您有下背痛的困擾嗎？根據研究報告指出，約60-80%的人都飽受下背痛的痛苦。在歐美，一些醫生或物理治療師會鼓勵病人學習亞歷山大技巧作為治療的輔助，因為這是能從根源長期改善個人對身體使用認知的方式，當你學會了這項技巧，您能一輩子、24小時自行運用它，學會真正為自己的身體負責。
美國的Jack Stern醫生在他所著「終結背痛 (Ending Back Pain)」一書中也提到亞歷山大技巧作為下背痛療癒的方式之一。ATC獲得Jack Stern醫生的同意授權，將該段落節錄並翻譯分享。
原文摘於Jack Stern醫生「終結背痛 (Ending Back Pain)」一書 （p.168-169）
作者：Dr. Jack Stern
翻譯：李奕慧(Aik Hooi Lee)、劉岱萱(Aimee Liu)
我對於亞歷山大技巧非常熟悉，因為我妻子是一位物理治療師同時也是亞歷山大技巧教師。
亞歷山大技巧強調正確的頭、頸部和脊的排列以便提高身體的運用效率。這項技巧的名字來自於其發展者：F.M.亞歷山大，他是一位20世紀初的莎士比亞演員，他發現自己不良的姿勢是使他一再失聲的主因。你需要一位亞歷山大技巧老師，透過動作引導並教會你如何覺察並放鬆那些干擾了原本良好姿態的慣性肌肉緊繃。
學習亞技的目地是減少肌肉緊繃並恢復人體的自然平衡。亞歷山大技巧對那些有姿勢不良問題，或我稱作「不恰當地使用身體」而患有慢性背痛及坐骨神經痛的病人效果特別好。「不恰當地使用身體」通常是造成下背痛最常見的原因。《英國醫學雜誌》的一項研究發現，亞歷山大技巧對於慢性背痛患者有極大的幫助。另一個於2011年發表在《人類運動科學》的研究指出，亞歷山大技巧能增加肌肉的反應能力及減少腰痛患者的肌肉僵硬。它可以改善中老年人的平衡能力、減少抑鬱、並改善帕金森病患者的機能。還有經驗證據顯示亞技也可以幫助關節炎患者、改善呼吸、重複性勞損及壓力相關的疾病。
典型的亞歷山大技巧課為一對一、三十到六十分鐘一次的私人課模式。您可以嘗試一次，看看它是否合適您。如果有興趣則可以考慮堅持十堂課。私人課價格依據不同教師的教學經驗而定，大約是每堂60～125美元。保險公司一般不會提供補助給付，所以你也可以試著查找團體課程。亞歷山大技巧老師會觀察你如何坐、站及行走，並幫助你學會如何執行這些動作。你也會被指導躺在按摩桌上，讓老師可以輕輕地移動你的頭和四肢以釋放緊繃的部位。第一堂課後，你可能會感覺自己變高，如同一些回餽描述指出他們透過亞技使得脊柱獲得延展而長高了。若要查找您附近的亞技專家，您可至北美亞歷山大技巧協會(American Society for the Alexander Technique)網站：www.amsatonline.org
依據我個人的經驗，獲得最佳效果的是那些長期疼痛但沒有單一可識別因素的人，以及由於不良姿勢或重複性身體誤用而導致疼痛的病人。大多數患者很快地會感覺到他們疼痛是否得到緩解。最大的挑戰是怎麼使他們融會貫通這項新學到的無痛狀態。就像學習任何新技能，它需要長期的堅持以便成為一種習慣。
＊關於作者＊
Jack Stern （MD, PhD, 醫生暨醫學博士）
是一位合格的神經外科醫師，專精於脊椎手術，他同時也是「Spine Options」的共同創辦人之一，這是美國第一個致力於以非手術方式治療背部與頸部疼痛的機構。Dr. Stern目前亦為康乃爾大學威爾醫學院（Weill Cornell Medical College）臨床教授，曾發表為數眾多的醫療相關文章。
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An excerpt from "Ending Back Pain (p.168-169)" by Dr.
Jack Stern
Alexander Technique
I’m very familiar with this technique because my wife is a
physical therapist and a longtime Alexander practitioner. The Alexander
Technique emphasizes proper alignment of the head, neck, and spine so that the
body can move more efficiently. The name comes from its developer,
Shakespearean reciter Frederick Matthias Alexander, who developed the method at
the turn of the twentieth century after concluding that poor posture was
responsible for recurrent episodes of losing his voice. You’ll want to find a
practitioner who can guide you through these movements and teach you how to
recognize and release habitual tension that interferes with good posture. The
goal is to reduce muscle tension and restore the body’s natural poise. The
Alexander Technique works especially well for people who have postural problems
or who suffer from chronic back pain and sciatica as a result of what I have
been calling “misuse,” which is probably the most common cause of low back
pain. A study published in the British Medical Journal found that lessons in
the technique helped patients with chronic back pain. A 2011 study published in
Human Movement Science concluded that the Alexander Technique increased the
responsiveness of muscles and reduced stiffness in patients with lower back
pain. It can improve balance in older people, reduce depression, and improve
function in people with Parkinson’s disease. And there’s anecdotal evidence to
show that this approach can also aid people with arthritis and improve
breathing, repetitive strain injuries, and stress-related disorders.
The Alexander Technique is typically taught in private,
one-on-one sessions for thirty to sixty minutes at a time. Try one session to
see if it’s for you. If so, consider committing to ten lessons. Individual
lessons cost $60 to $125, depending on the teacher’s experience. Insurers will
not likely reimburse you, so look into group lessons. The teacher will watch
how you sit, stand, and walk, and help you to learn how to perform these
movements on your own. You may find yourself on a padded bodywork table so that
the teacher can gently move your head and limbs to release areas of tension.
You might feel taller after our first session, as some report feeling as if
they’ve gained some height due to the lengthening of the spine achieved by the
technique. To locate an expert in this method near you, go to the American
Society for the Alexander Technique at www.amsatonline.org.
My take-home message: I have had the greatest success with
those patients whose pain is acute to chronic with no single identifiable pain
generator and whose pain is postural and/or the result of repetitive misuse.
Most patients will quickly know if they experience pain relief. The challenge
is for them to integrate the newly learned pain-free status. And like all newly
acquired skills, it takes a long-term commitment to have it become a habit.
延伸閱讀：亞歷山大技巧相關之科學及醫學研究
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