It's cold out there.........

Well winter is upon us but have you ever noticed what effect the cold is having on the way you carry yourself? Are you pulling your head into your shoulders and holding onto your shoulders?

The effect of this is actually the opposite to what we want. This tightening in the muscles restricts blood flow to the tissues. So wrap up warm and invest in a scarf!! Let your head just balance ontop of your spine and leave your shoulders alone, allowing your arms to swing forward and back as you walk. Can you not tense your legs so much also? Think of them as reaching down to the ground instead of pulling up and in. Try it for yourself.






http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/


Helping people to use their bodies more efficiently.

New research on Alexander Technique lessons for people with chronic neck pain

Press Release:

Clinical research has already shown that lessons in the Alexander Technique lead to significant reductions in the pain and disability associated with chronic back pain.1 Now a new clinical trial will investigate how effective Alexander Technique lessons are for people with chronic neck pain.

Neck pain is the second most common health problem in the UK, after back pain. In a national survey, 18 per cent of people said they currently had neck pain, with over half still in pain 1 year later. Furthermore, chronic (long-term) neck pain has been estimated to account for 1% of total UK healthcare costs.

The Alexander Technique is a taught practical method for self care and self improvement. There is clear evidence that lessons in the Technique lead to reductions in pain and stiffness, improved postural muscle activity, co-ordination, balance and movement skills.1–5 Lessons relate to the way we go about simple everyday activities and are based on the premise that how we conduct our daily lives has long-term consequences for our health and well being. Teachers combine spoken advice with special hands-on gentle guidance to help people reduce unwanted muscle tension and overcome poor habits of posture and movement that can cause or aggravate pain.

The £719,000 clinical trial is being funded by Arthritis Research UK, the UK’s fourth-largest medical research charity. The trial will compare the effectiveness of Alexander Technique lessons for chronic neck pain with usual GP care. In parallel, the trial will also look at the effectiveness of acupuncture compared with usual GP care. Like Alexander Technique lessons, acupuncture is known to be effective for chronic back pain, and both have been shown to be cost-effective for this condition, so there is good reason for including these two interventions in the new trial.

The study, which began on 1st October 2011, is being led by Dr Hugh MacPherson from the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York. In this 3-year trial, 450 people with chronic neck pain will be studied. Patients will be randomly allocated so that one third will receive Alexander Technique lessons plus usual GP care, one third will receive acupuncture plus usual GP care, and one third usual GP care alone. The trial participants will be recruited from around 20 GP practices in York, Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester and their progress will be followed over a 12 month-period. They will be asked about pain levels, the effects of their neck pain on their daily lives and for their opinions about the care received.

As with the clinical trial into back pain, all the Alexander Technique teachers involved in this study are STAT-certified teachers. STAT (Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique) is the largest and longest established professional body of AT teachers in the UK and world-wide.

Although both Alexander Technique lessons and acupuncture are frequently used by people with chronic neck pain, neither intervention is widely available on the NHS. The study will address clinical and cost effectiveness as well as safety issues.

Dr MacPherson said: “Our research will provide data which will help patients, practitioners, providers and policy-makers make informed choices about care. If the evidence from the new trial justifies it, then both interventions should be offered routinely as referral options to patients within the NHS, which would mean that patients would no longer have to pay for these interventions themselves.”

If you would like to find out more how this could help you go to:
http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/










ENDS

Notes to Editors

For further information on:

• the Alexander Technique visit www.stat.org.uk or contact Ilia Daoussi on 020 7482 5135

• Arthritis Research UK visit www.arthritisresearchuk.org. Note: You may also like to refer to the corresponding press release on this trial issued by Arthritis Research UK and the University of York

• the University of York Department of Health Sciences visit www.york.ac.uk/healthsciences

References

1. Little P, Lewith G, Webley F et al. Randomised controlled trial of Alexander Technique lessons, exercise and massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain. BMJ 2008; 337: a884.

2. Cacciatore TW, Gurfinkel VS, Horak FB, Cordo PJ, Ames KE. Increased dynamic regulation of postural tone through Alexander Technique training. Hum Mov Sci 2011; 30: 74–89.

3. Cacciatore TW, Gurfinkel VS, Horak FB, Day BL. Prolonged weight-shift and altered spinal coordination during sit-to-stand in practitioners of the Alexander Technique. Gait & Posture; e-published ahead of print, 20 July 2011.

4. Cacciatore TW, Horak FB, Henry SM. Improvement in automatic postural coordination following Alexander Technique lessons in a person with low back pain. Phys Ther 2005; 85: 565–78.

5. Reddy PP, Reddy TP, Roig-Francoli J, et al. The impact of the Alexander Technique on improving posture and surgical ergonomics during minimally invasive surgery: pilot study. J Urol 2011; 186: 1658–62.

Tips for good posture. It doesn't need to be a struggle.

"4 Giant Misconceptions About Posture"

Guest Blog
by Amira Alvarez

People regularly come to me and say, often in a guilty voice, "I know I have terrible posture. I should try harder to sit up straight. My husband/wife/mother/doctor is constantly telling me to sit up straight. I just can't seem to do it. And my back is killing me..."

It's like the posture police are after them.

They think they're damaged goods, permanently stuck hunched over forever, and feel forever watched and judged.

I'm here to say, that's simply not true.

You can learn to have good posture and the ease and openness that comes with it. You just need the right information and a system for integrating it into your daily life. You need a strategy given to you in bite-size pieces so it makes sense and is doable.



You certainly don't need judgment.



You don't need the posture police and admonitions to sit up straight. (Can we all say thank god in unison?)



Better posture is a result of changing your conception of what posture is and how to have it, not striving harder. So let's start that process right now and re-frame some of the giant misconceptions people have about posture.



1) Posture is NOT a dirty word, but there are better words.

Alignment, BALANCE, connection, and coordination are all better words.

When the voice of the posture police starts railing at you in your head, just say no!



Try this tip: Leave judging yourself behind. Stop the internal voice that says "sit up straight." It only causes tension. Ask yourself instead how could I be better coordinated, balanced or aligned? How could I be more integrated or connected?



2) Posture is NOT a held position.

We are animals made for movement. Allow for it. Even when sitting for hours at the computer, you can find a bit of movement whether it's changing your foot position or getting up entirely to stretch.



Try this tip: While keyboarding simply notice that your whole being, and your ribs especially, can move gently with your breath. Envision your ribs moving easily, like those of a sleeping cat or dog.



3) Posture is NOT a right position.

It's not about sitting or standing only is one way. And it's certainly not about the rigidity of "shoulders back, chin up," although many people have this misconception. We can do modern dance, we can fix plumbing, we can curl up on the couch (as I am doing now as I write this) with excellent coordination and alignment. All different positions, all fully possible, all potentially good for your health.



Try this tip: Drop the idea that you have to pull your shoulders back and hold them there. It's not how we are designed and will just cause you incredible amounts of back and neck tension. Our shoulder blades curve forward ever so slightly and are not meant to be "straight". Let yourself experience their natural curve. And no this doesn't mean slumping.



4) Posture is NOT just physical.

Posture is an expression of your whole being. For instance, when you're depressed (or tired, overwhelmed, confused, or judged) you tend to collapse or contract in on yourself. It's a posture that serves to protect you in the moment, but it can be harmful physically, mentally and spiritually in the long run.



Although this posture may have become a conditioned habit, it will not serve you when you're wanting to be in a different mood. It's important to be able to choose to express your actual feelings and not be locked into an old habitual posture pattern. Having this kind of choice gives you the possibility of true freedom of expression.



Try this tip: Start noticing how your mood and posture are related. Don't try to fix your mood or posture directly - just notice the relationship.



This is the beginning of a new conception of posture and will help you change. Effortlessly.


Amira Alvarez is dedicated to providing the best learning experience for her students through innovative, comprehensive, and extraordinary effective programs designed to teach you how to have less pain, less pressure, better posture and much more happiness. Her students dramatically improve their performance and enjoy life more. Her weekly Knowledge is Power newsletter goes out to subscribers across the country and world. If you are ready to Create The Life You Want, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://www.amiraalvarez.com/
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Want to try Alexander Technique for yourself in Brighton?
http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/

How could you improve your Pilates practice? Emily and Julia's stories.

Emily is a dance and Pilates instructor and has good body awareness but since a car accident she has suffered a degree of neck pain.
Sometimes we can't see past the pain and simply exercising is not going to resolve the problem. We need to look at our habits. Together we discovered that Emily tensed her neck more at certain times than at others, perhaps when she was stressed or under pressure. Just acknowledging this and catching herself in those moments she was able to undo alot of the tension.

This is what she has to say about her lessons:

"I have been having private sessions with Mark for a few months and have found Alexander technique really beneficial. I am a Pilates teacher so already have good body awareness but I have found this technique has heightened my awareness of some bad habits I was developing in my movement patterns. It has really helped with my own approach to teaching Pilates and Mark has been an excellent teacher and made me discover lots of new things about my body. I would highly recommend Alexander technique with Mark to help with any back problems"

Emily Wilson, aged 30, Dance and Pilates teacher.

Julia was also keen on Pilates but had to give it up due to neck and back pain. Again we looked at what Julia was up to in her daily life. She had quite a stressful job and reacted to this "TOO MUCH TO DO" by tensing and almost squashing herself.  Again half the batttle was to recognise this, pause and choose another path involving creating a bit more space, lengthening and widening in her body.
I got Julia to ask herself several times a day "What am I up to now? Am I tensing and squashing myself or can I give myself more internal space?"
Sometimes when we're stressed we go into the 'startle reflex pattern' ( We do the same when we hear a loud and sudden noise). We need to realise when we are doing this, so next time you feel your shouldersare creeping  up around your ears say to yourself: "STOP WHAT AM I DOING TO MYSELF?
"IT'S NOT A GRIZZLY BEAR, IT'S JUST ..................."
Fill in the space eg: It's not a grizzly bear, it's just i have a big workload,  or the kids are playing up, or someone is playing their music loudly etc.

This helped Julia and this is what she had to say about her lessons:

"Severe backpain stopped me from doing any exercise for nearly a year. Through Alexander Technique I have been able to start up my Pilates lessons again and I can also go on long walks and be painfree"

Julia Schmid

If you are interested in moving away from painful habits and maybe even improving your particular exercise regime look into the Alexander Technique:
http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/




 

TRYING TO HAVE GOOD POSTURE? IT COULD DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH

There is a lot of talk about the importance of good posture these days. You hear it in gyms, yoga sessions, Pilates and even the very popular barefoot running.


However when you say to people “Think about your posture” they tend to TRY and stand up straight, possibly holding onto their legs , heaving up their chests and even tensing their necks in the attempt to DO good posture.




We have a strange idea of what good posture is. We try and DO IT by putting ourselves in a position and fixing ourselves. Unfortunately most of the time we cannot maintain this and we tire and we might even injure ourselves doing exercise, as we are moving this tense body around.

So what is good posture ?

In Alexander Technique lessons I firstly state that one should never fix themselves in a position, whether sitting, standing or even lying down. If you do, you are fixing and probably tensing your muscles.

The force of gravity on us encourages our bodies to lengthen and widen and we have the potential to release and lengthen into activity eg: the movement from sitting to standing. We did this as a toddler and we can get back to it by thinking in a different way. See how good sportsmen and women use there bodies, they lengthen into activity in a very natural way.

Having good posture shouldn’t be a struggle and we should definitely not be using extra effort. With our minds we can change things and we can start to move in a more lengthening and widening way which will encourage freer breathing.

Firstly we must recognise if we are trying too hard. Are we gripping with our legs/buttocks? Holding our tummies in? tucking our tail bones under? Thowing our heads back?

If we can choose NOT to do those things we are half way there.

We then choose to lengthen and widen, not by DOING it or even using muscular effort but by thinking and allowing our bodies to move in a natural way.

In a way we are allowing gravity to take us up and be more springy like a toddler.

Why not get an Alexander Technique teacher to show you how.

For more information or to book an introductory session go to:

http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/

DOES THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE REALLY MAKE YOU HAPPY?

DOES THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE REALLY MAKE YOU HAPPY?


As the Government tries to measure happiness, I started to think well does the Alexander Technique make people happy? I know I love teaching it myself and that part of that is seeing people change. You can literally see it in people’s faces, they light up!

Why is this? Well it can be for different reasons.

• PAIN GOES - People often find the reason they came for lessons ie: pain for example starts to dissipate. Pain can be exhausting so when it goes we have a lot more energy.

• IN CONTROL -They start to feel happier in their bodies/skin. Just by relearning how your body moves in a lengthening and more balanced way people start to feel more in control and stronger.

• DEAL WITH STRESS - They learn how to react differently in situations which previously would have made them feel stressed or anxious. We call this Inhibition ie: stopping and realising what we are up to! We do have a choice of how we react.

• MORE ABLE - If people pay attention to their body USE, they start to release into activity rather than pushing and pulling. They can then do sports or activities that they used to do years before or even take up new activities with renewed vigour.

• BREATHING FREE - As people’s USE changes they often find their breathing improves. Free and natural breathing is wonderful.

• CONFIDENCE - People often report that they feel more confident in themselves, which helps them in their relationships at home and at work.

I found learning the Alexander Technique allowed me to take back control rather than being a slave to pain. Also as I get older I’m finding my balance is getting better when in theory things should start to deteriorate. It has helped me in many aspects of my life. Personally I believe applying the principals of The Alexander Technique has helped me to feel happier.

To see how it could help you go to:

www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com

Why Back or Neck Pain? Look at the cause.

Why Back or Neck Pain?

This is a question we seldom ask ourselves, we just treat the symptom. We get manipulated, stretched, massaged, done to, if you like or take a pill.

So ask yourself WHY BACK PAIN?

Now there may be many and varied answers to this question.

Are we out of balance and tense in our movements, ie: poor posture? Are our joints out of alignment? Are we attempting to stand and sit up straight? (what people believe to be good posture, can cause tension and pain). Could we be reacting to stress in a negative way? Have we reacted or over compensated after an illness or accident? Many times an injury in the foot can lead to back pain as we over compensate. Are we bending from the wrong place? Many adults bend from the waist rather than the hip joints which are lower down. How are we responding to gravity? Are we allowing it to pull us down or are we trying to hold ourselves up? Neither is necessary. We could also have a real physical problem, scoliosis or degeneration of the spine. How come some people never get back or neck pain? What are they doing or rather NOT doing that is different to how I use myself?

In all the above cases the Alexander Technique may be able to help.

"97% of people with back pain could benefit by learning the Alexander Technique - it is only a very small minority of back pain sufferers that require medical intervention such as surgery."
Jack Stern, spinal neurosurgeon



The Research:

Significant long-term benefit from Alexander Technique lessons for low back pain has been demonstrated by a major study published by the British Medical Journal on 20th August 2008. (This was partly NHS funded).

This study has not surprised me at all as back pain was the main reason I came to the technique. I tried many other therapies but the pain kept coming back. I found the Alexander Technique to be more powerful as it was less like something being done to me and more about taking conscious control, a really unique way to help myself.

It can be a revelation that we can have a huge influence on our body's workings just by changing our postural habits and being more bodily aware as we go about our daily lives.

So what are we up to? Some common things we tend to do in simple activities is over activate our legs putting undue strain on the back, we may also be tensing our necks. We could be bending from the wrong place and end up sitting slumped in effect on our back rather than being supported over our sitting bones. Some of us may try and sit bolt upright but find we end up pulling in our backs and cannot maintain this for long without pain. The problem is that we may not really know what we are doing to ourselves and this is where the Technique can really help.

How it works. In lessons we will teach you how to be more supported from your feet which will have the effect of releasing tension in the legs, right up through the joints, the back , shoulders and especially we encourage freedom in the neck. In effect getting you into better balance and freeing the whole system to work more efficiently without excessive tension.



Back pain is the biggest cause of sickness absence in the UK and lower back pain affects 7 in 10 people at some time in their lives.

Research findings. The study published online by the British Medical Journal, referring to a trial with over 500 patients, offers some hope.

Professor Paul Little of Southampton's faculty of medicine and his colleagues recruited 579 patients from 64 GP practices. They were either given normal care, massage, 6 lessons, or 24 lessons of Alexander technique (AT). Half the patients in each group were also given an exercise programme involving walking.

Little said "This is a good, large, trial. It is good enough evidence for people to take it seriously." Of the approaches tested, lessons in the Alexander Technique provided the most benefit. The research reveals that following 24 AT lessons, the average number of activities limited by low back pain had fallen by 42%, and the number of days in pain had decreased from 21 to 3 days per month one year after the trial started. Also a series of 6 lessons followed by GP-prescribed general exercise was about 70% as beneficial as 24 AT lessons alone.

Thousands of people get relief from back pain with the help of The Alexander Technique each year, here are a few of their comments:

“The Alexander Technique works….I recommend it enthusiastically to anyone who has neck pains or back pain” Roald Dahl, writer

"Since my adolescence, I have suffered from a degenerative wear and tear arthritic disease in my spine, which has given me constant lower back pain for more than 20 years. Although I had heard of the Alexander Technique, I hadn't taken it seriously and thought of it as just another 'alternative' therapy. However I have now learnt that this was the therapy I had needed for all those years.

The transformation from having constant lower back pain to being almost free from this burden was remarkable in just a short space of time. It is quite incredible how moving in my old habitual way I feel pain and now moving in an Alexander Technique way I do not. I hope to continue learning more about this life changing therapy and would strongly recommend anyone who is experiencing similar back pain to mine to book a course of lessons " Hassan Khabbazeh

"The chronic pain diminished dramatically and I learned to sit effortlessly, without having to hold myself upright on the piano stool" Taylor (Musician)

"I no longer have to take painkillers for lower back pain" David (Lecturer)

"Not only has my back pain gone but I feel much more confident and I don't get so stressed out at work" Vanessa


"I had constant upper back and shoulder pain. I knew the problem was postural - born from sitting at a computer all day - but I didn’t know quite how to alleviate it. I tried the gym, osteopaths and pain killers but nothing provided long term relief. After a few weeks of lessons my pain lessened immensely and I generally felt freer and less tense. Alexander is a whole mind-body technique and the benefits from it have been immeasurable - way beyond alleviating my back pain!" Louisa Cadman



Is this the year you are going to retake control of your body? If so get an Alexander Technique teacher to show you how.

Mark Claireaux M.S.T.A.T

                                                            http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/


I teach one to one and in group classes.

Sitting is Standing!

What I hear you cry, that’s madness!

Well if you move in a balanced way your feet don’t really change in going from standing to sitting.

Most people come out of balance from standing to sitting, they either move forward on their feet, back on their feet or even on the insides or outsides. In most cases then the legs will tense as you come off balance and as you are all joined up so will the back and the neck tense in response!

(Note: neck free, head balancing in a forwards and up direction, back lengthening, knees forward and away over feet but not further than the toes).

What tends to happen if you move into sitting as if still standing evenly on your feet you end up using much less muscle tension, your joints of the ankles, knees and hips move at the same time. Your hips go back in space, your neck will be freer and your knees will tend to go forward and away over you feet. In effect your body is lengthening in activity rather than pulling, pushing and squashing itself. Your neuromuscular system will work this out if you leave everything alone, trust your body wants to balance and say ‘I’m still standing’ as you move into the chair, you really don’t need to work out how to do it .

Also note this is not dissimilar to how a toddler moves. See the similarity between these two pictures?

I can show exactly what I mean in one of my workshops, classes or one to one sessions:

www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com

Your Body Wants to Balance! Alexander Technique shows you how.

YOUR BODY WANTS TO BALANCE!

Have you ever thought why toddlers are so springy or why some dancers (like Fred Astaire) move with such ease or why do some sportsmen/women play so effortless (like Federer)?

What do they have in common? They have great balance.

So my body wants to balance eh! So why do I have tension (back or neck pain, shoulder or calve pain or even tension headaches)?

It could be a result of bad habits developed over time. The way we stand, sit, walk, play sport etc. Some of these habits could have caused some very real physical damage (scoliosis of spine, disc damage, tightening of tendons etc)

We could also be reacting to stress negatively, going into the startle reflex pattern and then moving that tense body is going to hurt:

We could also be interfering with our natural balance by over compensating after an accident or trying to fix a problem eg: back pain by strengthening another part of our body. How do we know how much to strengthen? Are we actually creating a muscle inbalance?

We Love to interfere don’t we!

In my experience people have a very strange idea of what good posture is. Obviously we don’t want to slouch. Take standing for example, are we TRYING to stand up straight? Are we using undue tension in doing so.

When questioned I find some of my clients are holding their tummies in, tucking their tail bones under, clenching their buttocks or even trying to pull their head and neck back because they think this is good posture. It may even look ok in the mirror but it takes a lot of effort and is tiring. They are in effect fixing themselves in a position and actually using the wrong muscles.

So how can I improve my balance?

Well your body works perfectly well all the time!

You cannot be serious I hear you cry.

If YOU are doing something like clenching your buttocks or tightening your legs, your neuromuscular system will recognise this and compensate by creating other tensions maybe in your back and neck.

It is useful to know that you are all joined up, every muscle in your body is connected to every other muscle, tendon or bone by connective tissue/ fascia. If your muscles were like a body suit and you tugged and twisted one part it would affect the whole.

So ask yourself as you stand there, am I DOING something to stand here? The answer is probably yes. Rather than trying to work out what it is and going round your body turning things off, choose to DO NOTHING. You will probably drift, wobble or sway a little and this can be a bit scary. Just keep your feet evenly spread on the floor. You are coming back into balance and UNDOING.

Many of us stand habitually either forward on our feet, back on our feet, on the insides or outsides and maybe more on one foot than the other. Which one are you? Can you even that out more or less?

Will I not fall over I hear you say?

Take a look at gravity – we all know gravity takes us down but there is an equal and opposite force that takes us up. It is gravity itself that keeps us up and we lengthen in response to it.

Check out Ground Reaction Force or Neutons 3rd law on Wikepedia.

Think of what happens to astronauts when they are in space without the force of gravity. They go into a foetal like position. When they come back to Earth they lengthen in response to gravity and if they have been away for a while they get a real sense of rushing under their feet. Yup the planet is pressing back at them supporting them. No need to hold on.

So what do toddlers, Fred Astaire and Federer have in common?

They trust their body knows how to balance, they let gravity do it’s job. They don’t try and work out what they need to do, hold on to or strengthen. They move as a whole.

I would also say they have a reliable body map. A toddler instinctively knows to bend from the hip joints , not their hips or waist as many adults do. Remember the waist is not a joint. A toddlers head is nicely poised/ suspended on top of their spine (roughly in line with your ear lobes), all nice and free.

Their awareness tends to be in the 'here and now'. Be visually present . Just look at what happened to Tiger Woods’ golf game when he was distracted in his personal life. Sportsmen and women are known to have great peripheral vision so try being aware of what’s to the sides of you. Computers etc tend to suck us in.

Also note that eyes are an important part of balance. Try closing your eyes and walking across an empty room. Difficult eh! Even though you know there are no obstacles in your way.


In effect the toddler, Fred Astaire and Federer are DOING NOTHING whilst DOING SOMETHING.

In Alexander Technique we call this Inhibition. They are also in the moment. The toddler is exploring, Federer watching the ball, being in the game, Fred Astaire trusting his body, leaving it all alone.

So ask yourself the question as you stand, sit, walk or even play sport, am I DOING SOMETHING?

Choose to DO NOTHING, feel the tension release and be visually aware of your surroundings thinking out rather than in. YOUR BODY WANTS TO BALANCE SO LET IT!

Mark CLaireaux M.S.T.A.T

www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com

Scilosis and how Alexander Technique can help.

I often say to new clients who have been diagnosed with Scoliosis that the Alexander Technique will probably not get rid of your Scoliosis but it usually reduces the associated pain. This is because you will learn how to move more efficiently and effectively with less tension.
The Scoliosis Association has dedicated a whole page to Alexander Technique including case studies. Click below.

http://www.sauk.org.uk/about-scoliosis/complementary-therapies/alexander-technique.html

So there is hope, so why not try a session for yourself:
http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/ or call Mark 01273 687739