FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions 

Who gets Rolfing® Structural Integration?

Anyone and Everyone

According to Dr. Rolf, all bodies have some degree of disorder and compensation in their structure, therefore she believed that everyone, children and adults can benefit from Rolfing SI. Those, who have a history of injury or trauma and notice that the effects of their often-minor injuries are begging to interfere with their everyday lives, should consider Rolfing SI. In many cases these individuals have tried traditional medical treatments or exercise to reduce or counteract long-term effects of old injuries with varying degrees of success. This group might include former and current athletes, musicians, performers or those engaged in physically demanding jobs, and those who choose not to accept the notion that the quality of their lives must suffer simply because they are aging.  In fact, all adults of any age who suffer from any limiting physical discomfort may benefit from Rolfing SI, as long as there are no sins of a nervous disorder of deeper pathology. For many, Rolfing SI combined with appropriate movement therapy, such as Rolf Movement may offer a long-lasting solution for connective tissue problems.

Rolfing also offers benefits to enhance overall body conditioning and functionality.  Whether you are an athlete, perform tasks with repetitive motion, or are just looking to feel more "at home" in your body, Rolfing may restore flexibility, increase balance, revitalize energy and leave you feeling more at ease.

Rolfing SI can also be helpful of more than just the physical.  Many find that their physical limitations prevent them from attaining a higher level of spiritual or emotional well-being.  

Frequently, many on this path, assume that the body is something to be transcended rather than something to be honored and loved.  For these individuals, Rolfing SI can serve as an educational resource that allows them a more intimate and comfortable relationship with their physical body, which in turn, allows a greater ability to experience heightened awareness.  Interestingly enough, as the body transforms physically, it often transforms on other planes as well, so that while Rolfing SI's primary focus is the connective tissue system, it frequently has an even more dramatic effect in seemingly unrelated ares such as cognitive, emotional or spiritual. The genius of Rolfing SI is that it can effect so many people in so many ways and continue to reveal new possibilities.

Does rolfing hurt?

"No pain, no pain."  Patrice Naparstek

No!  Rolfing should not hurt!  Often when the word Rolfing comes up, people associate it with pain.  Often, this perception is based on accounts of sessions performed during Rolfing SI’s infancy, when it tended to be less subtle and a more intense discipline.  Part of this reputation can be attributed to an often-quoted complaint of Dr. Rolf, during her training classes, that her students failed to work deep enough.  Apparently many assumed that what she meant was that they needed to work harder and deeper.  However, we now realize that deep work is not necessarily synonymous with physical intensity.

Several factors determine the level of comfort during a Rolfing session.  One is the degree of trauma in the system, another is how long fascial distortions have been in the clients body.  Long-term distortions create more tenacious and widespread compensatory patterns, which may require more sustained pressure to release.  Another factor is the degree of emotional charge associated with an area of injury or strain.  A general guideline for the vast majority of Rolfing clients is that the intensity experienced in transitory, moving quickly from brief intensity to a decrease in sensation and finally to an easing of long-standing holdings which can prove both profound and transformative.  Continuous communication with the client and pacing the level of intensity are essential.

What is the difference between Massage Therapy and Rolfing SI?

One of the most common misconceptions about Rolfing® Structural Integration is that it is nothing more than a type of very deep massage.There are many varieties of massage, which can be particularly effective for loosening tight tissue, reducing stress, detoxifying the body and evoking an increased feeling of relaxation and well-being.  Since these benefits are also a byproduct of Rolfing SI, it is a common confusion between Rolfing and other effective touch modalities.  One of myRolfing  teachers, Ray McCall, once said that what Rolfers do can be summed up in three words: palpation, discrimination, and integration.  We palpate, or touch the tissue, feeling for imbalances in tissue texture, quality, and temperature to determine where we need to work.  We discriminate, or separate fascial layers that adhere and muscles that have been pulled out of position of strain or injury.  Finally, we integrate the body, relating its segments in an improved relationship, bringing physical balance in the gravitational field.  Other soft-tissue manipulation methods, including massage, are quite good at first, but do not balance the body in gravity.  As Dr. Rolf used to say:  "It is easy to take a body apart, but it takes skill and understanding to put it back together."  The true genius or her method is the art and science of reshaping and reorganizing human structure according to clearly defined principles in a systematic and consistent manner for longterm results.

In addition, Rolfers are also educators, a point Dr. Rolf stressed frequently in her training classes.  The role of teacher is something every Rolfer takes seriously.  In each session, Rolfers seek to impart insights to clients to increase their awareness and understanding, to help the client make the work we do their own.  Our job is to make ourselves obsolete, by empowering our clients to take charge of their own physical and emotional health.  Influencing the structural evolution of man on a global level was Dr. Rolf's fondest dream.