The Ida Rolf Rolfing Technique

The Ida Rolf Rolfing Technique evolved over the span of many years. It is interesting how Dr. Rolf’s life work has continued on and evolved even after her death in 1978. Dr. Rolf graduated from Barnard College in 1916. After graduation she earned her Ph.D. from Columbia University.

Dr. Rolf developed some back problems after being kicked by a horse on a camping trip soon after graduating from college. She was not satisfied with the medical treatment she was getting, so she sought treatment from an osteopathic doctor instead. What she learned from the osteopath would lead her on to make her own discoveries that would become the Ida Rolf Rolfing technique.

For 10 years Dr. Rolf studied Tantric Yoga and applied this knowledge to helping people with disabilities. She used the postures of Yoga in her practice, and as she learned new techniques she incorporated them into her practice which evolved into what she called Structural Integration, but later became known as the Ida Rolf Rolfing technique.

Over the course of 50 years she studied and taught that through structural integration the changes that gravity makes on the body could be corrected over time. The body would come into balance with the planet’s gravitational field. Dr. Rolf learned through her studies that gravity is a constant force that is either pulling structures down or holding them up. Gravity’s effect on the body is that the body shape changes just like the body was a piece of plastic that could be molded. The connective tissue that encases every muscle, bone, and organ of the body is affected by the force of gravity, but can also be restructured through the Ida Rolf Rolfing technique.

Dr. Rolf started teaching in California at the Esalen Institute at Big Sur. She taught that the body is changeable, and that the imbalance of poor posture can be replaced by the balance of good posture. She called her work body education, and later changed it to Structural Integration. Her work caught on so that Boulder, Colorado became the headquarters for her work and was called The Guild for Structural Integration.

As the Ida Rolf Rolfing technique caught on in the 1960’s, the term Rolfing was coined and later became a registered trade service mark. Only Ida Rolf Rolfing technique certified practitioners are allowed to display the Rolfing service mark in their company logos. Licensed practitioners are now commonly known as Rolfers.

The Ida Rolf Rolfing technique evolved from the work of Dr. Rolf. She discovered that just as gravity can change a body from a state of balance to imbalance, her techniques could use gravity to assist the practitioner to put the body back into balance. She taught that the connective tissue could be stretched over time to reshape the body and promote not only balance with gravity, but also improvement in health.

The Benefits of Rolfing

Rolfing is both similar and dissimilar to deep massage therapy; developed about 50 years ago by Ida P. Rolf. This treatment manipulates the deep connective tissues of the body. The practice of Rolfing provides longer lasting pain relief than massage therapy. The effects of massage therapy lasts for about 24 hours; however the effects of Rolfing lasts over time to improve posture and to put the body back into balance.

Similarities

The similarities of Rolfing to deep tissue massage are that the therapist puts his/her hands on you to manipulate the connective tissue beneath the skin. The therapist uses specific techniques to achieve this. Rolfing does not diagnose or treat disease, but many people who have been treated by a Rolf practitioner do report having pain relief. As with deep tissue massage, Rolfing can be very light and pleasurable, but it can also be a bit painful or even “hurt” in a good way. If the client feels uncomfortable from the pain, he/she just needs to speak up and let the practitioner know so less pressure can be applied.

Differences

A Rolf treatment is totally different than massage, even though it is sometimes thought of as a type of deep tissue massage. In massage oil or lotion is normally used, but in Rolfing no lubricant is used at all, unless absolutely necessary for tissue manipulation. A Rolf treatment is not like a massage, in that you don’t just lie back and get relaxed, many people do feel relaxed or full of energy, though, after treatment, but the goal is to help the body to realign to its center of gravity. Treatment over time should help you to hold your posture in its correct position in relation to gravity. Massage does not permanently change the connective tissue, where Rolfing usually does change the connective fascia to some degree.

Where massage therapist may not be interested in the function of your body parts, a Rolfer examine your posture, and ask you to walk and do some kinds of exercises to evaluate how your body moves. Massage sessions may last for 30 minutes, but these sessions may last up to 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Benefits

Rolf manipulation is a technique to realign the body parts to each other in gravity. This treatment is used to improve posture, to improve range of motion in body parts, which in turn also helps to relieve pain. The practitioner works on the connective fascia of the body, and as he/she manipulates this tissue, instructions may be given on how to become more aware of your posture and how you hold certain body parts in relation to the rest of your body.

Conclusion

Rolf manipulation is a continuing process. The connective tissue changes over time as you become more aware of how to position your body. The frequency of the treatments is normally in a series of 10. You can stop your treatment at any time; however, you may not quite feel as well if you stop taking the treatments. Over time you adjust to the changes in your connective fascia and feel at home in your new and improved posture. Most sessions end with specific exercises to improve posture and movement. The practitioner will have you do before and after exercises to compare the alignment and movement of the body before and after the treatment.

What is Rolfing

Not everyone is familiar with Rolfing. If you heard the term for the first time, you might ask, “What is Rolfing?” Rolfing has only been practiced since the 1950s. A biochemist by the name of Dr. Ida Rolf developed a technique of manipulating the connective tissue of the body’s framework. If 10 people were to ask one who has been Rolfed, what is Rolfing, each person may have a slightly different understanding from the person he/she asked.

Commonalities to what is Rolfing are that the practitioner works to align the head, shoulders, torso, pelvis and extremities so that each part is in sync or in balance with the rest of the body and its center of gravity. The body can get out of balance because one or more parts are affected by the shortening of the connective fascia that holds all the muscles and their skeletal attachments together. What is Rolfing? It softens and breaks down the fibers so that all the muscles of the body can work in harmony and balance.

Someone with one hip higher than the other may ask “What is Rolfing going to do for me?” Over time the hip that is contracted may be able to be in alignment with the other hip, therefore allowing for a normal gait, and less back and hip pain. When one part of the body is out of balance, it can cause pain and in some cases malformations of the musculoskeletal system over time.

What is Rolfing? It can be painful, but in a good sort of way. Rolfing shouldn’t be uncomfortably painful, although you might feel some discomfort. If you do feel any real discomfort, let your practitioner know. He/she may not notice your facial expression when you have an “ouch,” so be sure to voice your discomfort. Many people report that it “hurts so good,” or “it feels so good when it quits hurting.” What is Rolfing? It is both relaxing and invigorating depending on the recipient.

What is Rolfing? It is a fairly slow process. There are usually a series of 10 visits; one each week. The visits are fairly long, lasting up to 1 and ¼ hours each. Once the treatment has been given each week, the client needs to work on keeping those muscles and connective tissue elastic, rather than letting them become stiff again with disuse. Exercise techniques and stretching exercises such as Yoga can help keep the body in balance until the next visit.

The practitioner may take photographs of the client prior to the first treatment and then afterward. More pictures may be taken at the end of the 10 week period to document the improvement that has taken place. What is Rolfing? It isn’t mandatory that the client finish the 10 week cycle of treatments, although it is encouraged. The client can stop at any time, and resume at any time. If the client is not satisfied with the practitioner, he/she can stop the treatments and find another Rolf practitioner without being financially bound to the previous practitioner. It is like changing doctors; if you find you don’t care for one, you can find another.