'Partnering With Poise': A Preliminary Study of an Alexander Technique-Based Group Course for Informal Care Partners

Informal care partners often experience role-engulfment and decreased quality of life. Alexander technique is a non-exercise, cognitive embodiment training common in performing arts. Studies have shown it to have physical benefits including pain reduction and improved balance and coordination, as well as non-physical benefits like increased wellbeing, confidence, and agency. We assessed feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an Alexander-based group course for care partners of people living with neurodegenerative disease.

We conducted a single-arm multi-site study of eight Alexander-based group courses for informal care partners of people living with Parkinson's (63 began course; 45 remained at 6-month follow-up). Classes met weekly for 90-120 min over 10 weeks in community settings in North Carolina, USA. Outcomes were assessed before and after the intervention and 6 months later. Self-regulation strategies were taught through group, partnered, and individual activities. Participants practiced interrupting automatic reactions to stressful stimuli in everyday contexts and learned skills to observe and improve psychomotor patterns. Outcome measures included course attendance and retention, anonymous course evaluations, three cognitive measures, a balance assessment, and 12 self-report measures. Alpha was set at 0.0031 to correct for multiple comparisons.

Course attendance was 85%. Retention was 84%. Participants enjoyed the course and the group interactions. Executive function, balance, and emotional self-regulation improved significantly and remained high at follow-up.

This replicable Alexander technique-based group course shows promise as a novel self-management intervention to improve quality of life for long-term care partners of people living with neurodegenerative disease. Possible mechanisms are explored.