
Rolfing restores that mobility and loosens things up to give our bodies a better range of motion. The Rolfing Method is essentially a form of massage that realigns the connective tissues in your body, called fascia. Coined by its creator, Dr Ida P. Rolf, Rolfing acts as a release method on your body.
What are the benefits of Rolfing?
Rolfing SI can potentially resolve discomfort, release tension and alleviate pain. Rolfing SI aims to restore flexibility, revitalize your energy and leave you feeling more comfortable in your body.
What is the difference between Rolfing and clinical treatment?
Rolfers say that Rolfing takes a more long-term approach than many clinical treatments, and encourages change – things like posture, alignment, breathing – that can equip a person with the tools to prevent pain from reoccurring. Can Rolfing help me?
Why do physical therapists love Rolfing?
Physical therapists readily embrace Rolfing because the fascial manipulation that is a key technique of Rolfing is the subject of continuing education seminars for physical therapists who learn it, not as part of a body restructuring process, but as an aid in joint mobilization. 1. Where did Rolfing Get its Name?
Why is Rolfing so popular with MDS?
When Rolfing is understood by M.D.'s it is generally quite well received, and more and more M.D.'s are making referrals to Rolfing and are themselves being Rolfed. One reason for this is that Rolfing is based on Western ideas of anatomy and physiology that are familiar to and accepted by Western trained physicians.

Does Rolfing really work?
Rob Landel, head of physical therapy at the University of Southern California, says the philosophy of Rolfing makes sense -- if you can loosen up and improve your posture, your overall body movement improves, too. Indeed, physical therapists are trained to work on soft tissue, like fascia.
Can Rolfing cause damage?
Does it hurt? Yes, Rolfing can be fairly uncomfortable, even painful, at points (but then again, so can untreated injuries...) Like sports massage, Rolfing is very hands-on, but unlike most massage, it uses no oils, just skin and pressure against muscles and connective tissue.
Does Rolfing feel good?
Zahn, a 20-year-old student at New York University, who gets a Rolfing treatment every week or so. “It's tough to go to these sessions. It's painful, very painful, emotionally and physically. But you feel such a relief when you leave that it's just the most amazing feeling.”
How do you give yourself Rolf?
0:333:56Relieve Stress with Rolfing Part 1: The Jaw - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMaybe touch your ear. Here with your index finger and travel all the way down feeling the soft andMoreMaybe touch your ear. Here with your index finger and travel all the way down feeling the soft and strong belly of the masseter.
Is Rolfing better than massage?
However, there are some key differences. Rolfing and Massage: Rolfing and massage differ most significantly in one key way: massage is great for short-term relaxation or relief of pain, while Rolfing changes the structure of the body to provide long-lasting ease and relief.
Who is Rolfing good for?
Rolfing addresses structural (think postural) and functional (think movement) aspects of chronic pain. Rolfing can be helpful when chronic stiffness, compression from injury or surgery, held postures that inhibit fluid motion, or repetitive motion are keeping your pain levels up.
Can you Rolf yourself?
Rolfing or self-myofascial release is a process of rolling over tense and sore muscles and connective tissue to relieve muscle pain and improve recovery. While the scientific benefit of rolfing is still up in the air, it may make help you to relieve tension and pain in your muscles.
What happens during a Rolfing session?
A typical session includes about 10 minutes of assessment and discussion and about 75 minutes of hands-on bodywork and movement. During the session, you will be asked to stand, to make movements, and walk. Work is mostly done on a table but may also be done seated and standing.
Is Rolfing covered by insurance?
Q: Is Rolfing covered by insurance? A: Most insurance companies do not cover Rolf Structural Integration, though there are exceptions. However, Rolfing generally can be covered by a Health Savings Account (HSA).
What is Rolf technique?
The Rolf Method of Structural Integration is a ten-session series of connective tissue mobilization, myofascial release, movement and postural re-education. The goal of Structural Integration is to restore soft tissue balance and relieve chronic structural stress.
What to expect after Rolfing?
There are many variations of results that clients experience after completing ten sessions. Generally, clients can expect to experience a greater sense of freedom. Better posture, coordination, improved flexibility and improved movement can be expected.
What does Rolfing look like?
0:082:26How does rolfing work? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRolfing is a therapy that is specific to the fascial. Part of the body and a lot of people don'tMoreRolfing is a therapy that is specific to the fascial. Part of the body and a lot of people don't really understand how that's different than the muscular part of the body.
What is rolfing in exercise?
It allows the body to reconnect to its natural shape to allow more flexibility. Rolfing is similar to what we are doing with foam rollers before and after exercise, which is myofascial self-release.
How many visits does rolfing take?
Rolfing starts with an initial series of 10 visits. Depending on the severity of your situation, you can extend beyond those visits to gain further results. With Rolfing, you can see a change in energy, attitude, stress level, posture, and structure.
What is rolfing in yoga?
In a nutshell, Rolfing is a technique that works on your connective tissue that can be an opportunity to reset your muscles/flexibility and get a fresh start. Doesn’t that sound like the best thing? Getting a reset on all those bad habits that gave you bad posture, bad flexibility, aches and pains!
Does rolfing help with muscle recovery?
Rolfing, unlike deep tissue massage which targets muscles, stimulates the fascia. With a stimulated fascia your muscles will work more efficiently , you will have a shorter recovery time after injury, your coordination and performance will improve, as well as your posture.
Is Rolfing a miracle?
Rolfing is not an overnight miracle but can make a significant difference over time.
How does Rolfing SI work?
Research has demonstrated that Rolfing SI creates a more efficient use of the muscles, allows the body to conserve energy, and creates more economical and refined patterns of movement. Research also shows that Rolfing SI significantly reduces chronic stress and changes in the body structure.
What is the purpose of the first session of a syringe?
Specifically, the first session is devoted to enhancing the quality of breath with work on the arms, ribcage and diaphragm. Opening is also started along the upper leg, hamstrings, neck and spine. The second session helps give the body a stable foundation by balancing the foot and muscles of the lower leg.
What causes tissue to thicken?
Small tears or pulls cause the tissue to thicken. Soon, muscles begin to adhere to each other and are less able to function as discrete entities. These changes may express themselves as a slight limp, lower energy, or a decrease in range of motion or strength. Early intervention by a Rolfer ™.
Can a child be injured by a rolfing?
Rolfing SI can begin to correct patterns, such as hip imbalances, which may limit the child's development and mobility. When children are injured from falls or minor accidents, they may seem fine on the outside, once the cut or bruise has healed. However, as Dr. Rolf pointed out, all healing is not really the same.
What is the Fascia?
The fascia, or connective tissue, is the thin membrane that surrounds individual muscle fibres, nerves and blood vessels, connects muscle to bone and forms tendons and ligaments. It looks a bit like cling-film or that thin, white layer you often see in raw chicken or steak.
The Rolfing 10 Series
One of the things I really like about Rolfing is that it has a structure and is finite. Unlike some forms of therapy which can carry on for years with no end in sight, Rolfing is based on 10 sessions.
Is Rolfing Painful?
Rolfing has a reputation for being excruciating but overall it wasn’t nearly as painful as I expected it to be. Apart from my first Rolfing session, when I felt as if I’d been run over by a double-decker bus afterwards. My entire body ached so much I thought I was coming down with the ‘flu. After 24 hours I felt fine.
What to Expect During and After a Rolfing Session
A typical Rolfing session lasts about 1.5 hours and begins with a chat about how you are and any feedback since your last treatment. At the beginning of the process Lukasz took a series of photographs of my posture from different angles so that we would be able to compare how I was before and after the treatment.
Is rolfing a wellness therapy?
The treatment is not solely focused on the physical. Rolfers talk of treating the mind too, of emotional benefits as well as physical ones, of life transformations and of change borne out of being Rolfed. It is this element, unquantifiable with scientific research, that has led to Rolfing to be classified by some as a ‘lifestyle’ therapy or a wellness therapy without roots in science.
Does Rolfing help with hip pain?
Yes, Rolfing can firstly help release and realign tissue throughout the body as well as around the pelvis and hip joint where people who sit for many hours a day often experience pain.
What is Rolfing treatment?
A treatment process developed in the middle of the 20th century by a lady called Ida Rolf, Rolfing is all about returning your body to its optimum structure, via the realignment of the interconnective tissues (or myofascial layer) that hold the muscles in place.
Does rolfing hurt?
Rolfing … yes, it can hurt …. Photograph: Alamy Photograph: /Alamy.
Who started Rolfing?
Even those who have little use for New Age-type practices like meditation can verge on the metaphysical when discussing Rolfing. Beau Buffier, a 35-year-old partner at a corporate law firm in New York, says he started Rolfing treatments after he injured his neck and shoulder in a fall.
What is rolfing massage?
Rolfing developed as a way to “restructure” muscles and fascia. The focus on manipulating fascia is part of what distinguishes it from chiropractics, which deals with bones, and from therapeutic massages, which works on muscles. Image. Anna Zahn, 20, a former dancer, receives a Rolfing treatment.
What do rolfers gouge with?
Rolfers gouge with knuckles and knead with fists, contort limbs and lean into elbows to loosen tendons and ligaments. Patients, meanwhile, need the fortitude to relax and take it during the hourlong sessions.
How much weight did Rolfing lose?
Buffier said. He has since gotten in touch with his body in other ways. He began exercising more and eating better. He lost 20 pounds.
What movie was Rolfing in?
Popular in the 1970s, Rolfing once evoked hairy-chested, New Age types seeking alternative therapies perhaps most famously spoofed in the 1977 football movie “Semi-Tough,” starring Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson. But today, Rolfing is experiencing something of a resurgence, especially among younger city dwellers for whom the novelty ...
When was Rolf Institute of Structural Integration founded?
It is hard to find reliable statistics on the prevalence of Rolfing. But the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration, which was founded by Dr. Rolf in 1971 to educate and certify practioners, says it has noticed a rise in student enrollments at its Boulder, Colo., headquarters.
Who is Rolfing named after?
Rolfing is named after its creator, Ida Rolf, a biochemist from New York City who studied alternative methods of bodywork and healing beginning in the 1920s. She died in 1979 at the age of 82.
What is the benefit of rolfing?
Learning how to relax, and not hold tension in the body, is a leading benefit of Rolfing. You can fix a specific problem, but if the body doesn’t learn a new way to handle tension, the problem can return. My style ranges from gentle Rolfing to firmer indirect myofascial release.
What is the goal of rolfing?
Rolfing, when optimally performed, addresses the causes of problems – not just the symptoms. The core goal of Rolfing is to integrate the body’s structure. Treating a specific symptom so that the immediate pain goes away is often easy; creating a level of order so that it does not return is the challenging part.
Does rolfing help with cellulite?
Aesthetically, Rolfing is known to produce reduction in cellulite, another believed consequence of aging.
Statement
"I am committed to who you are. I bring focus and detail coupled with openness and warmth to my work. I can address your specific needs and goals from a very subtle level to a very deep one, and address the issues that lie between."
What is Rolfing
Rolfing is a form of wholistic deep tissue therapeutic bodywork. Through a series of 10 session you will be invited to learn about and discover your center or the core of your body mind and how to live and move from there.
Why you may be interested in Rolfing
Rolfing really works, as the experience of hundreds of thousands of people and numerous research studies have demonstrated. It produces profound and lasting results for people of all ages and at all levels of well-being.
Quotes
In a human body, support is not something solid. Support is relationship. Support is a balance of elements that are not solid at all, elements that are incapable of withstanding the weight that presses down on them except as they are balanced. - Dr. Ida P.
Testimonials
It has been an amazing experience working with you and I'm entirely grateful for all of your help. Looking forward to the next round.
1. Where did Rolfing Get its Name?
After earning her Ph.D. in biochemistry and physiology from Columbia University in 1920, Dr. Rolf (1896-1979) worked in the chemotherapy and organic chemistry departments at Rockefeller Institute.
3. What is Rolfing?
Rolfing is Structural Integration. Rolfing puts your body back together.
