Alexander technique: what lessons involve, NHS use for Parkinson disease and how teachers are registered

The NHS describes the Alexander technique as lessons to improve posture and ways of moving. It is taught in lessons by a teacher, and the NHS page does not describe their structure, so ask any teacher how lessons are run.

The NHS frames it as lessons rather than treatment of a disease, so it should not stand in for assessment or care of whatever condition prompted you to try it.

The NHS states that the Alexander technique is offered for people with Parkinson disease who have problems with balance or movement that put them at risk of a fall. It is the only specific NHS use named on its page.

The NHS Parkinson disease treatment page places physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy among the supportive therapies, alongside medicines and, for some, deep brain stimulation. The same page cautions that for complementary approaches in general there is no clinical evidence they are effective at controlling the symptoms, and warns that some herbal remedies such as St John's wort can interact with Parkinson medicines. The Alexander technique offer is therefore a targeted, falls-focused use rather than a general endorsement of complementary therapy.

• Ask your Parkinson team whether a referral for lessons is available locally.

• Keep going to physiotherapy and medication reviews alongside any lessons.

The NHS page does not set out numerical results for effectiveness, so this guide does not either. What it does say is that herbal medicines and complementary therapies are not tested in the same way as standard medicines, and that the NHS offers therapies based on evidence of how well they work and whether they are good value for money.

Claims made online that the technique cures back pain, breathing problems or chronic illness go further than the NHS source. A reasonable approach is to treat lessons as a way to look at habitual movement and posture, and to judge success by whether they help with the specific problem you set out, such as balance or stiffness, over a few lessons.

The NHS Alexander technique page lists no specific safety concerns. That is not a guarantee for every person, and new problems with balance, falls, weakness or numbness should be assessed by a GP or specialist rather than treated through lessons alone.

Seek urgent help via NHS 111 or 999 for sudden weakness, trouble speaking, a facial droop or a fall with a head injury. For a person with Parkinson disease, a change in falls frequency is worth raising with the specialist team promptly.

The NHS notes that other complementary therapists, unlike osteopaths and chiropractors, do not need to be registered by law, and recommends a professional organisation accredited by the Professional Standards Authority. The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council lists Alexander technique teaching among its 18 registered professions, and its register is accredited by the Authority.

Ask how long the training was, how many lessons are usually suggested, whether lessons are one-to-one or in groups, and whether the teacher has worked with people who have Parkinson disease if that is your situation.