He came without knowing what the Alexander Technique was and he seemed very ascetic in the beginning.
One of his first questions to me was, “Are you a Physical Therapist? While I don’t think it is necessary to be a Physical Therapist to understand anatomy, physiology or neuroanatomy, luckily, I had studied physical therapy in Brazil for 2 years, which I told him. Nonetheless, this didn’t seem to alleviate his discomfort and distrust.
He was in severe pain because of a protrusion of a herniated disc and his body was quite contracted, with a very high level of muscle tension. His head was dropped down to his chest and left shoulder. Nonetheless, we proceeded with the Alexander lesson.
The fact that he wasn't able to lie down was not an obstacle to have the lesson. We worked most of the time sitting at the chair or standing.
After his first AT lesson, it became clearer to me that along with him seeing a doctor, having the necessary diagnosis and taking the necessary medications, the Alexander Technique lessons could in fact help this person. The plan for his lessons included:
Immediate goals:
* help him to better cope with pain and reduce it by guiding his attention on the unnecessary amount of muscle effort and on his breath;
Longer term focus:
* help to reeducate his posture by figuring out what might be causing pain in the way he uses himself in all activities of daily living. (For example: the way he walks or works at the computer)
This early assessment has clarified for me the ways in which AT lessons can address this kind of pain.
The Alexander Technique is a long-term education process that requires from the student the acceptance of the principle of prevention instead of ‘cure’, even in cases of protrusion of herniated discs. Students learn, within the context of support and increasing awareness, how to prevent habitual unhealthy patterns which ultimately can lead to pain and injury.