FAQ

I read that rolfing is pseudoscience. Prove it isn’t. Technically not a question.

Rolfing produces observable results. The main problem with creating measurable and quantifiable results that will satisfy a broader community is that what makes Rolfing as effective as it is is the quality of touch and presence of the practitioner. So yes, in a sense, it is pseudo-science, but mostly because science is racing to catch up to the anecdotal evidence of the work, not dissimilar from acupuncture. New explanations in the fields of pain science, neurology, and the triune autonomic nervous system strive to explain what we accomplish. Ultimately, it is the lack of the scientific community’s trust in the self-organizing nature of the human body that pushes us aside in favor of modalities such as physical therapy that focus on fixing the body like a machine. If the body was a simple machine, there would be no variability in practitioners or modalities.

Does it Hurt?

It can. It doesn’t have to. A skillful structural integrator modulates their pressure to meet the availability of the client’s tissue and nervous systems. There are a number of ways to work with the client’s body, each with their own advantages. Some are very subtle, others are elbows and knuckles.
 

How long will the changes Last?

That depends on you. By bringing patterns into the awareness of the client, Structural Integration enables the client to take ownership of their body, with all of its idiosyncrasies. If a change is made through direct physical manipulation but the client returns to their exact same physical and mental patterns, the body will revert to the familiar holding that has served it before. That is why the 10 series returns to the same territories in multiple sessions, to reinforce the client’s perception, and hopefully create a habit of improved integration that they can take into their life.
 

This is just deep tissue massage, right?

Not really. Deep tissue massage grew out of Rolfing, but does not apply the same principles.

Why are you working on my feet? my back hurts.

The body is a complicated interconnected system. No part acts in isolation. If someone tells you that your back hurts because your psoas is tight, that is only a tiny part of the picture, because your body rapidly organizes around any changes. In that example, the psoas may not release because in order to compensate, your hamstrings have become tight, crosslinking with your gastrocnemii, causing congestion around your saphenous nerve and subsequent immobility in your plantar fascia by way of flexor hallucis longus. Or by an entirely different pathway having to do with vagus nerve and ANS activation levels, and not through the myofascial structures. Going straight to the symptom can provide short-term relief, but the inertia of the rest of the pattern will tug it right back. So we work on the parts that have more availability for change in preparation to unwind the centers of a pattern.

Can i still get other bodywork during the 10 Series?

Because the series builds on itself, it is generally discouraged to receive other bodywork in the midst of it. The hallmark of good structural integration is that the client changes more between sessions than during. Thus, with the exception of acute injuries, the intervention of other practitioners will create “noise” and obscure the trajectory of the previous session.

I won’t tell you not to see your chiropractor and acupuncturist and swiss masseuse and sound healer (actually, the last one probably won’t matter), but I will ask that you be discerning, so that you can get a sense of what Rolfing does for you. All those modalities have their own strengths, and if they are being mixed together, the flavors will blend and you won’t know what you need, when.