Find Relief From Aches and Pains With The Alexander Technique

Are you plagued by tension and fatigue? Do you have aches and pains and general stiffness? Most people would answer "yes" to those questions, and many go to great lengths, as well as great expense, to seek relief.

However, relief could be as easy as learning the Alexander Technique.

Eric and Sara Miller of Farmington are a husband-and-wife team certified by the American Society for the Alexander Technique. They are two of 400 teachers in the United States, according to Eric, who was guest lecturer at a Sisterhood event at the in West Hartford last Thursday evening.

The Alexander Technique teaches how to observe your posture and how to move your body. Through mostly touch and words, the teacher shows the student (always called a “student,” never a “patient”) how old habits and ingrained muscle movement can interfere with body movement. The light and gentle touch of the teacher guides the student and eases muscle tension.

The technique is about “how we do the things we do,” explained Miller. He asked the women in the room to stand up and sit down using hip and leg muscles instead of the neck. He then showed how using one’s legs reduces head and neck pain.

For back pain, Miller said he uses a holistic approach. He focuses on the balance of the spine as opposed to ordering a series of back stretches. Students often find their back pain eases.

The positioning of the head is very important, he stressed, as is freeing the neck from frequent use. “Think up” is a phrase he uses frequently to demonstrate how letting the head fall forward results in hunched shoulders and stress on the spine.

Popular in Europe

The Alexander Technique is popular in Europe, particularly in Great Britain, said Miller. He suspects Prince William's bride Kate Middleton has learned the Alexander Technique because she carries herself with such poise and grace. But it is gaining in popularity here in the U.S., especially at universities. Miller works at the with performing artists—dancers, actors and musicians—who need to heal from injuries and need to be at their “most efficient,” he said.

Miller began using the technique to cope with arm pain he suffered as a result of hours practicing guitar. A graduate of the Berklee School of Music, he plays guitar, piano and composes music. Reportedly, the technique is required course work in some schools such as the Juilliard School in New York.

The technique’s history is traced back to F. Matthias Alexander, an actor from Australia, who developed vocal problems when on stage. According to an article in the New York Times, Alexander utilized mirrors to watch his body movements. He realized his postures were not right for his voice muscles. After he retrained his muscles, he regained control of his voice.

Try this exercise

Here is an exercise that can be performed anytime during the day, said Miller, who provided a handout for this entitled, “Semi Supine/Constructive Rest”:

Lie on your back on a firm surface, with knees bent so that your feet are drawn up near to your body. Place some paperback books under your head, but not under your neck. Arms should be placed with elbows on the floor and palms of the hand across the lower ribs.

Now it’s time to begin what is called “directing,” or thinking specific phrases that will allow your body to release and lengthen.

1. “I am allowing my neck to be free, so that my head can release forward and up.”
2. “I am allowing my torso to lengthen up and widen.”
3. “I am allowing my knees to release forward and away.”

The activity is different from yoga or meditation, according to the instructional directions. It is an “active lying down, requiring mental alertness to promote a redistribution of muscle tone.”

For more information on The Alexander Technique, visit www.millerAT.com, email info@millerAT.com, or call (860) 656-6177.