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The term Rolfing and Rolfer oftentimes conjures up the image of a painful massage therapy session. Oh, there can be intense sensations as fascia releases, but the intense sensation/pain should always be brief. Rolfers should always be aware of their client’s level of comfort and needs.

Many will tell you they are willing to deal with pain, if the pain is gone once the therapy session is over. My practice is more gentle, I would rather apply the technique more than once to allow the body time to adapt to the pressure. All any of us are doing, when we do massage type therapy, is to have a conversation with the body’s own homeostatic response mechanism. I for one don’t believe we need to create more pain to relieve painful chronic conditions. Let’s take a closer look at Structural Integration or Rolfing as its called.

It was Dr. Rolf’s theory that pain in the human organism, both physical and emotional, was based on our relationship with gravity and its effect on our fascial membranes. Force vectors that enter the body either physically, or emotionally, can effect the physical structure. Just like a geodesic dome, our structure is totally interrelated, and any force that enters the system can be held in other parts of the structure. Through skillful application of technique a Rolfer/Structural Integrationist can inform the system of its imbalance and ultimately change the structure to a place of more ease, freeing up energy that is used unnecessarily to hold patterns of imbalance.

The plastic connective tissue which links all the internal structures of our human frame is called the fascial network. It is malleable and can be influenced by external responses. Fascia also surrounds internal organs and can impact them as well. Sometimes these external forces can create imbalances which result in painful conditions. Rolfing is a very specific technique, and as I have told my clients, doesn’t resemble the classic Swedish Massage technique that they have experienced prior to coming for a Rolfing session

One thing you will notice with Rolfers, is that the strokes that we apply to the patient’s body are very slow and often times without the use of any lubrication. We can change our patient/clients posture by the nature of fascia’s sliding, elastic capacity. This is the main reason that our clients can become pain free, their bodies are aligned in gravity. Send them out the door with some movement cues and education, and the changes that they have experienced can last a lifetime.

Rolfing is a chemical free, tactile approach to the management of pain and performance. Athletes always appreciate and our aware of the slightest change in function and balance when it comes to performing at the highest levels. Rolfing has been used successfully for over 50 years not only for preventing the outset of painful injuries, but as a performance enhancement manual therapy. I highly encourage you to include Rolfing as an addition to your wellness regime.

Want to find out more about Rolfing, then visit Judah Lyons’s site on how to choose the best pain for your needs.