ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE NZ

Back pain

Back pain is a scourge of westernised societies. According to ACC, for instance, 8 in every 10 New Zealanders suffer from low back pain at some time in their lives.

Many factors are implicated in back pain: overweight, sedentary work lives, inadequate or inappropriate exercise and even smoking, for instance. But Alexander Technique teachers see a common thread in many people's back pain - what we call misuse. We use ourselves constantly, in rest and activity. Muscular effort and the neurological messages which cause it form a continuous backcloth to the events of our daily lives. Indeed, they are so ubiquitous that we pay them no attention. Stress and reactivity cause us to tense and move in ways that load our muscles poorly.

Pain ought to be an ally, warning us that something is wrong that needs attending to; with back pain, this warning is often a sign of misuse. But instead of getting the message we treat the pain as the problem and try to do away with it, through painkillers or physical treatment, without attending to the underlying misuse that at the very least is a major contributor.

Alexander teachers can help you to become aware of the misuse patterns that cause or contribute to back pain and teach you to hold yourself and move in ways that minimise this misuse.

ATTSNZ is a member of the international Affiliated Societies of the Alexander Technique (ASAT)