You can expect your back and body to become stronger and much more flexible, and your mind to become more settled and clear. This means you are less likely to accidentally injure yourself and suffer lower back pain, especially if you stick at your yoga practise. As mentioned above, Yoga is also known to help your mind become more settled and clear. The calmness this brings will help you reduce your stress levels and avoid related illnesses and injuries. Yoga postures are called asanas and they are designed to produce beneficial effects in several ways: 1. The position
Clinical Somatics for Sciatica Treatment
Treatments that help you perceive, understand and manage your body's underlying muscle and movement patterns are always interesting to me - mainly because they often get excellent results in reducing back pain and alleviatin sciatica.. Whilst researching recently, I came across the Clinical Somatics technique, which is a practice that appears to bridge a number of other techniques such as Yoga, Pilates and meditation. What caught my attention was their concept that your body and muscles become unwittingly fixed in their movements, which is an idea I subscibe to. These movements become habitual and place stress on related areas leading to pain
Spinal Decompression - Axiom DRX9000
Here's news about one of the most advanced, non-surgical treatments for lower back and neck pain associated with herniated and degenerative disc. The product is the Axiom DRX 9000C which is is the first non-surgical decompression system cleared by the FDA for cervical decompression. The DRX9000C relieves back pain by: enlarging disc space, reducing herniation, strengthening outer ligaments to help move herniated areas back into place reversing high intra-disc pressures through the application of negative pressure. Treatment results published in the American Journal of Pain Management suggest a success rate of over 80% with patients who suffer from lower back pain. Clinical studies have shown a better than 72% success
Siatica Exercises To Stop Back Pain
If you have regular episodes of siatica or back pain what you need to do first is: (a) understand what you are (probably) doing that is causing you back pain in the first place and (b) learn more how your back works and (c) find out what you can do e.g. siatica exercises to strengthen your back, avoid injury and stay pain free. Most people will find out it is possible to stop low back pain and sciatica in just a few weeks or sometimes even days and build themselves a healthy back. The factors that increase the risks of you experiencing back pain or
Leave a Reply