Lying Down for Back Pain Relief

Posted on May 18, 2012 by

Back in December I wrote about the Alexander Technique practice of Constructive Rest as a way to relieve stress, both physical and mental. For anyone with back pain this simple self-help practice can be very powerful and empowering! Unfortunately, for some people with back pain, depending on the severity and/or particular type of pain, the standard position, with the knees bent and the feet flat on the floor, can be uncomfortable or even painful. Luckily there are some very helpful variations that are great alternatives for people with back pain or hip problems, or in fact anyone who would like to rest their legs completely.

Variation #1:

Alexander Technique Constructive Rest for Back Pain - Using a BolsterIn this position the legs are draped over a bolster, pillows or cushions, so they are fully supported, yet the knees are still elevated easing pressure on the lower spine.

Variation #2:

Lie down with legs resting over a chair to ease back painThis time the lower legs rest on a low piece of furniture (ideally probably something slightly lower than this chair – maybe over  sofa or ottoman). This really eases pressure on the lower back, and I’ve found that my students with sciatica often find this particularly helpful.

The Importance of Elevating the Head:

It is very important that your head is elevated. Traditionally Alexander Technique teachers use books, but just about anything will do. The support under the back of the head, not the neck, stops the head pulling back and compressing the neck. Rather, a lengthening and ease in the neck is invited, which has a positive knock-on effect throughout the spine.

Whatever position you choose to lie in, give yourself about 10-20 minutes if possible, as long as you are comfortable. I often recommend starting your lie down by becoming aware of the support of the ground beneath you and noticing those parts of you that are making contact. Constructive Rest is a conscious process where you guide your thoughts positively to encourage expansion, release of tension and easy breathing (though, to be honest, if you do fall asleep as you relax in these positions you will still be greatly benefiting your back). Students of the Alexander Technique are familiar with this process, but Constructive Rest can be very helpful even if you’ve had no lessons. For help with guiding your thoughts you can listen to my audio talk through, which lasts about 11 minutes:

For Severe Pain:

If you’re in a situation where your pain is so severe that none of these positions is comfortable*, you can still use some Alexander-style thinking to help you. Lie down in a way that is most supportive to you – in bed, on your side, or on a recliner for instance. As you do so listen to this very gentle audio that accompanies Carolyn Nicholl’s book, Body, Breath & Being: A New Guide to the Alexander Technique:

(Source: D & B Publishing. Click here for more information, and other audio mp3s from the book.)

If you have back pain I hope you will try Constructive rest – in whatever position is best for you! Lessons in the Alexander Technique can provide tremendous relief for back pain, but lying down every day in Constructive Rest is something you can do for yourself right now!

I’d love to hear what you think! And do you have any other self-help techniques that work for you? Let me know in the comments below.

* None of these ideas are meant as a replacement for medical care.

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Alexander Technique for Back Pain and Neck Pain Relief

Posted on May 10, 2012 by


“One to one lessons in the Alexander technique…have
long term benefits for patients with chronic back pain.”
- British Medical Journal, 19 August, 2008*

This was one of the basic conclusions of a study conducted in the UK, and published by the British Medical Journal, and something many Alexander Technique teachers and students have known for a long time.

This video was made to accompany the trial, and does a good job of describing the Alexander Technique and how the study was conducted, as well as explaining how it’s used to help people with back pain:

You can get full details of the study, which was a randomized controlled trial of Alexander Technique lessons, exercise and massage for chronic and recurrent back pain, at the British Medical Journal’s website.

Alexander Technique for neck and back pain reliefI’m very excited that now a new study (again in the UK) is being done to look at the effectiveness of Alexander Technique lessons (and acupuncture) for relieving neck pain. I can’t wait to see the results. Chronic neck pain was the reason I started having Alexander Technique lessons in the first place, and learning the Technique completely turned things around for me.

Even though I know the Alexander Technique worked for me (and then some!), and have seen it help many other people, I think it is really useful to have the backing of properly conducted, large-scale studies like these. Is that important to you?

Have you been helped by approaches that might be considered (at least at the moment) outside the norm of modern medicine? Were you influenced by whether or not there was evidence to support that approach, or was that insignificant to you? I’d be curious to see how other people think about this. Please leave me a comment in the space below.

* BMJ 2008;337:a884
Image: sixninepixels / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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What is the Alexander Technique?

Posted on May 4, 2012 by

What is the Alexander Technique?

“What is the Alexander Technique?”

This is a question I am often asked, and if you’ve been following me on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn you may have noticed that I’ve been occasionally posting simple one-sentence descriptions of the Alexander Technique. Here are fifteen of the simple definitions I’ve come up with (or collected) so far!

1. Alexander Technique is efficiency of movement in everyday activity.

2. Alexander Technique is mindfulness in everyday activities.

3. Alexander Technique is a thoughtful way to improve overall coordination.

4. Alexander Technique is a way to be aware of and change habits of mind & body.

5. Alexander Technique is a way to improve posture by releasing tension.

6. Alexander Technique is the “how to of how to do everything!” – Judy Stern, PT and Alexander Technique Teacher

7. Alexander Technique is a way to be comfortable in your own body.

8. Alexander Technique is a way to move more freely and naturally.

9. Alexander Technique enables us to act with intention rather than habit.

10. Alexander Technique is concerned with HOW you do what you do!

11. Alexander Technique is a way to be more comfortable in your body whatever you are doing.

12. Alexander Technique is a way to identify and change poor physical habits of movement, tension and reaction.

13. Alexander Technique is a way to “unlearn” harmful lifetime postural habits.

14. Alexander Technique “is a way to feel better and move in a more relaxed and comfortable way” – Robert Rickover, Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique

15. Alexander Technique is a way to improve coordination, balance, body awareness and ease.

If you don’t know much about the Alexander Technique, which of these piqued your interest?

If you’re familiar with the Alexander Technique, which do you most identify with? Or can you come up with your own?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Alexander Technique for the Computer User: An Overview

Posted on April 26, 2012 by

Alexander Technique teacher, Imogen Ragone, sits at her computerIn my eight-part series of posts for computer users, I considered, from my perspective as an Alexander Technique teacher, how we can best use our bodies as we work. I thought it would be useful to put it all together in this simplified checklist (you can read the posts for all the details!):

1. Awareness – remember to check in with yourself frequently. Don’t wait until you’re hurting! Take time to be aware of yourself, and the space around you!

2. Balance! – get to know your sit bones, and use them as you sit at your computer!

3. Don’t Lose Your Head! – don’t let your head “get away from you” – allow it to balance lightly at the top of your spine as you work!

4.Legs and Feet! – let your feet rest lightly and easily on the ground beneath you.

5. “Mouse Hand!” – notice your hand on your mouse. Check in that you’re not holding it more tightly than needed, or clicking with more force than necessary. Remove your hand from the mouse when you can and let it rest easy for a while.

6. Breathe! – be aware of your breath as you work. Start noticing when you hold your breath, so you can let it go!

7. Our Work Station – set up your chair and work station to best support you:

  • Raise the height of your desk chair so that your hips are higher than your knees.
  • Have the top of your screen more or less level with your eyes.
  • Make sure your keyboard and mouse are not so far away you have to stretch, but not so close you curl yourself inwards – just a nice comfortable reach
  • Place your keyboard and screen directly in front of you so you don’t need to twist to use them.

8. Using a Laptop – some special considerations:

  • Raise the height of your laptop when possible so you are not as likely to scrunch up.
  • Tilt the screen so you can see it easily without hunching down toward it.
  • Take advantage of its portability and use it in a variety of places – at a desk, standing, on the couch and more…

Bonus Tip: Give Yourself Breaks!
Move often, giving yourself frequent breaks away from the computer when possible. It can be particularly helpful to include the Alexander Technique practice of Constructive Rest as part of your day. It’s a great way to unwind and restore your body after working on the computer for a while. One of my students, who worked from home at the computer, would take frequent very short Constructive Rest breaks. They really helped her comfort and her productivity.

I hope you’ve found this series helpful. And if you have other technology you work with that you find challenging for your body (phone, iPad, etc.) let me know – I’m looking for inspiration for future posts!

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Alexander Technique Help for Computer Users – Part 8: Using a Laptop

Posted on April 19, 2012 by

Using a laptop presents its own special challenges. In my last blog I looked at ways to set up your work station, and in particular your seat, to support you better as you use your computer. And I repeat again that more important than the ergonomics is the way we use ourselves. In fact, if we use our body well, with awareness and understanding (as we learn to do with the Alexander Technique), we can cope well with all manner of situations – and we don’t have to rely on the ergonomic set up to do it for us (not that it does!).

The beauty of a lap top is that it is portable – we don’t need to be stuck in just one arrangement and variety is definitely good. When you observe people working on their laptop, however, what you see is usually not so great. You see people hunched over and scrunched up, with neck compressed and arms held tightly in, and many more unnatural and uncomfortable contortions. Sound familiar?

At a table or desk…

Using the Alexander Technique to work at a laptopIf you’re using your laptop at a desk or table, everything I wrote about your seating arrangement last week holds true – raise the height of your chair so that your hips are a little higher than your knees. Tilt the screen of your laptop so it’s easy to read without having to scrunch down. Starting out from a comfortable upright position balanced on your sit bones, allow your eyes to look down toward your screen, initiating a slight rotation or nod forward of the head (without collapsing your chest). Experiment with your screen to find the right angle of tilt so you can see it easily.

It’s also useful to be aware of the hinging action of your torso at the hip joint. This is where the higher level of your seat comes in really useful. You can hinge your whole torso forward a little at the hip joint, moving it as one lengthening, breathing unit, to enable you to see the screen better while maintaining a beautifully integrated back.

Standing!

Using the Alexander Technique to work at a laptop standing up

 

A laptop also makes it easier to experiment with non-traditional set ups! There has been a lot of press recently about the dangers of sitting too much, and with a laptop you can easily mix things up and try out standing. As with sitting, watch that you are not hunching over, sticking your head out, as you work. Place your laptop, and tilt the screen back, so you can see it easily while maintaining an easy, upright stance, just using your eyes to initiate a slight nod forward of the head from the very top of the spine. As you stand be aware of your feet on the ground, shifting your weight so you have a more-or-less even distribution of contact with the ground, and think of your knees as soft to avoid locking them. Remember even though you are standing you are not rigid – that you are breathing and moving even in relative stillness.

 

 

On your lap!…

Using the Alexander Technique to work on a laptopIf you are using your laptop actually on your lap, sitting on the couch perhaps, put something under it, if possible (a cushion?) to raise the height somewhat, making it easier for you look at it while maintaining a lengthened spine. Again, tilting the screen is important to enable you to see it without scrunching up, especially important if you have nothing underneath it. If you like to sit cross legged, a cushion can be doubly helpful in raising the height of the laptop and giving it more of a surface to rest on. Be especially careful not to have it too close so your arms are cramped into your body as you type.

There can be many challenges to our bodies in using the wonderful technology available to us. Laptops offer us flexibility and variety – we just need to remember that how we use ourselves is the most important part of the equation in our own comfort and productivity.

Do you use a laptop? Do you prefer it to a desktop computer? What do you find challenging? Let me know – I’d love to hear from you.

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Alexander Technique Help for Computer Users – Part 7: Our Work Station

Posted on April 13, 2012 by

So far in this series, I’ve considered many things, all to do with awareness and the way we use ourselves – our bodies, our minds, our breath – but I’ve not yet looked at the arrangement of our work station. For me this is absolutely secondary to the way we use ourselves. Even the best ergonomic set up won’t help us, if we don’t use our body appropriately within it! And with the good body awareness and understanding that the Alexander Technique brings we can even cope well with poor arrangements.

Having said that, we can set up our work station, and especially our chair, to encourage better use of our bodies.

The Seat:
Most desk chairs are not very helpful in encouraging healthy posture. They are the wrong height, often tip us back (inviting us to slump), have arms that get in the way of free arm movement, not to mention a curved back, uncomfortable “lumbar support,” and a head rest that pushes your head forward…

I suggest you raise the height of your chair so your hips are a little higher than your knees, making sure the seat is level or possibly slightly sloped forward. This not only helps you rest on your sit bones, but allows the legs to drape down so the feet can rest easily on the floor. Making this change made a huge difference to one of my students with hip problems.

You don’t have to have a special chair to do this, you can use a couple of phone books,

Imogen Ragone, Alexander Technique teacher, sitting at the computer

or cushions (here I’m using a special wedge type cushion, which can be especially effective if you have a chair that tips you back).

Imogen Ragone, Alexander Technique teacher, sitting at the computer

Recently I’ve been experimenting with this “sitting disc” – which raises the height of the seat, while giving a bit of movement similar to sitting on a posture ball (which I found to be too low and too mobile for working at the computer).

Imogen Ragone, Alexander Technique teacher, sitting at the computer

Or you can even get rid of your chair completely, as my colleague, Robert Rickover has done. He now uses a stool about 1 1/2 times as high as a regular chair!

The Computer Screen:
Arrange the height of screen so the top of it is more or less level with your eyes. Often our screen is much lower, so if we don’t pay attention we’ll likely to be curling up our back and jutting out our head to look at it. Of course with laptops this is not possible – look out for my next blog, in which I’ll discuss more specifically how to cope best with your laptop!

Also, please make sure your screen is directly in front of you. There’s nothing worse than having to constantly twist just to look at the screen.

Keyboard and Mouse:
Make sure your keyboard and mouse are within comfortable reach for your arms and hands – not so far away that you have to stretch out just to type, but not so close that you end up curling yourself inwards to reach it. And, like the screen, these should be directly in front of you for ease of use.

Other Equipment:
Anything you use frequently should be within easy reach, so you don’t have to stretch or twist awkwardly just to pick up your phone, for instance.

Sometimes very simple adjustments can big difference. What challenges do you have with your work station?

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Alexander Technique Help for Computer Users – Part 6: Breathe!

Posted on April 5, 2012 by


Breathe!

I was tempted to leave it at that, and have a one-word blog post for this latest in my series for computer users! Simply, if we just keep reminding ourselves to breathe as we work at our computers we’ll be a lot better off!

I find that most people end up holding their breath a lot while working at the computer – often completely subconsciously.

And holding the breath means excess tension! – something we want to avoid at the best of times, and maybe particularly at the computer when so many other things can “go wrong” as we focus exclusively on the screen, seemingly forgetting that we inhabit a body that needs to be look after too.

In past blog posts I’ve looked at why our posture is important to our breath, and why it’s useful to have a fairly accurate basic understanding of breathing – in particular the way the ribs move with our breath, and that we don’t need to “take a breath!” I encourage you to read those past posts – the information is completely relevant as you sit at your computer.

So rather than repeating myself here, let’s think instead about when we are more likely to hold our breath or restrict our breathing as we work. I think we’re likely to hold our breath when:

  • concentrating hard on getting a piece of work done
  • we’re waiting for a page or post to load
  • the technology is not working the way it should…
  • we’re anxious about an email we’ve received
  • we’re writing an email we’re anxious about
  • we’re in a hurry
  • we’re stressed

Can you think of more?

It’s all about improving our awareness of what we’re doing right here, right now. Getting in touch with the breath helps you be present to yourself. When you notice that you’re holding your breath, just allow yourself to exhale gently, observing the in-breath that will naturally follow. Take time to pay attention to your breath as often as possible while you work.

Holding your breath affects your whole system. Alexander Technique teaches us to pay attention to our selves – mind, body and breath. What do you notice about your breath as you work at the computer?

Image: Tom Curtis / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Alexander Technique Help for Computer Users – Part 5: “Mouse Hand!”

Posted on March 29, 2012 by

Hand on Computer MouseI recently read an article in the London Evening Standard entitled “iPad Hand: the new RSIs.” The article discussed a new type of repetitive strain injury (RSI) which is cropping up due to the way people are using their hands to maneuver around an iPad or tablet, and the Alexander Technique is recommended as a method to help prevent or alleviate the problems.  As part 5 of my series on help for computer users,  I’m considering the more widespread and long-standing phenomenon of  “mouse hand” – the way we use a computer mouse.

While I have no specific data to back me up, I would hazard a guess that the introduction of the computer mouse greatly increased the prevalence of RSI and other musculoskeletal problems. Compared with using a keyboard, which involves more movement of the fingers and hands (though typing can cause problems, too), using a mouse requires the hand to be in one position, while controlling the movement  of a little arrow on our screen with small movements of our arm/hand and using just one finger to make those clicks over and over again. For many people these are perfect conditions for the creation of lots of excess tension!

So – are you holding your mouse as you read this blog? Maybe you don’t need to actually hold it as you read? And do you grip that mouse for dear life? Are you using tension in your hand, arm, shoulder and neck to control it? Are you bearing down on it with every click – compressing your neck, your back, in fact your whole body?

When I first started learning the Alexander Technique I soon noticed that I was almost always gripping my hands to some extent. As I started to let go of that gripping, the tension in my neck (the reason I started lessons) dramatically decreased. I realized that even at times when I thought I was relaxing – sitting watching TV for instance – I was gripping my hands like crazy. And that tension traveled all the way up my arms to my shoulders and neck.

Let’s experiment! How much less effort can you use to make that click? Must you tense your neck to move that finger up and down? How tightly are you gripping the mouse? Can you do less? Can you let your hand just rest over the mouse, for instance?

“Handy” Checklist:

  1. How tightly are you holding the mouse? How much is necessary? Can you hold it a little less tightly? (or a lot less?)
  2. How much pressure are you using to click the mouse? Can you use less?
  3. Do you keep holding the mouse even when you’re not using it – for instance as you’re reading an article or blog? Maybe you can let go and let your hand rest for a few seconds!
  4. Is your hand still acting as if it’s gripping onto the mouse when you’re not even at the computer anymore? Notice your hands when you’re relaxing on the couch not holding anything – are you still carrying that tension in them? Can you let go? Even just a little bit?

What have you noticed about your hands – especially your mouse hand? Do you think you grip your hands and fingers more tightly than necessary? Let me know in the comments below.

Image: thanunkorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Alexander Technique Help for Computer Users – Part 4: Legs and Feet!

Posted on March 21, 2012 by

So far in this series we’ve considered awareness, which is actually a theme running throughout, balance, our sit bones, and what we do with our head and neck – all while we sit at the computer. But let’s not forget about our legs and feet.

Take a moment right now and notice where your legs are, and where your feet are. Were you, in fact, aware of them, before I drew them to your attention? Are your legs crossed perhaps, or do you have one or both of them tucked under you? Maybe just your toes are touching the floor, rather than your whole feet, or maybe you’ve wrapped your leg around the leg of your chair.

Or maybe you’re wondering, “What have my legs and feet got to do with the way I work at the computer anyway?”

In my opinion, and it’s a basic premise of the Alexander Technique, our body operates as a whole – and what we do with one part affects the rest, however remote it is from the perceived activity in hand.

I would also like to make it clear that there is no one right position to be in, even at the computer! Our body is is at its best when it’s not being fixed or held in any way. When we think of the position we’re in as movable, breathable, flexible and flowing it can go a long way to changing the quality of whatever position we might be in.

That said, there are some positions that are not as likely to cause problems.

Sitting with feet resting flat on the floor

Try sitting with your feet resting flat on the floor

Try sitting with your legs uncrossed and both feet just resting lightly on the floor. You can think of the legs releasing out of the hip joint away from the torso as you balance on your sit bones. Notice the contact of your feet with the floor beneath them.

In fact, you may have noticed that by sitting on your sit bones this may have just happened as a knock-on effect.

In the same way that imbalances and tensions in the body in one area cause compensatory imbalances and tensions in another, coordinating factors like resting on your sit bones, and allowing your head to balance at the top of your spine (rather than jutting out toward the screen) may have indirectly caused a better situation for your legs and feet.

And conversely, uncrossing your legs or unwrapping them from the chair legs so that your feet rest flat on the floor, may have indirectly lead you to rest on your sit bones… Learning to let go of tension in the legs can also be of great benefit to anyone with back problems.

In some ways the legs and feet can be perhaps the hardest to stay aware of as we work at the computer – maybe because they are the most “remote” from where the action is! What habits do you have with your legs and feet while you work? Do you think the habits are helpful or not? As always, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Alexander Technique Help for Computer Users – Part 3: Don’t Lose Your Head!

Posted on March 12, 2012 by

As you sit reading this blog, take a moment to notice your head! Is it lightly balancing on an easeful neck, or is it pulled forward toward the computer screen, distorting your neck, and most likely your back and the rest of your body too? For most people I would bet on the second option – this is all too common and you see it everywhere in various manifestations.

In my last blog I explored balance as we sit at the computer, and I encouraged you to get to know your “sit bones!” Now we need to look at the other end of the spine – at the head! The sit bones are part of the pelvis which sits at one end of the spine. The head is at the opposite end, in counterbalance, you could say, to the pelvis. If either end is “off-balance,” our whole structure is compromised.

The Alexander Technique is a wonderful method for teaching us to notice and change those habits that bring us “off-balance” and a lot of attention is paid to the relationship of the head to the neck and back as a (if not the) key factor in our overall coordination. It is also the key place where we have habits that don’t serve us well, and learning to manage the head/neck relationship better is vital in learning to be more comfortable at the computer.

So, it’s important to know where the head actually balances on the top of our spine (the atlanto-occipital joint). It is not at the back where we can feel the change from neck to head. It is more central – approximately between the ears and behind the nose.

When introducing this concept to my students, I often use this little exercise to help them explore the balancing point:

  • Sitting on your sit bones, put your fingers in your ears and imagine you have a rod going through the middle of your head (a beautiful mind-body image, I know!) and see if you can very gently nod your head forward as if around the “rod”  – as if you were very lightly nodding “yes” in agreement with something. This is actually where the head balances on the very top of the spine.

When we lock onto the computer screen, head jutting out, neck tense, we lose this poise and the possibility of movement at this very top-most place – not a good thing for a long-term comfort while we work!

Imogen Ragone uses the Alexander Technique while she works at the computer

Imogen uses the Alexander Technique while she works at her computer

As you look at your screen, does your head pull forward? Instead, expand your awareness to the space around you, notice your sit bones supporting you, and think of allowing your eyes to receive these words so your head can be balanced (not held or pulled forward!) at the top or your spine. Remind yourself that you do not have to hunch down and thrust the head forward to actually see the screen.

The Alexander Technique helps us fine-tune our awareness of ourselves in any activity, giving us choices about what we do and how we do it. So instead of being stuck in a set position while you work at the computer, you can choose not to let your head pull forward. And if and when it does start to pull forward again, you notice and can renew your choice not to lose your head!

Do you know what happens to your head when you use your computer? I challenge you to start noticing when your head pulls toward to the screen. Can you decide not to do that? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Top Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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