A newsletter to help you stay connected to Alexander Technique related research.

The ASO Newsletter - 8th Edition

Thank you for being here and for your interest in research on the Alexander Technique and its teaching.

The Researcher Interview Series returns to the clinical research that has evaluated the effectiveness of Alexander lessons for people with various health-related conditions. This month we’re focusing on the ATLAS neck pain trial.

Over a series of four interviews, Julia Woodman BSc, PhD, MSTAT talks about ATLAS with Charlotte Woods EdD, MSTAT. They delve into the background to this important trial and review the findings, including looking at the experiences of the participants in the trial. They also discuss how ATLAS sits alongside the ATEAM trial to form the foundation of the evidence base for the effectiveness of Alexander lessons.

ATLAS commentary Parts I and II

This first interview explores the background to the ATLAS trial, how it came about and what was involved in setting it up. What the trial evaluated, and how it did it, is also discussed.

In the second interview the clinical findings from ATLAS are presented, with a commentary on what they mean. These findings are also discussed in relation to the ATEAM back pain trial (see 5th and 6th editions of the ASO newsletter for a full discussion of ATEAM trial).

About Julia Woodman: Julia has been active in research on the Alexander Technique since 2010, and is Chair of the STAT Research Group. She was a core member of the study team for the ATLAS trial. Julia’s background is in immunology research, and spent 20 years working with clinical research in biotech and medical communications. She qualified from the Manchester Alexander Training school in 2006, and is now Head of Training at Edinburgh Alexander Training School.

About Charlotte Woods: Charlotte Woods retired from a Senior Lectureship at the Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester in 2016 after almost forty years of international experience in education. She qualified as a teacher of the Alexander Technique in 2017 and is a member of the STAT Research Group.

Additional information about the ATLAS trial

Follow the links below if you would like to find out more about the ATLAS trial:

• Key publications (the last two are open access i.e. free to view the whole article):

  • Alexander Technique lessons or acupuncture sessions for persons with chronic neck pain: A randomized trial. Hugh MacPherson, Helen Tilbrook, Stewart Richmond, Julia Woodman, Kathleen Ballard, et al. Annals of Internal Medicine 2015;163:653–62.

  • Self-efficacy and self-care-related outcomes following Alexander Technique lessons for people with chronic neck pain in the ATLAS randomised, controlled trial. Julia Woodman, Kathleen Ballard, Catherine Hewitt, Hugh MacPherson. European Journal of Integrative Medicine 2018;17:64–71. 

  • Self-efficacy and embodiment associated with Alexander Technique lessons or with acupuncture sessions: A longitudinal qualitative sub-study within the ATLAS trial. Aniela Wenham, Karl Atkin, Julia Woodman, Kathleen Ballard, Hugh MacPherson. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 2018;31:308–14. 

• Research section of the STAT website

• Brief summary of the main findings

• New hope for people who suffer from neck pain. Julia Woodman, Kathleen Ballard and Hugh MacPherson. TalkBack quarterly magazine of BackCare 2015; Issue 4: 20–22. Reproduced with kind permission.

• Note: Additionally, for members of STAT: you can find slide sets for use with healthcare professional and lay audiences and A4 handout summaries. These are available from the Teachers’ Resources section of the STAT website (login required)

Member Contributions and Thanks

As always, we welcome your comments, suggestions and questions. Please use the Comment box below or email us at alexander.studies.online@gmail.com with any information, feedback, or questions. We will do our best to respond to you as soon as possible.

A special thanks to all ASO community members who have contributed to the ASO community so far. We are working hard to integrate all your thoughtful input and materials. Your written contributions, reference updates for the Zotero library, and words of support in all forms are appreciated and inspiring. Thank-you!

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To keep the conversation going: reach out to us online, or email Erica and the ASO team at alexander.studies.online@gmail.com