Alexander Technique + Surgeons, Dentists, Tattooists, and other Professionals
One of the biggest challenges of being a surgeon, dentist, tattooist, or other professional, is spending a significant amount of time in one position.
If you’re a surgeon, you spend a lot of time on your feet and possibly also bent over a patient while also working with very precise, fine movements.
A dentist spends time sitting, but also bent over while also working with precise movements in a small space.
Similarly, tattoo artists spend a lot of time working very precisely while often in uncomfortable positions for extended periods of time.
A study was done by Pramod Reddy, Trisha Reddy, Paul Noh, and Krishnanath Gaitonde on “The Impact of the Alexander Technique in Improving Posture during Minimally Invasive Surgery.” When a surgery is minimally invasive, the surgeon can be in an “awkward posture during the procedure.” This study measured Pre Alexander Technique tests of “Basic Laparoscopic skill assessment, Postural Co-ordination, Planned intervention” and then received 8 Alexander Technique sessions and retested the participants post lessons. “All subjects reported a subjective improvement in their overall posture. There was a statistically significant difference in the PostAT posture scores… the subjects did demonstrate improved ergonomics and improved ability to complete the skill sets, with the PostAT load time test, suturing and cutting demonstrating statistically significant differences.” The conclusions were that “the AT training program resulted in a significant improvement in posture, trunk endurance and surgical ergonomics from pre-training to post-training, accompanied by reduction in perceived discomfort when performing the basic laparoscopic skill assessment.”
What is more important than position or even posture is direction and ease of movement. The Alexander Technique works to reduce patterns of tension and holding so that a correct balance of muscular activity can be calibrated.
Direction then allows us to not be caged by a position.
Even while bent over, we do not have to become hunched or collapsed. Direction allows movement or activity to be led by intention. This means that the body recruits only necessary action to accomplish an intended task.
Poise Alexander Technique Melbourne talks about direction in this way:
“Try lifting up an arm and holding it there. Put it down again, then choose something across the room to point to. Your arm’s position may be more or less the same in each case. However, when you point at something, there is a different quality in your arm. Without your having asked for any special change in muscle tone, your arm organises itself differently when you give it something to point to, rather than just being held up.”
If you would like to explore the Alexander Technique as a way to improve pain or performance in a professional setting, get in touch here!
If you’re a surgeon, you spend a lot of time on your feet and possibly also bent over a patient while also working with very precise, fine movements.
A dentist spends time sitting, but also bent over while also working with precise movements in a small space.
Similarly, tattoo artists spend a lot of time working very precisely while often in uncomfortable positions for extended periods of time.
A study was done by Pramod Reddy, Trisha Reddy, Paul Noh, and Krishnanath Gaitonde on “The Impact of the Alexander Technique in Improving Posture during Minimally Invasive Surgery.” When a surgery is minimally invasive, the surgeon can be in an “awkward posture during the procedure.” This study measured Pre Alexander Technique tests of “Basic Laparoscopic skill assessment, Postural Co-ordination, Planned intervention” and then received 8 Alexander Technique sessions and retested the participants post lessons. “All subjects reported a subjective improvement in their overall posture. There was a statistically significant difference in the PostAT posture scores… the subjects did demonstrate improved ergonomics and improved ability to complete the skill sets, with the PostAT load time test, suturing and cutting demonstrating statistically significant differences.” The conclusions were that “the AT training program resulted in a significant improvement in posture, trunk endurance and surgical ergonomics from pre-training to post-training, accompanied by reduction in perceived discomfort when performing the basic laparoscopic skill assessment.”
What is more important than position or even posture is direction and ease of movement. The Alexander Technique works to reduce patterns of tension and holding so that a correct balance of muscular activity can be calibrated.
Direction then allows us to not be caged by a position.
Even while bent over, we do not have to become hunched or collapsed. Direction allows movement or activity to be led by intention. This means that the body recruits only necessary action to accomplish an intended task.
Poise Alexander Technique Melbourne talks about direction in this way:
“Try lifting up an arm and holding it there. Put it down again, then choose something across the room to point to. Your arm’s position may be more or less the same in each case. However, when you point at something, there is a different quality in your arm. Without your having asked for any special change in muscle tone, your arm organises itself differently when you give it something to point to, rather than just being held up.”
If you would like to explore the Alexander Technique as a way to improve pain or performance in a professional setting, get in touch here!