RESEARCH ON THE
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE
With thanks to Robert Rickover.
Much of the early medical research on the Alexander Technique was conducted during the 1940s by Dr. Wilfred Barlow, a consultant rheumatologist at Guy's Hospital in London. A good summary of that research can be found in his book, The Alexander Principle.
During the 1960s and 70s, Frank Pierce Jones conducted a series of studies at Tufts University using electromyography and EMG equipment. These studies showed that the Alexander Technique could produce a marked reduction in stress levels. His results are included in his book Freedom to Change - The Development and Science of the Alexander Technique.
Nikolaas Tinbergen, winner of the 1973 Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine, devoted a major portion of his acceptance speech to the benefits of the Alexander Technique. A complete transcript of his address can be found in Science, 185:20-27, l974.
In recent years, the number of medical and scientific studies has grown rapidly. A comprehensive series of studies of the underlying physiological mechanisms of the Technique have been conducted by Dr. David Garlick of the University of New South Wales. These may be found in The Lost Sixth Sense - A Medical Scientist Looks at the Alexander Technique.
Find links to several studies and sources below:
Physical Therapy and the Alexander Technique.
Improvement in Automatic Postural Coordination Following Alexander Technique Lessons in a Person With Low Back Pain. Physical Therapy. Volume 85, No 6, June 2005. (Link unavailable.)
The Alexander Technique: A Systematic Review of Controlled Clinical Trials.
Research in Complimentary and Classical Natural Medicine, Vol. 10, No. 6, 2003.
Randomized Controlled Trial of the Alexander Technique for Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease. Clinical Rehabilitation, 2002; 16: 705-718.
Enhanced respiratory muscular function in normal adults after lessons in proprioceptive musculoskeletal education without exercises. Chest. 1992 Aug;102(2):486-90.
Functional Reach Improvement in Normal Older Women After Alexander Technique Instruction. Journal of Gerontology:MEDICAL SCIENCES 1999, Vol. 54A, No. 1, M8-M11.
The Alexander Technique: An innovative approach to reducing physical tension and stress. Behavioral Medicine, November - December, 1981. (link unavailable.)
Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, has recommended the Alexander Technique on several occasions:
Tinnitus - "Will the Ringing Ever Stop" (Type "tinnitus" in the Search Box.)
Back Pain and the Alexander Technique (Type "Alexander Technique" in the Search Box.)
The Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique in London has a page on its website: Scientific Research in the Alexander Technique.
Doctor Testimonials:
"The Alexander Technique remains the best of the self-care strategies to prevent the sequel of poor posture and poor breathing."
- Harold Wise, MD, PC, New York, NY
"The Alexander Technique stresses unification in an era of greater and greater medical specialization. Its educational system teaches people how to best use their bodies in ordinary action to avoid or reduce unnecessary stress and pain. It enables clients to get better faster and stay better longer. This is undoubtedly the best way to take care of the back and alleviate back pain."
- Jack Stern, MD, PhD, Neurosugical Group of Westchester, White Plains, NY
"Lessons in the Alexander Technique taught me how to sit in a state of lumbosacral poise, and my chronic low back pain gradually became cured. The Technique is true education. Compared to surgery (e.g. for low back pain or for chronic obstructive lung disease) a course of instruction is inexpensive."
- John H. M. Austin, MD, Professor of Radiology; Chief, Division of Radiology, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY
"The Alexander Technique makes sense in that appropriate use of the body will lead to reduction of various musculoskeletal disorders and remediate others which are established. No equipment is needed, just the skill and training of the teacher. This technique is very worthwhile as a primary preventative therapy. It is especially useful when posture is a key factor in back injuries while lifting and for workers who perform repetitive tasks while sitting."
- Robert D. Greene, MD, Emergency Department, Norwalk Hospital, Norwalk, CT
"I recommend people to the Alexander Technique who have not improved with traditional rehabilitative therapies. Part of their pain may be due to posture and the improper use of their bodies. Many people who have neck or back pain and have gone through heat, ultrasound and massage with no relief can be helped by learning the Alexander Technique. It definitely works. Nothing works for everyone, as one well-versed in using physical therapy and biofeedback, I know how valuable this technique is. I highly recommend it. "
- Barry M. Schienfeld, MD, Specialist in Rehabilitation Medicine and Pain Management, Community General Hospital, Harris, NY
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