RolfingĀ® Basics

Rolfing is the original brand of Structural Integration, named for it’s developer, Dr. Ida Rolf, developed through the 1960s and 1970s. Rolfing helps correct structural and postural imbalance, in movement and gravity through a time-tested method of bodywork. ONLY people who have attended and been Certified by the Dr. Rolf Institute are legally allowed to call themselves “Certified Rolfers.”  If a massage therapist tells you that they had some Rolfing training in massage school, they are wrong. 

Originally Rolfing was a Series of 10 sessions, but over time some of the Advanced Rolfers have modified a few sessions to accommodate the many changes in our lives. So now we have 10-13 sessions for the Series, depending on your particular needs.

In addition to postural changes, Rolfing also helps people recover quickly from injuries sustained in auto accidents, sports injuries, and from repetitive use. For targeted Rolfing sessions for pain relief or injury recover, that are NOT part of the Series, we offer “stand alone sessions.” Once you’ve completed the Series, if you find that you want more sessions to work on specific issues, we call those “Tune-Ups.”

Some Rolfing Highlights:

  • Rolfing stems from Osteopathic medicine, not from massage therapy.
  • Rolfing is a ā€œmethodā€ of bodywork, not a ā€œstyle of massageā€ or a ā€œtype of touch.ā€
  • Since the fascia controls where all of the structures in the body are positioned, addressing fascial restrictions and rotations actually addresses ALL of the structures of the body (muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, organs).
  • Rolfing sessions are asymmetrical, since the goal is to balance the body. Only areas of imbalance are addressed, so right/left side treatment will likely not be identical.
  • Certified Rolfers perform assessments before, during, and after each session.
  • Rolfing is an active technique, where the person receiving the work is just as involved in the process as the practitioner.
  • Rolfing is a team effort, where the practitioner and client work together on and off the table to achieve amazing results.
  • Rolfing can help decrease pain, increase range of motion, and give you a more fluid sense of movement throughout your entire body.
  • Rolfing leads to long-term and/or permanent changes in the body. If we do a good job, you wonā€™t need many sessions.