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Alexander TechniqueThere are a number of ailments that can benefit from the use of the Alexander Technique and these include carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive strain injury. The back, neck and shoulders can also be helped as these are areas that often suffer as a result of poor posture or awkward movement. There will also be a lot of help given to performers as they will find that they have much more freedom of movement. How Is the Alexander Technique Applied?There are two main exercises that will allow an improvement and the first one is to lay semi supine. This is to be on the back rather than lying face down and there will be the benefit of tension being released from muscles. The second is a vocal one and is referred to as the "whispered ah" and this helps to produce coordinated breathing.It must be remembered that this technique can help with future development but cannot repair any damage that has already occurred. It is not a quick process either as the practice needs to be built up and not all carried out in the first few sessions. It is estimated that in order to receive any benefit there will need to be between 20 and 40 sessions so this is clearly something that needs a long term commitment. Benefits of the Alexander TechniqueThere are three man ways to work with the Alexander technique and the first is as a remedial movement. This is a way to improve the movement when there are limits as to the actions that can be made. An example of this group will be a musician who has to hold an instrument in a particular way and often for a prolonged period of time.The technique will not help to find a different way to work but will at least give an element of relief once the practice has been completed. There is also evidence that it can help patients who are suffering pain as a result of an injury or surgery. Often when there is a pain the body finds another way to react to take the pressure away from this area and it can be the case that there is either damage done to another part of the body or a habit has been picked up that needs to be stopped. There are also claims that it will be a good source of pain relief for those with a chronic disability. While there will often be no harm done if this technique is followed it will be best to check with a doctor first and if there is additional pain or even no improvement it will be best to stop and return to the original form of treatment. There have also been claims that followers of the technique do not shrink as they age, which is something that happens to most as they age. There has not been any research into this so it cannot be sited as a definite benefit at the present time. Studies of the Alexander TechniqueThere have been a number of studies carried out to find if the Alexander Technique is an effective form of pain relief. In the United Kingdom there were studies carried out in 2011 and this did find that the technique was able to change the alignment of the spine and hips to reduce stiffening.Also Read: |