Do you suffer from an achy back or stiff neck? Do you experience discomfort after sitting at your computer for extended periods? The epidemic of back pain in our modern world affects people from all walks of life. Unlike physical therapies, surgical procedures and sophisticated drugs to treat this significant health challenge, the Alexander Technique offers a practical method for learning skills to overcome injury and rediscover ease of movement.

Frederick Mathias Alexander, an Australian actor, developed the Alexander Technique more than 100 years ago. It is not a treatment or exercise regimen but rather an educational method that teaches students how to move in the way that the human musculoskeletal system was designed to work most efficiently — with fluidity, coordination and balance. Through verbal instructions and the skillful hands of an AT teacher, students learn to detect and release excessive, harmful muscle tensions that create movement limitations and can lead to injury. In particular, decompression of spinal vertebrae and disks can be facilitated through learning methods to relax the neck and spine. With the heightened mind/body awareness that is gained through this process, optimal health can be achieved in everyday life.

A recent clinical study published in the British Medical Journal clearly shows that "lessons in the Alexander Technique led to important patient improvement in function, quality of life and reduction of days in pain" in a randomized, controlled trial involving 579 individuals with chronic, non-specific low-back pain. In addition, the trial assessed the benefits of massage therapy and general practitioner care. Of all the approaches tested, the Alexander Technique proved to be the most beneficial.

Lenka Fejt is a certified Alexander Technique teacher living in Alameda who can speak from personal experience about the dynamic recovery from chronic neck and back pain that can be achieved with the technique. Just five years ago, Fejt still had difficulty walking, sitting comfortably or even preparing meals for her family because of injuries caused by years of working in improper ergonomic conditions. She was also unable to play piano — her personal passion that she studied in her native country, Czechoslovakia. Then she met Rome Earl, a well-known Alamedan and AT teacher who trained with Alexander himself.

Earl taught Fejt how to rediscover the posture, poise and physical independence that she was born with. Fejt is now able to express her musical gift again and fully participate in family life and physical activities. She was so inspired by what she had learned and accomplished that she went on to study at the Alexander Educational Center in Berkeley, graduating in March 2007 and continuing her studies to this day. Fejt's mission is to pass on the knowledge and skills of the Alexander Technique "to help others move through their lives with expanded ease, more enjoyment and free from pain," she said.

(Reference for clinical trial results: www.alexandertech.org/presskit/AmSATPressRelease.html)

Lenka Fejt is a consultant and teacher of Alexander Technique at her home in Alameda and group workshops throughout the community. Contact her at 517-1112, www.alexandertechniquealameda.com or