Feldenkrais method
What is the Feldenkrais method?
The Feldenkrais method is a therapy that teaches body awareness, and how to abandon habitual bad patterns of movement and replace them with more graceful, efficient movements. You learn to retrain the way you move by performing gentle movements, including stretching, reaching and changing posture.
The Feldenkrais method may help alleviate muscular tension and pain, as well as improve posture, flexibility, coordination and self-image. Other benefits may include increased energy, better pain tolerance, clearer thinking and general relaxation.
This form of therapy is based on principles of biomechanics and physics. It gets its name from its founder, Moshe Feldenkrais, a Russian-born physicist, judo expert, engineer and educator who believed that movement can affect the way we think and feel. Because the Feldenkrais method is thought of primarily as an educational process, people using this therapy are referred to as students rather than patients. In these ways, it is similar to the Alexander technique.
How is the Feldenkrais method taught?
The Feldenkrais method uses both group classes and hands-on lessons to promote ease of movement. The group classes are known as 'awareness through movement', and usually last for 30-60 minutes. The teacher verbally leads the class through a series of slow, gentle movements, which can be done lying on the floor, sitting on the floor or on a chair, and standing.
The private lessons are called ‘functional integration’, and are tailored to your personal needs. The teacher guides your movement through gentle, non-invasive touch. This is done while you are fully clothed and in various positions, including lying, sitting and standing.
Which conditions can the Feldenkrais method help to treat?
Feldenkrais is not a technique for ‘curing’ illnesses, and there is no clear, reliable evidence from clinical trials proving its effectiveness. However, it may help improve symptoms of pain, stress and muscular tension. Older people may find that the Feldenkrais method helps them regain or retain the ability to move without strain or discomfort. People with arthritis and other forms of musculoskeletal pain, including acute and chronic neck, back, hip, knee, and shoulder pain, have also reported that their symptoms have improved with this treatment.
Feldenkrais teachers believe the Feldenkrais method, when used in conjunction with medical treatments, may also help people with conditions such as:
- temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain — a condition that causes jaw pain and tenderness;
- insomnia;
- headaches;
- cerebral palsy; and
- multiple sclerosis.
Is the Feldenkrais method safe?
While there are no reliable scientific studies confirming the safety of the Feldenkrais method, there have been no reports of adverse outcomes.
Last Reviewed: 29 October 2010
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