Articles and research

Significant long-term benefit from Alexander Technique lessons for low back pain has been demonstrated by a major study published by the British Medical Journal on 20th August 2008 at www.bmj.com.

Randomized controlled trial of Alexander Technique lessons, Exercise And Massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain
To summarise:

24 AT lessons proved to be most beneficial
Six lessons followed by exercise were about 70% as effective as 24 lessons
Long-term benefits unlikely to be due to placebo effect
Lessons were one-to-one, provided by experienced STAT teachers
This was a scientific randomised controlled trial

579 patients with chronic or recurrent low back pain; 144 were randomised to normal care, 147 to massage, 144 to six Alexander technique lessons, and 144 to 24 Alexander technique lessons; half of each of these groups were randomised to exercise prescription.

The trial

This research trial compared the long-term benefits of the following groups:

Six lessons in the Alexander Technique (AT)
24 lessons in the AT
Six sessions of a classical massage
GP-prescribed aerobic exercise

with a control group which received normal GP care, for NHS patients with significant chronic or recurrent non-specific low back pain.

Half the patients in four groups (Six AT lessons, 24 AT lessons, massage and control) were provided with a GP prescription for taking general aerobic exercise (mainly 30 minutes of brisk walking or the equivalent each day) with practice nurse behavioural counselling. The prescription was given six weeks after patients entered the trial so that exercise followed the six massage sessions and 6 AT lessons, but often overlapped with most lessons for the 24 AT lesson group.

579 patients were recruited from 64 GP practices and 59 Alexander Technique teachers participated in the trial.