“When people look at trying to prevent repetitive motion injuries, mostly they look at how the workstation, chair, and other pieces of equipment are put together, which is a valuable thing to do. But what is missed in all of that is how people actually use their bodies. The Kines-Tech program really provides a significant missing element in most injury prevention programs.” —Mr. Bob Noha, Loss Control Specialist, Firemans Fund Insurance Co.

Initial trainee feedback from the pilot program at Google, Inc. (From these results Google decided to continue with additional K-T programs). Here are some trainee responses to the following questions:

What were the most valuable aspects of this learning experience?

Learning habits of caring for my back; realizing that good posture is relaxed, not tense.

I learned how some simple adjustments to my posture and spine alignment could lower the strain I felt.

Learning to stop and notice my body position and tensions. By far the most valuable aspect was the 2-person training sessions. They were very effective.

Learning how to “let go” and relax my neck muscles and balance my head on my spine.

Bringing awareness to my posture and showing me how many unnecessary movements, and the tension associated with them, I constantly performed on a daily bases.

Learning about the head/neck/back connection, and how each piece affects the other, in addition to learning how to properly lay down, type and sit, so you only expend the amount of energy you need for the task.

…and the impact on my emotional health has been huge.

Has the learning experience helped you so far? If yes, please specify. If not, please tell us why.

I had been having chronic pain in my upper back and shoulders, and through the course, I learned that this pain is actually caused by tension in my neck which I had not realized. John and his team providing wonderful insight and hands-on coaching to help me reduce this pain.

…I now notice how I hunch my shoulders and my neck dozens of times a day. As a result, I am relaxing more throughout the day and have less back pain. The final session allowed me to refine my movements and realize that I wasn’t developing worse habits but simply becoming more aware of those bad habits.

Yes – I have been applying the techniques on a daily basis and it helps reduce the pain level I used to experience.

I notice my positioning more than before the class, and I remember to relax before starting to work.

Yes – it’s got me thinking more about how I move/sit etc.

By the end of the second session, my jaw unlocked for the first time in a long time since I have a serious case of TMJ.

Yes. It has helped reduce the strain in my neck and shoulders.

The fact that Google offers this–that’s amazing–thank you. I’d be very interested in advanced courses or more courses, or even be willing to pay someone to continue to help me.

I believe this technique can address and resolve my chronic pain issue perfectly.

This should be a required class for all Googlers!

This is really an excellent and eye-opening course.

An excellent approach to tackling problems of “ergonomic” discomfort and injuries. I highly recommend.

It came at a time I really needed it – I feel I’ve made significant change and improvements. We should embrace this company wide.

My overall opinion of this training is extremely high. Had I had this training years ago I wouldn’t have had the worker’s comp injuries I have today.

I would recommend the course to all employees who feel any physical stress from the work station.

I held tension in my shoulders and need to practice the techniques learned in Kines-Tech to correct the problem. My shoulder problem is definitely decreasing.

This reminded me to think about how I move and use my workspace to minimize stress and back pain (which has not reappeared since using this Alexander Technique.)

I’m delighted by the training and results. I really learned it well and the pattern, timing and pacing of the training was superb. It’s given me techniques for relaxation as well as productivity.

Great!! This has become an eye-opener to the effect of how body positioning/habits can affect body comfort. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this program.

This program’s focus on “awareness” is so easy to apply. I can feel immediate results and the follow-ups help me to maintain the benefits. The progression of the program seemed just right: 1. Group session to introduce – efficient. 2. Paired follow-ups – individualized sharing. 3. Individual follow-ups – real world and personalized.

Give it to all employees to prevent carpal tunnel.

I liked John’s style — very engaging and endearing. I really liked the hands-on work I highly recommend this work!

John is obviously a professional and expert in his field. I appreciated the way he taught and responded positively to everyone, treating each of us individually, and drawing everyone’s issues into a common issue so we could all relate to one another.

John Baron has a deep insight into the process by which movements are controlled and acquired. More importantly, he skillfully uses that insight to help individuals discover more adaptive and efficient ways of performing tasks that range from the mundane activities of daily living to the astonishing feats of the elite performer.–Dr. David Anderson, Chair, Department of Kinesiology, San Francisco State University.