Massage therapy is not easy for the therapist. In fact, it can be very demanding physically. The therapist exerts so much effort in each and every therapeutic massage session. Imagine how many sessions one therapist gives in one day. This may include Swedish massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy, hot stone massage therapy, pregnancy massage therapy and sports massage therapy. Learning and applying the Alexander Technique can help massage therapists in using their bodies more efficiently, though, and conserve their energy. Massage therapists all over Snellville and Gwinnett GA can benefit greatly from this.
The Alexander Technique was developed by F. Matthias Alexander in the years 1890-1900. He was an orator of Shakespearian Theater who had lost his voice. When doctors were unable to find the cause, he made his own studies and came to the conclusion that wrong bodily movements and posture had affected his voice. Based on this, he developed new ways of using his body and recovered. Alexander continued to experiment on his discovery, believing that it could help people perform more efficiently in all aspects of living. He documented his findings and began teaching his system in 1931, Except for the war years in 1941-1943, he continued teachings until his death in 1955.
As a testament to the effectiveness of the Alexander Technique, it is still being taught by the UK Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique which has affiliates worldwide. A three year curriculum with 1600 hours of study is required to be a teacher. It is being taught to singers, musicians, actors, dancers, athletes, physical therapists and anyone who wants to be able to use his body more efficiently. This supposedly leads to the alleviation of stress-induced conditions and pains.
A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2008 acknowledged the positive impact of lessons in the Alexander Technique on relief of back pain. It even cited lessons in the Alexander Technique combined with prescribed exercise as the most effective and cost effective option for the treatment of back pain in primary care.
Robert Rickover, a teacher of the Alexander Technique, points out that when massage therapists give a massage, they often produce unnecessary tension in their own bodies, causing not only fatigue but also pain and discomfort and even injury to themselves. This tension is usually centered in the therapists neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists and hands.
Rickover also warns that the same tension inhibits the therapists ability to connect kinesthetically with the clients body to sense where pressure should be applied and how much pressure should be applied. Even worse, as the therapist touches the client, his tension is transferred to the client and this runs counter to the intent of massage therapy. The tension can produce an unconscious resistance in the body of the client.
According to Rickover, the Alexander Technique can teach massage therapists ways of recognizing and preventing wrong habits in posture and movement that are inefficient, ineffective and unnecessarily wasteful of energy. These can be replaced with movements that do not require as much physical effort, thereby preserving the therapists own health and well being and prolonging his productivity and career.
In fact, Rickover reveals that the new trend in massage therapy shows that a lighter touch applied with clear intention can produce more effective results if the therapist uses his own body properly.
The Alexander Technique espouses mind and body alignment and balance. This is necessary for massage therapists since the profession is physically and mentally demanding. If therapists take the Alexander Technique to heart, it can definitely enhance their practice of massage therapy. Perhaps massage therapists should also be given massage gift cards to give themselves a relaxing treat in massage clinics in Snellville and Gwinnett GA.