The Alexander Technique and Injury

The Alexander Technique and Injury

People seek out the Alexander Technique for a wide range of reasons, including managing stress, addressing postural issues, and skill enhancement. However, prevention and recovery from injury is probably one of the most common motivators. While injuries can develop for all kinds of reasons, they are often caused or exacerbated by what happens to the body when people spend long hours in challenging positions, be it at a computer, behind a microscope or a camera, in a kitchen, or in an auto shop. Two recent articles detail how the Alexander Technique can help address some of the risk of injury associated with certain types of work.

Dentistry: more challenging than it appears!

Having identified that around 30% of its claims were due to musculoskeletal disorders associated with working in awkward positions, Dentist’s Provident, an organization that provides income replacement for injured dentists, has now begun promoting the Alexander Technique as a means of preventing and managing both pain and stress, as well as the injuries that can cut careers short.

An Alexander teacher who works with dentists speaks about applying the Technique to working as part of a dental team, and the Dentists Provident recommendations, in Nature magazine: http://www.nature.com/articles/bdjteam201435

Injured musicians

While the Technique can help address the challenges of a wide range of professions, it’s probably best known for helping musicians, actors and dancers.  While many musicians become interested in the Technique as a prevention technique, sometimes it’s used to address patterns of tension that are already so ingrained as to be causing problems.

This article from The Strad magazine recounts how a professional double bass player used the Technique to save his career: http://www.thestrad.com/cpt-latests/double-bassist-peter-buckoke-treating-head-neck-pain/