title: Teachers of the Alexander Technique in the UK and the people who take their lessons: A national cross-sectional survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Given the rising profile of the Alexander Technique in the UK, there is a need for a comprehensive description of its teachers and of those who currently take lessons. In a national survey of Alexander teachers, we set out to address this information gap.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey of 871 UK members of three main Alexander Technique teachers' professional associations was conducted. A questionnaire requested information about their professional background, teaching practice and methods, and about the people who attend lessons and their reasons for seeking help.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With an overall response rate of 61%, 534 teachers responded; 74% were female with median age of 58 years, 60% had a higher education qualification, and 95% were self-employed, many with additional non-Alexander paid employment. The majority (87%) offered lessons on their own premises or in a privately rented room, and 19% provided home visits; both individual and group lessons were provided. People who took lessons were predominantly female (66%) with a median age of 48 years, and 91% paid for their lessons privately. Nearly two-thirds (62%) began lessons for reasons related to musculoskeletal conditions, including back symptoms, posture, neck pain, and shoulder pain. Other reasons were general (18%, including well-being), performance-related (10%, including voice-, music-, and sport-related), psychological (5%) and neurological (3%). We estimate that Alexander teachers in the UK provide approximately 400,000 lessons per year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides an overview of Alexander Technique teaching in the UK today and data that may be useful when planning future research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK. Electronic address: janet.eldred@york.ac.uk.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eldred
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hopton
authors.affiliation: Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT), Grove Business Centre, 560-568 High Road, Tottenham, London N17 9TA, UK.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Donnison
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK; Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT), Grove Business Centre, 560-568 High Road, Tottenham, London N17 9TA, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Woodman
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: MacPherson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Alexander Technique; Alexander teaching; Complementary healthcare; Cross-sectional survey; Musculoskeletal