Talk:Alexander technique
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Aetna
editThe fraud of Aetna was financial, not scientific. tgeorgescu (talk) 20:57, 22 April 2026 (UTC)
Edit Requests for June 2026
edit | The user below has a request that an edit be made to Alexander technique. That user has an actual or apparent conflict of interest. The requested edits backlog is very high. Please be extremely patient. There are currently 531 requests waiting for review. Please read the instructions for the parameters used by this template for accepting and declining them, and review the request below and make the edit if it is well sourced, neutral, and follows other Wikipedia guidelines and policies. |
I have suggestions for improving this page. I have a COI as I am affiliated with Alexander Technique Canada and would appreciate the help of neutral editors.
Pinging @MrOllie:,@Tgeorgescu:, @Bon courage: as the editors most recently active on the page.
Thank you.
1. What I think should be changed:
Please move the History section from beneath the Method section to directly beneath the Lead section.
Reason for the change: Providing a historical overview of the topic before describing other aspects makes the article more readable and seems standard well-rated Wikipedia articles like Beck Depression Inventory and Bates method.
2. What I think should be changed:
In the History section, please replace the fourth paragraph:
Change from:
When considering how to classify the Alexander technique in relation to mainstream medicine, some sources describe it as alternative and/or complementary, depending on whether it is used alone or with mainstream methods. The American National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health classifies it as a "psychological and physical" complementary approach to health when used with mainstream methods. When used "in place of" conventional medicine, it is considered "alternative".[1]
Change to:
The American National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health classifies the Alexander technique as a psychological and physical complementary approach to health when used with mainstream methods.[1]
Reason for the change: The first sentence of the existing paragraph is a inaccurate (”some sources describe it…”) The sentence actually cites only a single source that describes the technique. The suggested replacement accurately reflects that. I’ve also suggested removing the third sentence because the source does not explicitly state that the Alexander technique is considered alternative when used ’‘in place” of mainstream methods. Instead,in discussing a variety of complementary techniques, the article makes the point that if a complementary approach is used in place of traditional medicine, that approach should then be considered alternative medicine. It’s inaccurate to state the article singles out the Alexander Technique. To make the broader point in the article would take the article off-topic – especially because the distinction is explained in the Wikilinked article dedicated to alternative medicine.
3. What I think should be changed:
In the Method section, please add a new first paragraph:
The Alexander technique was described in 2014 by a group of researchers in the journal Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation as an educational approach rather than a medical treatment. Individuals who take lessons are regarded as students rather than patients, and the instruction is not considered a form of passive therapy.[2]
Reason for the change: This adds fundamental clarifying details about the technique and makes a critical distinction between educational instruction and medical treatment, based on a peer reviewed source.
4. What I think should be changed:
In the Method section, replace what should now be the third paragraph.
Change from:
In the United Kingdom, there is no regulation for who can offer Alexander technique services. Professional organisations do exist, however, typically offering three-year courses to people becoming instructors.[3]
Change to:
In the United Kingdom, there is no statutory regulation of who may teach the Alexander Technique. Professional organisations offer multi-year training and voluntary membership, with registrants expected to meet standards and follow a code of ethics.[3] A 2015 UK survey identified three main professional Alexander technique professional associations and found the majority of affiliated practitioners were university educated and typically self-employed.[4]
Reason for the change: The proposed wording is more precise. The NHS source supports that there is no statutory regulation in the UK, not that the field is wholly unregulated. The revised text also gives relevant context about professional associations, training, voluntary standards, and practitioner characteristics, supported by the 2015 UK survey.
Thank you for your time. Salamander95 (talk) 18:30, 1 June 2026 (UTC)
- 1 2 "Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What's In a Name?". NCCIH. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ↑ Little, Paul; et, al (October 2014). "Alexander technique and Supervised Physiotherapy Exercises in back pain (ASPEN): a four-group randomised feasibility trial". Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation,. 1. 2. doi:10.3310/eme01020. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
The Alexander technique is a taught approach. Anyone taking Alexander technique lessons is regarded as learning the technique, not as a patient; lessons are not a form of passive therapy or treatment.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - 1 2 Cite error: The named reference
NHSwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ↑ Eldred, J.; Hopton, A.; Donnison, E. (June 2015). "Teachers of the Alexander Technique in the UK and the people who take their lessons: A national cross-sectional survey". Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 23 (3): 451–461. Retrieved 1 April 2026.