A system of manipulation of connective tissues to relieve physical misalignment. Rolfing, which is also called structural integration, bodywork, and Hellerwork, was invented by a biochemist who believed that physical and emotional stress, as well as gravity, can throw the body out of vertical alignment, thereby causing connective tissue to become rigid and inflexible. By using intense pressure and stroking to stretch the rigid connective tissue back into shape, rolfers and hellerworkers restore flexibility and resilience to muscles, tendons, and bones. Rolfing, which can involve ten sessions, is chiefly used to help reduce stress and improve mobility, address posture problems, and reduce back pain. Rolfing is sometimes included in sports medicine treatment programs and may be used for those whose activities lead to repetitive stress injuries.
A therapy designed to realign the body with gravity through fascial manipulation.
One of the manipulative and structural therapies, sometimes called structural integration; a system of physical manipulation aimed at loosening up the body to allow the posture to realign itself with gravity. The term “rolfing” comes from its inventor Dr. Ida Rolf, a U.S. biochemist who started to train therapists in her techniques in California in the mid-1960s.
Practitioners of rolfing claim that our bodies are constantly battling against the pull of gravity, causing poor posture and using up more of our energy than is necessary just to remain upright. The result is that we soon become tired and our emotional and physical well-being is effected. The theory is that chronic long term tension causes the fascia, a network of fibrous tissues covering the muscles, to shorten, and that rolfing releases the fascia so that they become longer and are no longer in strain. The assertion is that the body then becomes realigned with gravity and the individual functions better.
Manipulation of the areas of the body containing loose connective tissue (mainly beneath the skin surface) to improve mobility of muscles and joints.
Within the realm of wellness and body mechanics, there exists a methodical approach aimed at alleviating stress patterns and dysfunctions present in the structural composition of the body. This approach involves skillfully manipulating the remarkably flexible connective tissue known as myofascia. By engaging in this practice, the body receives assistance in reestablishing a harmonious vertical alignment of its major segments.