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July 2, 2004

Iron Out Poor Usage Patterns

Sometimes usage patterns that we're not even aware that we have can structurally change our bodies, creating pain whose source we cannot pinpoint. Structural integration is a type of bodywork that helps iron out the fascia in and around muscles that shortens and causes dysfunction.

Dr. Rolf identified the fascia, or connective tissue which envelops the muscles and muscle fibers, as a key element in the body's process of compensating for patterns of irregular or unbalanced movement.

If you begin to limp to compensate for a knee injury, for example, your muscles will develop patterns of movement that may persist even after the injury has healed.

Where massage addresses specific areas of pain, stress, or tension and works to release them during a session, rolfing goes one step further and integrates the segments of the body into a more efficient, better-aligned whole during the entire series of ten sessions.

Eventually, through the combination of structural integration and movement education, many clients feel that the work has helped eliminate chronic pain, poor posture, or stress-induced tension throughout the body.

Links available to find a certified Rolfer or structural integration therapist.

Posted by linda at July 2, 2004 9:57 AM