21 www.sor.org SYNERGY NEWS JANUARY 2014 FEATURE


has taken note. To this day, doctors in the know refer patients to Alexander Technique practitioners. The Alexander Technique is not a quick


fix. At its root is a method of neuromuscular re-education that affects the entire musculoskeletal system. As it did for FM himself, it leads to better understanding and use of the body – the way the various parts are connected and the way it is meant to function naturally in movements. Learning and applying the Technique leads to improvement in mobility, postural balance and tonus – coordination is enhanced and functioning becomes more efficient. The Technique identifies bad habits of


movement and how to get rid of them. FM discovered he was pulling himself out of shape and it is this type of action that, with time, causes physical discomfort, stress, and pain. Poor use of your body will prevent you from responding in a balanced and healthy way to the demands of your profession.


Reaching out into radiography Radiography is a profession to which the Technique can be applied with great effect. Elisabeth Walker (see page 15), a pupil of FM, was a radiographer before becoming a pioneering Technique teacher. Working as a sonographer, mammographer


or therapeutic radiographer involves a sequence of repetitive movements carried out regularly. The concentration required by these precise movements, together with the reading of images on screen often results in forgetting one’s own body and how it is being used – or misused. In the workshops I run for the SoR, I


use the Technique to help overcome these problems. The Technique is about the way you carry out everyday activities and it can help you use your body more efficiently while handling equipment or caring for your patients. When faulty mechanics of movement such as white-knuckle gripping, shoulder- led reaching, bending down and forward at the back rather than at the hip joints are subjected to repetition, and are compounded by underlining poor general posture, the situation is ripe for the insurgence of musculoskeletal disorders. Musculoskeletal disorders are a serious


professional hindrance, affecting muscles, ligaments, joints and bones. Sustained slumped posture overstretches joints and ligaments and contributes to muscles becoming stiff and shortened. The increasing incidence of work- related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) among SoR members led Lyn West-Wigley,


health and safety officer, to approach me. Lyn had heard about the Technique’s benefits and came to see a demonstration. My workshops are tailored to the specific


work tasks of sonographers, mammographers and therapeutic radiographers as a tool against musculoskeletal disorders. The practical aspects are designed to give participants the opportunity to explore their individual use of their body through role-play and simulation. As the hands-on physical guidance part of the Technique is an essential learning component of this method, workshop numbers are kept small in order to ensure that each participant receives a good amount of practical, individual hands-on-work. As an active participant you will be guided to simulate working on a patient, demonstrating how you would normally use your equipment, whether it is a transducer, a gulmay superficial or an immobiliser. The teachers are there to observe how you use your body in order to identify focal points of strain and mal-coordination. We will be guiding you through verbal and physical instructions into adopting a more efficient working posture. The Alexander Technique makes you aware


of your faulty use and can teach a different way. As soon as you are able to remove these interferences in body-use and improve body awareness while working, then a new ease of performance can take place. The words of FM himself best summarise the condition we all face and how best we can change it... “You translate everything, whether physical, mental or spiritual, into muscular tension” and “Prevent the things you have been doing and you are half-way home.” (FM Alexander).


The British Association for Performing Arts Medicine endorses the value of the Technique in the management of performers’ medical problems. Leading specialists in the field routinely refer their patients to Alexander teachers for a wide variety of disorders. The Medical Research Council and Parkinson’s Disease Society have funded research into the Alexander Technique as has the Foundation for Integrated Medicine. The Migrane Trust, the Dyspraxia Trust, the Marfan Association UK, the Scoliosis Association UK acknowledge the value of the Technique. Further information can be found at Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (www.stat.org.uk).


SoR Alexander Technique


courses 6 May, London An introduction to the Alexander Technique for mammographers An interactive workshop covering the principles of the Technique, including guided activities to demonstrate its practical applications to work tasks.


17 June, London Alexander Technique for radiographers: Advanced workshop A one-day workshop for those with some prior experience of the Technique who would like to enhance their knowledge practically and build on existing experience.


“Prevent the things you have been doing and you are half- way home.” (FM Alexander)


18 September, London The Alexander Technique for diagnostic radiographers A one-day workshop focusing on the working tasks of radiographers enganged in general diagnostic imaging.


Turn to page 26 for full details of all SoR courses.


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