Rolfing & Structural Integration
Rolfing treatment is a term that sounds odd for many. However, it’s a simple term that we’ll explain in detail. Rolfing is a type of bodywork intended to help heal the body. Wellness practices such as massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, yoga, Rolfing and Structural Integration fall under this heading of bodywork. Though not medical, bodywork has been shown to improve people’s lives. Through these practices, people find improved health, happiness, and general well-being.
This post discusses Rolfing and Structural Integration, practices that alleviate chronic pain, correct imperfect posture, and improve lives. Keep reading to discover how these bodywork practices will improve your life or the life of a loved one.
Rolfing Treatment for Chronic Pain
Chronic pain harms our quality of life. Treating the problem with allopathic practices includes dangerous, addictive drugs, or risky surgeries. Rather than take such risks, many people choose to visit a bodyworker for Rolfing treatment. This non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical approach to persistent pain helps many maintain a high quality of life without side effects.
The Journal of Pain reports that approximately 30 percent of people suffer from chronic pain. A significant number of these sufferers report that they suffer from low back pain or discomfort resulting from osteoarthritis. Rolfing treatment addresses these and other issues in the body but uses methods that seem unusual or counterintuitive.
Bodywork sessions often involve work that focuses on unrelated parts of the body. For instance, many who suffer from chronic shoulder pain have tightness or inflammation in their neck muscles. Thus, their necks are causing the problem. In a similar way, low back sufferers often need work on their hamstrings. Rolfers also known as structural integration practitioners focus on these areas because they understand the body’s interconnected systems. When the various structures of the body are integrated, pain patients find relief and rediscover optimal functioning.
Structural Integration for Better Posture
Our daily lives often conflict with our musculoskeletal system. When we work at desks, use smartphones, and even drive, we put our bodies in unnatural positions. Over time, these incorrect postures take a toll. Many of our mothers warned against making faces because we might get stuck that way. This motherly wisdom was not wrong.
Structural integration use Rolfing treatment techniques to help improve how our bones and muscles work with each other. Poor posture causes knots and weaknesses that we might not immediately recognize. A trained bodyworker can help identify the real problem areas, apply therapy, and recommend exercises or even nutritional solutions for homework.
Do I need Rolfing – Structural Integration?
Structural integration is a non-invasive practice that anyone can benefit from. Practitioners treat a range of patient that includes athletes who wish to optimize their performance to scoliosis patients who are in chronic pain. It’s also great therapy for temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ,) low back pain, and breathing problems, too. Even perfectly healthy, pain-free people receive benefits from Rolfing or structural integration as a way to tune-up their muscles and bones while reducing the day’s stress.
Doctors sometimes refer patients for Rolfing or a structural integration therapist. Yet, anyone who has physical pain or discomfort should consider Rolfing and Structural Integration if their doctor indicates it’s safe for them. The practitioner will assess any known problems and will address them within approximately 10 sessions. In fact, Rolfing and structural integration centers recommend a 10 session series that integrates the body’s fascia, muscles, and bones.
Since everyone has a body and almost everyone engages in harmful, repetitive motions, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that everyone will benefit from structural integration or Rolfing. Discuss your need with a bodywork practitioner today.
Alice Palmeri, LMT works in Southwest Portland, Oregon where she specializes in massage therapy for everyone. License # 23983
