Frequently Asked Questions

+ What is Rolfing® structural integration (SI)?

Rolfing® structural integration is a process that works with your body using a unique hands-on method of manual therapy and movement. SI improves your body's alignment (posture) and motion. The basic series includes 10 sessions. The 10 sessions cover all major segments of the body: arms, legs and feet, torso (front and back) and head. Dr. Ida P. Rolf designed the ten series of structural integration in the 1950s and it has been further refined by her students since then. She said, "Gravity is the therapist."

+ What are the benefits of Rolfing® SI?

When your body is in good alignment, movement feels as if it comes from your center and has a sense of ease. Typical benefits of Rolfing® Structural Integration include reduced chronic tightness and pain; increased freedom of movement; using less effort to move and perform daily tasks; and resolved compensations from injuries. Clients have said they feel taller or that their shoulders feel broader. Some people may feel lighter on their feet or find that activities like running or jumping take less effort. SI may help to resolve holding patterns or compensations from injuries, or help reduce habits like slouching. SI has the potential to help you feel better in your body.

+ Is Rolfing® SI painful?

Rolfing® SI has had the reputation in the past of being painful. Over time, practitioners have learned that one doesn't have to work as hard as people did in the early years to achieve the same results. Because Rlfing® involves releasing old holding patterns or compensations from your tissue, there may sometimes be intense feelings or discomfort during a session. We will work together to make sure you are comfortable and use the right level of pressure for you.

+ What should I wear?

The sessions includes seated and standing work as well as addressing the major segments of the body (arms, legs, trunk, head). Therefore, you should wear clothes that you will be comfortable in while on the table, standing, and sitting. Most people wear a swim suit, shorts, or modest underwear for a session. For women, a two-piece swim suit (or a sports top and shorts) is better than a one-piece swim suit. Additionally, areas where we are not working can be covered with a sheet or blanket.

+ What can I expect during a session?

A session of Rolfing® SI is a 90-minute time slot. The hands-on portion of the session is usually 75 minutes. The remaining time is for assessment and discussion. If you would like to document how your body changes during the Rolfing® process, we can take digital photos on your own phone. The work consists of manipulation of your body's soft tissue. We will work together, using movement, during the sessions. Most of the session is done while you lie on a massage table. Some sessions included times when you would sit or stand.

+ Do I have to commit to 10 sessions?

No. Single sessions and short series can be done to help relieve conditions like back pain and repetitive strain injuries.

If you're leaning toward the 10-session series but unsure if it's for you, try the first 3 sessions. After 3 sessions, clients are able to tell if the work is making a positive difference.

Receiving the entire 10-session set is what I recommend for most people. Nearly everyone has a lifetime of habits and compensations that affect the body in a myriad of ways. The series is designed to address the entire body and how strains in one location contribute to issues somewhere else. However, completing all 10 sessions is not required. If you decide not to continue, stop after an odd-numbered session.

+ How does Rolfing® SI work?

There are several ideas about how the changes that people experience during Rolfing® session occur. Ida Rolf suggested that Rolfing® SI worked directly on the body’s fascia. Modern research indicates that the action is more indirect – changes in the body from manual therapy like Rolfing® SI are from its interaction with the fascia and overall neuro-muscular system. Rolfing® SI works with the nervous system and connective tissue to modify the nervous system’s outputs to reset tension and allow muscles to soften and lengthen. Additionally, the process of Rolfing® SI considers how you use your body in your daily activities and how the patterns developed over time affect tension and movement. Rolfing® SI works with the body’s whole structure. The 10-series covers all the major body segments so that the interconnected system of fascia is fully addressed. Whether the reason is one of these or something yet to be discovered, what we have seen is that people experience positive changes from the work. However, like most therapeutic methods, there are no guarantees for particular results from a session or series.

+ Who should not receive Rolfing® SI?

I do not recommend receiving Rolfing® SI if you are pregnant, have an acute injury, or have an acute illness. In general, we can work with chronic conditions. If you are in training for a triathlon or marathon, I suggest that receiving Rolfing® SI not coincide with the peak period of your training.

For any type of bodywork, it's imperative that, before you begin your session, the practitioner asks general health questions. It is very important that you inform the practitioner of any health problems or medications you are taking. If you are under a doctor's care, it is strongly advised that you receive a written recommendation for massage or bodywork prior to any session. Depending on the condition, approval from your doctor may be required.

+ Should I receive work beyond the ten sessions?

Some people receive only the 10-session series. Others find that their body feels ready for a tune-up in a few months, a year, or longer. You should rely on how your body feels to decide if you would like more sessions. If you are physically active or have a chronic soft-tissue concern, you may find that additional, regularly-scheduled work will help manage the demands routinely placed on your body.

+ Is SI different than Rolfing®?

“Structural integration” is the general term for this type of manual therapy, or bodywork. The terms “Rolfer®” or “Rolfing®” are service marked terms and are limited to use by graduates and members of the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute® (DIRI) who practice structural integration. Barbara is a member of DIRI.

+ What is the focus of each of the 10 sessions?

The first three hours comprise the base for the remaining sessions. They focus on the “sleeve” or surface tissues of the body.

FIRST HOUR
Focus area(s): Torso, upper arms, thighs. This session looks at the surface tissue of the body, with a view to easing strains and improving breathing. Think of breathing as a primary movement of the body. Start to consider how the major segments of the body relate or stack up. Develop an awareness of where the top of the head is.

SECOND HOUR
Focus area(s): Lower leg, ankle and foot, back. This session helps establish a good base of support in the feet, ankles, and legs. Start to address the movement of the knees and ankles. Consider the idea of extension through both the top of the head and the bottom of the feet.

THIRD HOUR
Focus area(s): Sides of the trunk. The third hour helps define the front and back of the body by working along a line on each side of the torso. Start to address the movement of the shoulder. Build integrity in the lower back.

The next four hours are “core” or deeper tissue hours. They may include work to differentiate muscle groups so that the groups can function appropriately.

FOURTH HOUR
Focus area(s): Inner side of leg, back of thigh. Improve length of functioning of inner side of leg, especially the adductor muscles. Continue to work to improve the position of the pelvis, the stability of low back, and the knee and ankle joints.

FIFTH HOUR
Focus area(s): Front torso: abdomen, chest/shoulder, neck. Look for balance and ease in the upper, front torso. Work with the rectus abdominus muscle (“abs”) and psoas muscle. Continue to work to improve the position of the pelvis and the stability of low back.

SIXTH HOUR
Focus area(s): Back side of leg, low back. Continue to work to remove strains from legs and low back. Think of the relationship of the tissue from the bottom of the feet all the way to the head.

SEVENTH HOUR
Focus area(s): Arms, upper torso, head, neck. Ease strains in neck, head and face. Want the head to turn freely on its axis.

The last three hours are integration hours – the work of the previous sessions is wrapped up in a coherent way.

EIGTH AND NINTH HOURS
Focus area(s): One session will focus on the lower half of the body and the other will focus on the upper body. These sessions are more big picture – we look at relating the top and bottom halves of the body at the middle. Continue working toward movement coming from the core. Develop a sense of expansiveness or a feeling of extension in movement.

TENTH HOUR
Focus area(s): Work broadly over torso and legs. Balance and stabilize the system so the body is ready to go out into the world.

+ What are the benefits of massage and bodywork?

Massage and bodywork can help release chronic muscular tension and pain, improve circulation, increase joint flexibility, reduce mental and physical fatigue and stress, promote faster healing of injured muscular tissue, improve posture, and reduce blood pressure. Massage and bodywork is also known to promote better sleep, improve concentration, reduce anxiety and create an overall sense of well-being.