Rolfing

Dr. Ida P. Rolf was the founder of the Alternative Medicine and holistic modality called Structural Integration also known as "Rolfing".

What Is Rolfing?

Rolfing is a manipulation therapy of the soft connective tissue of the body to restore natural alignment, with the practitioner using fingers, thumbs, forearms, and elbows to gain the desired effect.

It is an established fact that today one's lifestyle has adopted modern sedentary outlook,sitting at a desk all day to sleeping in the same position every night, which resulted in distortion of the basic body structure due to which body's muscles can develop patterns of unnatural contractions. Rolfing vigorously works the muscles and tissue by gradually stretching, lengthening and repositioning them to restore their normal length and flexibility. This therapy also aims, through restructuring the body, to reveal other physical and psychological problems.

How does it work?

The basis of Rolfing therapy is very simple. The muscles usually work in pairs. For example, as one muscle contracts so an opposite muscle lengthens in the body. For example, as you bend your elbow the biceps or muscles at the front of the arms lengthen. This is a natural process of balance and harmony in the structural alignment of the body. However, if an unnatural action takes place in the muscular unity of the body- if, for example, the head is pushed out over a period of time, the body will become out of alignment with the force of gravity. If this unnatural posture is maintained over a period of time, the muscles will remain contracted and not relaxed. The fascia surrounding each muscle will shorten and lose flexibility. More importantly, this unnatural posture will become a new "learned" posture, which the neuromuscular system begins to accept as normal. Rolfers believe that this unnatural situation within the body creates not only muscular dysfunction, but also contributors to a loss of body energy and natural healing abilities.

Rolfers also believe that muscles, or rather the mysofascial system, retain a form of memory of past trauma or injury. These memories last for longer periods than the actual injury and remain even after physical healing. This causes rigidity in the physical structure of the body. As these imbalances occur over a long period of time, the body tends to accept them and adjusts to these changes in the structure of the system. This in turn also affects general health. The areas in which physical or emotional traumas are situated are known as "hot spots." These "hot spots" can be worked on during therapy by massage and other techniques.

The goal is to make the fascia softer and more flexible, and to restore its natural balance in relation to muscles, tendons, and bones. The improvements in posture as a result of this therapy should improve breathing and reduce the previously unnatural pressure on the rest of the human frame. This in turn should also increase energy levels throughout the entire system.

It is important to realize that Rolfing therapy is not only intended to improve posture and physical harmony. It can also have a beneficial affect on stress-related issues and can alter mood and improve awareness.

What to expect?

Rolfing consists of a series of ten sessions, each approximately an hour and a half long, scheduled between one and three weeks apart.

Before treatment actually begins, the Rolfing therapist will usually take full particulars of a patient's personal and medical history. The therapist would also be particularly interested in previous physical injuries. He or she will also observe the way that the patient walks as well as general posture.That way they can decide if massage is safe for you or how to make it safer.

You'll be asked to remove your clothes, or at least most of them. Your massage therapist should give you privacy while you take your clothes off and give you a robe or a towel to cover yourself with. A good massage therapist will understand your modesty and keep you covered as much as possible throughout the massage.

Next, he or she is photographed, usually front, back and side views, to document the alignment before Rolfing begins (The “after” pictures taken at the last session are often quite remarkable!).it's ur preference.

Then, the client lies on a massage table while the Rolfer uses fingers, knuckles and even the whole lower arm to loosen and lengthen the fascia surrounding muscles and joints and also to move and reposition tissue.Pillows or bolsters might be used to position you during the massage.This is usually a very relaxing process and is often accompanied by soothing music.

Each session has specific goals and builds on the last to gradually align the body and achieve long- lasting results. The whole body is treated each time (although the movements, touches, and stretches may vary) and the work of the previous session is integrated and moved forward and if necessary, revisited. Each session feels whole and complete.

It is important to finish the entire course in order to benefit from the treatment. The therapist will also give further structural integration exercises that the patient can continue after the actual treatment is over. These exercises are intended to retrain the neuromuscular system.

Note: In recent years, advanced Rolfers have been exposed to an updated curiculum that puts less emphasis on the 10-session model. The curriculum addresses a wider variety of manual therapies, including cranial, visceral, and joint manipulation.

Results:

The results of Rolfing are as varied and complex as the people experiencing these changes. Many people feel a lift or lightness of the body as the head and chest go up, as the trunk lengthens and the pelvis becomes more horizontally aligned. The joints throughout the body regain freedom of movement, feeling as if they have been oiled. There is less pitching from side to side in walking and less resistance with each step. Some people report emotional changes such as an enhanced and more positive self-image, greater ease in interpersonal relationships and increased self-confidence.

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