Experience Alexander | British Medical Journal's Study on the Alexander Technique

Study on Back Pain in the British Medical Journal

"Alexander's work is of first class importance and investigation by the medical profession is imperative." - BMJ

British Medical Journal Study shows 85% reduction in back pain through lessons in the Alexander Technique

Long-term pain relief still effective one year after study began

~ Exciting Results ~

579 patients were involved in this multi-center clinical trial, which is one of the few major studies to show significant long-term benefits for patients with chronic non-specific low-back pain. BMJ, 2008;337:a884

One year after the trial started and following 24 Alexander Technique lessons the number of days in pain fell by 85% compared with the control group. The average number of activities limited by back pain had fallen by 42%.

In real numbers:

After 24 lessons = 3 days in pain per month
After 6 lessons plus exercise = 11 days of pain per month
Control Group = 21 days of pain per month

The Price of Back Pain

Back pain is the leading cause of disability in Americans under 45 years old. ¹ In 2005 Americans spent $85.9 billion looking for relief from back and neck pain through surgery, doctor's visits, X-rays, MRI scans and medications, up from $52.1 billion in 1997, according to a study in the Feb. 13 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). That money hasn't helped reduce the number of sufferers; in 2005, 15 percent of U.S. adults reported back problems—up from 12 percent in 1997.²

1. http://www.painfoundation.org/page.asp?file=Newsroom/PainFacts.htm
2. http://www.newsweek.com/id/110767

Here’s what students have said about back pain and the Alexander Technique

When I first started Alexander, I had been in chronic lower back pain for 2-3 years. I have been surprised at the effects of Alexander lessons. My lower back pain started to improve within the first month and after 6 months I was pain-free for the first time in years. Alexander feels to me like something that my body had been hungry for on some very basic level.

- Carolyn Bellinger-Kawahara, Ph.D.

Through the Alexander Technique lessons, I have learned how to decrease symptoms of arthritis and neck and back pain. This has been a significant improvement in my quality of life, without medications. One of the unexpected benefits of lessons in the Alexander Technique has been a general increased sense of well-being, with some people commenting that I look younger."

- Dena Dickinson, RN, MS

I decided to try the Alexander Technique for help with my lower back pain and I'm floored by the changes I've undergone. I don't suffer from back pain any more, after decades of it. My overall stress levels have dropped significantly, and I've developed an extraordinary sense of body awareness. But perhaps the greatest change was the profound sense of emotional energy that I now have to draw from.

- Stephen Ladd, Screenwriter

The Alexander Technique