Spondylitis and the Alexander Technique:
quick relief or lasting solution?
Spondylitis is, like arthritis, an inflammation of joints. Spondylitis affects the joints of the spine, leading to pain and stiffness.
Ankylosing spondylitis is just the same. The spondylitis is said to be “ankylosing” if the stiffness and loss of mobility are becoming permanent. So if you have ankylosing spondylitis you are getting stuck in your bent position and unable to straighten up.
A lot can often be done to encourage your spine to free up again, so long as the joints have not actually fused. Even if they have fused, there is still a lot that can be done to improve the mobility of the rest of your body.
The main causes of the inflammation and consequent pain and loss of mobility are:–
- wear and tear
- physical damage due to injury
- rheumatoid arthritis
Wear and Tear
The usual assumption is that the wear and tear is the result of over-use. It isn’t. Mis-use is the culprit.
Question: “What can be done about this?
Answer: “A great deal. This kind of spondylitis boils down to osteoarthritis of the spine. To learn more, see my osteoarthritis page.”
Physical Damage due to Mechanical Injury
The expectation for recovery must depend on the particular details of the injury. Just a few general points:–
- The body does have a natural ability to heal itself. Given the right conditions, much more is possible than you probably expect. Since every case is individual, and since the possible is rarely attempted, nobody is in a position to make authoritative predictions: you can only work at it and see what happens.
- Many injuries never heal because the right conditions are not fostered. This is not only about the quality of medical care — though, of course, that is important. It also depends on your readiness to try whatever seems to be the most promising option, not knowing how well, or even whether, it will work. Your courage, common sense and open mind will often work wonders. Always remember that the most dedicated and talented human help you can get is only human and therefore fallible. If you expect other people to perform miracles for you, you will probably be disappointed. If, refusing to give up you persist until you find the key, what seems like a miracle often does happen. More often than not, the Alexander Technique is that key.
- Very often the main factor that stops the spondylitis healing is that same mis-use that I mentioned earlier. Before the injury, you could ignore it. Now, if you want to get better, it is vital that you investigate this matter further.
My osteoarthritis page is a good place to start.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
The Alexander Technique does not attempt to correct auto-immune disorders. These must be dealt with in other ways.
However …
Even in rheumatoid arthritis, there is almost always a strong element of mis-use. The arthritic pain alone is enough to encourage this mis-use. Even if your quality of movement was impeccable before your immune system started attacking your joints, the habit of stiffening (because it hurts to move) itself creates more pain — usually a lot more pain. This can be dealt with by learning the Alexander Technique. It is all too easy to turn the rheumatic problem into a scapegoat.
So, even if your spondylitis is caused by rheumatoid arthritis, a course of Alexander lessons could be very helpful. If you haven’t done so yet, I recommend that you read my arthritis page now.
This article is included under the following categories:‒
Personal Coaching by Philip Pawley
If you want to get the best kind of help, come to me for an introductory lesson in Liverpool.
If you’re too far away, then the next best thing is to get personal lessons and advice from me online at Repoise.com, my on-line school. (Both far-away and local pupils use Repoise).
In more detail:–
If you’re in Liverpool (or can get to Liverpool)
- There’s nothing better than individual lessons. My practice is at 37 Hope Street, Liverpool L1. Ring me on 0151 708 6172 to book an initial consultation and first lesson. (Leave your number so I can get back to you).
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If you’re short of funds, you can still have first class training from me — though it will require a little more work on your part.
The thing to do is have an individual, in-person lesson just once a month. That will entitle you to also get regular on-line lessons from me through Repoise. That way, you have the best of both worlds: in-person lessons and very regular, even daily, on-line Personal Coaching by Philip Pawley from me. That’s a real bargain because Repoise costs the equivalent of three lessons a year to everyone else.
Ring me on 0151 708 6172 if you want to arrange this.
- I occasionally run group lessons. If you’re interested in these, go here for details.
If you’re further away and can’t get to Liverpool
- There’s still nothing better than individual lessons. Here’s where you can find a teacher near you in the UK or elsewhere
- I suggest you also get direct day-to-day guidance from me by joining Repoise.
If you’re having plain Alexander Technique lessons from someone else, you still need to discover the Smiling Back Method of the Alexander Technique. You’ll get a lot more out of your lessons when you do.
37 Hope Street, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 9EA, England
Telephone: +44 151 708 6172 Mobile: +44 7872 905 154
Copyright © 2007-2012 Philip Pawley
SmilingBackMethod.com
