Acupuncture and Alexander Technique Help Alleviate Chronic Neck Pain

By Jenni Whalen

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

Both acupuncture and the Alexander Technique can improve chronic neck pain, according to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Over 500 U.K. patients with nonspecific neck pain of at least 3 months' duration were randomized to one of three strategies: 12 acupuncture sessions plus usual care, 20 one-to-one Alexander Technique lessons plus usual care, or usual care alone. The Alexander Technique is a method of changing how one carries out daily activities, with a focus on reducing tension through coordination, balance, posture, and spatial awareness.

At 12 months, both the acupuncture and Alexander Technique groups had significantly greater reductions in a score measuring neck pain and disability (about a 30% reduction from baseline), compared with usual care (23%). The pain/disability reductions with acupuncture and the Alexander Technique were considered clinically significant.