Eliminate job strain: the Alexander Technique retrains your body to avoid end-of-workday aches and pains

Natural Health, March, 2005 by Sharon Cohen

IF YOU HEAD HOME at night with a strained neck, back, and shoulders resulting from repetitive tasks, you could try a century-old bodywork called the Alexander Technique. Popular among musicians, dancers, and athletes, it also works for desk jockeys by helping correct the postural problems that lead to pain and tension.

According to Alexander Technique teachers, the root cause of many physical maladies is the way we unconsciously and habitually move our bodies. Their goal is to change these ingrained habits and help you function in a more efficient, less stressful manner, even when the only activity you're performing is clicking a mouse. "The Alexander Technique is not a therapy or a cure, but a means of learning how to move differently," says Jeanne Barrett, a certified AT teacher in Seattle.

Ideally, there is a balance of musculature that yields an overall ease, so that no one muscle group is being over worked or underworked. "You actually end up expending less energy, not more, because rather than working against yourself, you're working with yourself in a more intelligent manner," Barrett says.

The first step in creating a more comfortable and efficient body is freeing your neck. "We tend to tighten our necks during any activity," says Aila Juvonen, a certified AT teacher in Charlottesville, Va. "Start by softening the muscles at the top of your neck at the center of your skull. Continue releasing tension in the muscles at the back of your head, and gradually do the same with your face and shoulders. Your body will reflexively create the proper position for your head and neck."

To find a certified Alexander Technique instructor, go to amsat.ws. If one isn't available, certified AT teacher Daniel Barach recommends the book Back Trouble by Deborah Caplan.

DO IT AT YOUR DESK

Certified Alexander Technique teacher Daniel Barach, a professor at the State University of New York, Otsego, recommends following these positioning tips until they become habitual.

1. Sit directly atop your "sitting bones" and lengthen your torso.

2. Let your elbows float out and away from your body to widen your shoulders.

3. Allow your knees to move forward and away from each other so the hip joints move freely.

4. Use your whole back as a unit, bending from the hip joint rather than always at the waist.

5. At frequent intervals, look around the room or get up and walk.