Rolfing that pain away ...

This is the final of a three-part series on Pilates Central, a fitness studio in the Klang Valley that offers Pilates, Rolfing® and Gyrotonic®.

BY LIM WEY WEN 

HAS body aches and pains become part of your life? Rolfing might have the answers to your plight.  

Although Dr Ida Rolf pioneered Rolfing in the 1950s, this unique form of body therapy has only reached Malaysian shores during recent years. 

Rolfing is a form of hands-on manipulation process and movement education that targets the fascia (connective tissue) between muscles and joints. – The Rolf Institute®

Rolfing is a form of hands-on manipulation process and movement education that targets the fascia (connective tissue) between muscles and joints. 

It is similar to deep tissue-massage, where the therapist uses his or her fingers, knuckles, arms and elbows to release an relax tense muscles by applying firm pressure to the tissues underneath the skin. 

However, Rolfing sets itself apart from conventional massages in its focus and goals, said May Chin, a certified Rolfer based in Pilates Central.  

“The goals of massage is to promote blood flow and facilitate removal of metabolic waste and toxins, reduce soreness and pain, reduce stress, promote a sense of well being and focuses on the musculoskeletal (muscles and bone) system of the body. 

“However, the goals of Rolfing is to improve body posture, alignment and efficiency of movement, together with the benefits of massage,” she added. 

Rolfing is based on the idea that when the segments of the body are properly aligned in gravity, a person can function better. 

This is because when the body is out of alignment due to trauma, emotional stress, or bad posture, many muscles are overly contracted or stressed. 

When we maintain these out-of-balance postures for a long period of time, the soft-tissues that hold the muscles and skeleton of the body are hardened and shortened to hold every part of the body in this position. 

That is when our movement becomes impaired, and tightness in this soft-tissue network can lead to body aches such as neck pain, lower back pain and sore shoulders. 

What Rolfing can do to ease this pain is to bring the body as close as it can get to natural alignment, with the head, neck, shoulders, body and legs aligned in a vertical line.  

“It is a slow process where the Rolfer applies sustained pressure to free the connective tissues,” May explained. 

“(Rolfing) is an interesting technique where the therapist and client should be working together. Therefore it is not as simple as you lying back and relaxing,” said Dr Racquel Kok, who has completed her 10 sessions of Rolfing. 

Clients need to assist the Rolfer during a Rolfing session by resisting the pressure or moving in a way that allows the Rolfer to access the connective tissues between the muscles and bones. 

Not only does the client need to cooperate during sessions, they have to do their homework as well. 

“May informs me of my bad habits, and in a way this helps me unlearn them,” Dr Racquel quipped.  

“Now, every time I slouch, I will try to sit up straight again.” 

If the phrase “hands-on manipulation” makes you go “ouch”, you may want to know whether Rolfing hurts. Experts say: it depends. 

According to the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration, the level of discomfort a client feels depends on a few factors, such as the severity of the trauma, and how long the misalignment has been in the body. 

Even so, keeping your Rolfer informed of the pain you are experiencing during your session can help him or her assess how much pressure to exert while working with you. 

“Sometimes, there is soreness and some pain after the sessions, but that is because the body needs time to realign the weak area. You will feel so much relaxed and you will have a good nights sleep afterwards,” Dr Racquel said. 

One of the unique aspects in Rolfing is the cumulative effect of the therapy observed throughout the sessions.  

Clients have to complete 10 sessions (the Ten Series), preferably about one week apart to fully reap the benefits of the therapy, May said. 

This is because for each session, there is a goal to be completed. 

For example, the first session seeks to free the lungs to allow fuller breathing whereas the second session concentrates more on the foundation and support of the body by working on the feet and lower legs. 

People from all ages can benefit from Rolfing. “My youngest client was 12 years old and the oldest was 76,” May said. This may be due to the benefits that Rolfing offers: from relieving low back, neck or shoulder pain to relieving breathing problems and correcting bad posture.  

“The results are usually immediate and lasting,” said May.  

However, according to some reports, because Rolfing involves deep-tissue manipulation, it is best for pregnant women and people with skeletal, vascular, or clot disorders to consult a doctor before undertaking Rolfing sessions. 

If 10 sessions were what it took to see the effect of Rolfing, what does more sessions do to you? 

For May, clients should stop at 10 sessions, because the body needs to rest and align itself. Though some clients may need more sessions to address their problems, another session is normally resumed after giving the body enough time to rest. 

You may be surprised because alleviating pain was not the major focus of Rolfing after all, but pain relief is only one of the numerous benefits you gain by aligning the body. 

“Since Dr Ida Rolf developed Rolfing, it was never to cure (any sicknesses); but when you align the body, the benefits (pain relief and better posture) will come to you,” May beamed. 

References: 

1. The Rolf Institute of Structural Integration website, www.rolf.org. 

2. The Guild for Structural Integration website, www.rolfguild.org.