Getting well
You want something to change
Where you are
Maybe your back aches by mid-afternoon, or an old injury keeps coming back. Maybe it’s a knot of worry that won’t let go, a tiredness sleep doesn’t fix, or a heavy feeling of folding in on yourself. Sometimes you just know something isn’t right.
Tightening, bracing, holding our breath and collapsing are common reactions to injury, illness and struggle.
Large clinical trials show lessons can bring lasting relief from chronic back and neck pain. People also describe feeling calmer, more confident and more in charge of how they respond. Because it’s education, not treatment, it fits alongside any medical or psychological care you already have.
Read more
What the work is
The Alexander Technique is a practical skill you learn in lessons. A teacher helps you think about and re-coordinate how you go about what you do: everyday things like sitting, walking, lifting or working at a desk, and the skills you love, like music, sport or art. Feeling better and functioning better tend to go together. We can’t promise how you’ll feel, but we can always help you do what you need and want to do, well.
Read more
The science behind it
Modern pain science sees pain as the nervous system protecting you, not a simple measure of damage. Lessons may help by changing the low-level muscle tone that holds you up, easing fear and reactivity, and rebuilding confidence in both movement and decision making.
You don’t need to know your habits to change them. Working with a few simple principles, like letting everything move that needs to move and letting support go up through you, brings change. Insight into the old habit often comes afterwards.
A gentle next step
In their words
I really think the classes are fantastic. I haven’t had the serious back pain since the introduction lesson. Before, I normally saw a physiotherapist every two weeks; I haven’t seen him in more than four months.
Simon
I was in a desperate situation trying to break free of constant spinal discomfort. Alexander gave me the skills to manage my condition very effectively, in a way other therapies could not.
David Starr
