Whatever the reasons for your Osteoarthritis, (inflammation, lifestyle/misuse/overuse, shape of the joint, congenital factors, hormonal changes, etc…),
when the fact (you have consulted your osteoarthritis medical team) is that the cartilage in one of your joints wears away, causing the two bones that make your joint to rub against each other,
you might feel pain and stiffness. Your body then braces against the pain, the muscles in the joint co-contract in excess, the pain is still pain and stiffness gets stiffer.
You are “still” functioning, but not at your best.
If that is the case, (and again after you have consulted your osteoarthritis medical team) the Alexander Technique could help you! Not by changing the shape of your joint, not by erasing your family history, not by treating your hormonal system, not by reversing the erosion your bone has suffered,
but by offering you the choice to think differently about How our body functions, to invite you to an alternative in the way to Use your body, in order to try to alleviate the pain, soften the joints and eventually even prevent further injury. Georgette is not a medical doctor. Consult your medical team. Georgette and the Alexander Technique may alleviate the pain and stiffness provoked by Osteoarthritis.
The way we use our body daily is a habit we started since birth. We don’t even think of HOW we use it. The pressure of daily life and extreme events pile up and prevent us to take the time to THINK about it. Among those habits are some that are not positive for the well functioning of the body and the well being of our mind. The A.T. (Alexander Technique) teacher will address those habits, help you recognize them, propose alternatives that you may or may want to take as yours.
In the case of Osteoarthritis, the teacher will help you explore ways to use your body, in movement or stillness, so that you might find the alternatives a more comfortable and less painful way to go through your daily routine or your special activities. If the pain diminishes, your muscles will not co-contract in excess. If your muscles relax and soften, in movement or in stillness, this will soften the contact between the two extremities of the bones in question.
Your body structure will be more “in suspension” instead of being “stacked”, as the model of bio-tensegrity suggests. Bio-tensegrity applies its principles to the animal/human body. Georgette, as other A.T. professionals, integrates the principles of tensegrity to her teaching of the Principles of the Alexander Technique. This will be the object of another blog.
Meanwhile, the photo here shows a small model of tensegrity. This model should replace the “stack the bricks” (another blog post) as a way of thinking about our body.
Research related to Osteoarthritis and the Alexander Technique
Georgette is a certified M. Alexander Technique professional with more than 1600 hours of training over a 3 year program.
