Structural Integration









						So what exactly is Structural Integration (Rolfing)? To many it conjures up as an extremely painful experience. Unfortunately, there is very little truth to this rumor. It can create intense sensation. Pain in massage therapy should always be a brief experience to alert the Rolfer to fascia that is stuck in an adhesive pattern. A well trained Rolfer should be conscious and respectful of their clients 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 having 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 physical, emotional or environment can effect the physical structure, the alignment of the skeletal structure and all the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the organism. 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 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. Linking all internal structures within the human frame is the fascial web. This plastic-like connective tissue creates the structure that you see. Fascia also envelopes and unites the structure of all the inner organs. Since fascia is malleable it is constantly changing and adapting to external responses. Sometimes these forces create adaptions that manifest as imbalances and pain. Rolfing, although a form of massage therapy, doesn't resemble classic Swedish massage. The strokes are much slower, often times not even moving, while the Rolfer waits for the fascia to release and lengthen. Fascia is an organ of form and through deliberate and focused application with passive and active of the client's body during the application painful conditions often disappear as the body takes on a more upright and fluid postural attitude. Through movement education and exercises, our clients engage in their own healing, often creating changes that last a lifetime! The beauty of Rolfing(Structural Integration) is that it offers a tactile and chemical free approach to pain management. I highly suggest you add Rolfing to your wellness regimen. It is an outstanding manual therapy that has been used successfully for nearly 50 years for a wide variety of physical challenges. If you need to find a rolfer in your area please don't hesitate to contact me. DVD Preview #1 DVD Preview #2 DVD Preview #3 "I found rolfing to be a different modality than regular massage. Rather than helping to just alleviate sore muscles, I found it to be rather helpful in repositioning postural problems and in helping to return some normal mechanics. I found this particularly helpful for a number of different ailments, including scapular thoracic abnormalities and posture related problems such as thoracic outlet syndrome, lavatory scapula syndrome, chronic upper trapezius pain, again to underlying abnormal mechanics". "I have also found rolfing to be particularly helpful for some chronic problems such as lateral epicondylitis, plantar fasciitis, chronic hamstring and hip flexor pain, Judah seems to do an excellent job in returning balance back to these muscle groups." "In summary, I have found Judah's treatments to be an excellent adjunct to some of our other treatments in Sports Medicine, including physical therapy. I would recommend him highly if your patients are experiencing some of these abnormalities." *David J. Petron, M.D.*





















	Structural Integration August 26-28 "Strategies for Pain Management of the Neck and Back" Cumberland Institute of Holistic Therapies Brentwood, TN Cranio Sacral Therapy October 9 - 10 Holistic Massage Training Institute Baltimore, SEE MORE CLASSES