Table 1.
Baseline demographics.
| Alexander Technique lessons (N = 172) | Usual care alone (N = 172) | Overall (N = 344) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age, years (SD) | 53.62 (14.59) | 53.85 (12.95) | 53.74 (13.77) |
| Gender: Female, n (%) | 120 (69.8) | 118 (68.6) | 238 (69.2) |
| Ethnicity, n (%) | |||
| White-British | 151 (89.4) | 152 (88.9) | 303 (89.1) |
| Indian | 4 (2.4) | 3 (1.8) | 7 (2.1) |
| Bangladeshi | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Pakistani | 4 (2.4) | 2 (1.2) | 6 (1.8) |
| Chinese | 1 (0.6) | 1 (0.6) | 2 (0.6) |
| Afro-Caribbean | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.3) |
| Other | 8 (4.7) | 13 (7.6) | 21 (6.2) |
| Mean age left full-time education, years (SD) | 18.20 (6.13) | 18.58 (5.98) | 18.39 (6.05) |
| Outcome measures at baseline, mean (SD) | |||
| NPQ % score | 39.38 (11.91) | 40.46 (11.60) | 39.92 (11.75) |
| SF-12 Physical Component score | 39.87 (9.75) | 40.98 (9.49) | 40.42 (9.62) |
| SF-12 Mental Component score | 45.63 (12.22) | 46.59 (10.87) | 46.11 (11.56) |
| Perceived Stress Scale score | 6.46 (2.96) | 6.15 (3.36) | 6.31 (3.17) |
| Chronic Pain Self-efficacy Scale | 4.18 (1.53) | 4.17 (1.54) | 4.17 (1.53) |
| Employment status, n (%) | |||
| Currently in paid employment | 100 (59.2) | 106 (62.0) | 206 (60.6) |
| Reduced hours due to neck pain | 11 (9.1) | 8 (6.5) | 19 (7.8) |
| Stopped working due to neck pain | 10 (6.2) | 12 (7.4) | 22 (6.8) |
SD: standard deviation; NPQ: Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire score; SF-12: short-form quality of life survey (6- and 12-month outcomes for SF-12 have been reported previously [16]; There were 3 missing responses for ethnicity in the Alexander group and 1 for the usual care group; 8 missing responses for age left full-time education in each group; 3 missing responses in each group for the SF-12; 1 missing response on the Perceived Stress Scale and Pain Self-Efficacy Scale in the Alexander group; 3 missing responses for in paid employment in the Alexander group and 1 in the usual care group; 51 missing responses for reduction in hours in the Alexander group and 48 in the usual care group; 11 missing responses for stopping work due to neck pain in the Alexander group and 10 in the usual care group.