Alexander Technique ‘can benefit chronic pain patients’

Teaching the Alexander Technique in NHS outpatient pain clinics could unlock quality of life benefits for chronic pain patients, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Bristol reached this conclusion after carrying out an 11-month exploratory study of a time-limited Alexander Technique teaching service as an additional pain management option at St Michael's Hospital, Bristol.

The Alexander Technique involves a combination of hands-on guidance and verbal explanations, and is aimed at helping patients to move with greater ease by reducing unhelpful habits, requiring attention and commitment from patients.

More than half of the service users in the study were able to stop or reduce their use of medications within three months of the start of the lessons.

Dr Lesley Wye from the School of Social and Community Medicine at the University of Bristol said: "The results suggest that for some patients in this study, especially those with the commitment to incorporate the Alexander Technique into their daily routine, it can make a difference to how they manage their pain."

The technique was created by the Australian actor Frederick Matthias Alexander, who developed the method himself as a means of reducing the impact of his chronic laryngitis on his speech and movement.