Alexander Technique
One alternative therapy that I have so far neglected on this blog is the Alexander Technique (AT). Actually, it was not really meant to become an alternative therapy when it was first discovered.
F.M. Alexander (1869-1955), an Australian actor, often experienced chronic laryngitis while performing. As his doctors could not help him, he developed a solution on his own. He found that excess muscular tension in his neck and body were causing his problems, and began to experiment on new ways to speak and move with greater ease. His health improved to such an extent that he decided to teach others what he had learned. Over a career span of more than fifty years, he refined his methods. After teaching for over 35 years, he began to train teachers of the ‘Alexander Technique’.
As used in alternative medicine, AT is an educational method aimed at increased sensory awareness and kinesthetic control to modify postural and movement patterns which might be associated with musculoskeletal problems. Proponents claim AT works for a range of conditions, including:
It has been suggested that AT is effective for chronic low back pain; however, so far only one recent study has determined its effects on chronic non-specific neck pain.
In this randomized controlled trial, patients were randomly allocated to either 5 weekly sessions of AT, heat pack application (HEAT) or guided imagery (GI). The primary outcome measure was the neck pain intensity on a 100-mm visual analogue scale at week 5. Secondary outcomes included neck disability, quality of life, satisfaction and adverse effects. Analyses of covariance were applied on an intention-to-treat population testing ordered hypotheses AT vs. HEAT and AT vs. GI.
A total of 72 patients were included, and 52 of them received all 5 interventions. No significant group difference was found for neck pain intensity when AT was compared to HEAT. However, an exploratory analysis revealed superiority of AT over GI. Significant group differences were also found for physical quality of life in favor of AT vs. HEAT or GI. Adverse events mainly related to slightly increased pain and muscle soreness. AT patients reported increased body awareness and control over the body, relaxing or stimulating effects and mood changes after the sessions.
The authors conclude that 5 sessions of AT were no better than a heat pack application for relieving chronic non-specific neck pain. Therefore it cannot be recommended as routine intervention at this time. Since exploratory analysis revealed some improvements of AT further trials are warranted for conclusive judgment.
One of the most irritating things with alternative medicine research, in my view, is the phenomenon that researchers tend to be quasi-religious advocates of the treatment they investigate. This seems to compel them all too often to extrapolate beyond reason and to drawing conclusions which are way too optimistic, frequently to an extend that borders on scientific misconduct. It is therefore a real pleasure to find an article that does not fall into this trap. I commend the authors for reporting this RCT and for their wisdom of being adequately cautious when formulating their conclusions.
I only wished it would happen more often!
