Useful resources on Alexander Technique, Yoga and Chair Yoga

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Medical research

Preliminary evidence of Alexander technique for Neck pain: To determine feasibility and potential of Alexander technique (AT) group classes for chronic neck pain and to assess changes in self-efficacy, posture, and neck muscle activity as potential mechanisms for pain reduction. (full text)

Randomized controlled trial of the Alexander technique for idiopathic Parkinson’s disease: There is evidence that lessons in the Alexander Technique are likely to lead to sustained benefit for people with Parkinson’s disease.(full text)

Self-efficacy and self-care-related outcomes: ATLAS was a pragmatic randomised (1:1:1 ratio), controlled trial recruiting patients with chronic neck pain (N = 517) and evaluating one-to-one Alexander Technique lessons, or acupuncture, each plus usual care, compared with usual care alone. The primary outcome (12-month Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire [NPQ]) demonstrated significant and clinically meaningful reductions in neck pain and associated disability for both interventions compared with usual care alone. Here we describe pre-specified, self-efficacy and other self-care-related outcomes for the Alexander group compared with usual care.(full text)

Effects of Implementing the Alexander Technique: The broad concept of maternal well-being includes psychological concepts, social aspects, and aspects of becoming a mother. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of implementing the Alexander technique on enjoying the sense of motherhood.(full text)

Articles of interest

The problem with sitting (by Galen Cranz): “Have a seat,” the receptionist says, thinking she’s being polite by offering you a place to sit while you wait for your appointment. What neither of you probably realize is that she’s asking you to take years off your life, weaken your body in general, and stress your back in particular.(full text):

Posture is Not Improved by Trying Harder (by Roy Paimer): Do you think your posture is poor? Have you tried a course of posture exercises to correct it? Most people would say they feel their posture could be better but why does it become poor and what is the best way to improve it? (full text)

Adapting to Hypermobility: The Benefits of The Alexander Technique (by Laura Tuthall): Life as a hypermobile person can be painful, exhausting, and unpredictable. Many aspects of our health are out of our control, but we do make choices that cumulatively affect our functioning.(full text)

Poise, Posture and Performance (by Roy Palmer): Good posture is seen to have many advantages. From an aesthetic point of view it can enhance image, sending out the right signals (body language). For an athlete it is seen to be essential. But what is a good posture? We recognize poor posture when we see it, as it is evident in the majority of adults regardless of athletic ability. But just to confuse the matter, people with an ideal ‘plumb-line’ posture can also have poor movement patterns.(full text)