Do you suffer backache? Is your neck stiff in the mornings? Do you roll your shoulders to undo the tension? If you spend long hours hunched over your keyboard, sit at an awkward angle while on the phone or slump while reading, it is likely that poor posture is to blame.
PAs and secretaries are among the professionals who spend time sitting in the same position or making repeated movements.
But the aches and pains that result can often be helped by the Alexander Technique, designed to help to prevent or alleviate conditions associated with undue tension or poor posture.
Introduced into the UK by its creator Frederick Matthias Alexander in 1904, the Alexander Technique is celebrating its centenary in the knowledge that hundreds of thousands of people have benefited. Kamal Thapen, a member of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique, says pupils — they are not called patients — are re-educated about how to use their bodies in one-to-one sessions, which cost between £20 and £45.
“People who come to us are often in pain,” he says. “We observe them to see what is causing the problem and then gently guide them through basic movements, gradually building up the technique so that they learn how to move correctly.”
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The biggest cause of pupils turning to the technique has been the use of computers. “People are hunched over their keyboards and a pattern of use develops which is difficult to correct by yourself,” says Kamal.
The technique not only corrects poor posture habits but helps to alleviate difficulties with co-ordination and movement, joint and muscle problems, breathing disorders and stress-related conditions.
“Pupils find that as breathing improves and movement becomes easier, they hold themselves properly — and look better. Many say that they feel years younger,” says Kamal.
Kim Upcraft, an audio typist, found relief through the technique after suffering back problems on and off for 15 years. “I hurt my lower back when I lifted something too heavy and slipped a disc. It was very painful and I was off work for three months,” she says. “I also had problems with my upper back because of poor posture — I used to slump over a typewriter in the old days and then a PC.
“I’ve spent a fortune going to osteopaths and physiotherapists and, although they could cure the problem, they weren’t helping me to prevent it. They would get me back on my feet and then I’d do something such as move awkwardly, and my back would go again.” She read about the Alexander Technique and found a teacher. “She was very good at explaining how the various muscle groups work and how you should support yourself,” says Kim. “My body now tells me if I am not sitting or moving correctly.
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“I still have lessons and practise for 15 minutes every day. It’s very relaxing — and it works. I am able to continue working and am free of pain.”
Nicola Eyre, a legal secretary, has just started studying the Alexander Technique to try to alleviate round shoulders. “My work means that I am sitting at a keyboard for hours and without realising it, I was getting badly scrunched up,” she says.
“I had tried Pilates but found it quite hard work and the breathing technique was confusing. My Alexander Technique teacher is very good. She has explained about the skeleton and how muscles work. The premise is that if you tense your muscles, it will affect your posture but if you relax, your posture goes back to how it should be.”
Eyre has had just three sessions and is still learning but can already feel a difference and says her shoulders seem much straighter.
“I am now conscious and careful about the way I sit and move. For instance, in the past I’d always sit with my legs crossed but now I uncross them and keep my feet flat on the floor. At first I thought the Alexander Technique would be airy-fairy — but now it makes perfect sense.”
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For an Alexander Technique teacher in your area visit: www.stat.org.uk