FAQ

How does Rolfing Work?

Rolfing lengthens your body's soft-tissue creating space and alignment while relieving compression.

Who can Rolfing Help?

Rolfing can help everyone from seniors and children to professional athletes and new mothers. The alignment Rolfing provides reduces pain and increases performance in all aspects of life.

How does Rolfing ease Pain?

Acute and chronic pain is often a symptom of larger structural patterns in the body. By focusing on total body alignment, Rolfing addresses the source of the pain for long-term relief. 

A mis-aligned body has a weakened response to stress and injury. An aligned body is more adaptable and quicker to bounce back. When accidents do happen, a body full of aches and pains has less energy to put towards the healing process.

How does Rolfing improve Posture?

Repetitive daily activities such as sitting at your desk, using a computer, and carrying your children can have negative effects on your body's alignment. As many times as you roll your shoulders back or attempt to straighten up, that is often not enough to maintain balanced posture against these daily demands.

Rolfing works to correct posture by lengthening the tight tissues and muscles that lock your body out of balance. Different than massage, Rolfing utilizes a series of sessions to work through the entire body to support proper alignment from your toes to your head. The benefits of improved posture create greater comfort in daily activities, increase self-esteem in personal presentation and provide a stable foundation for the body as it ages.

Rolfers educate their clients to recognize harmful movement patterns. Rolfers work with the client to suggest and explore new ways of moving, standing and sitting which are supportive and pain-free.

How does Rolfing enhance Performance?

Total body alignment is an excellent way to enhance your performance. A misaligned body has a weakened response to stress and injury. An aligned body is adaptable and resilient. Carrying your children, competition athletics, yoga, skiing, playing the guitar, washing the evening dishes, and walking the dog all require the use of your body and are easier, more efficient and more enjoyable when your body is balanced and working well. Rolfing complements a range of activities by increasing range of motion, expanding body awareness, and improving coordination. An aligned body conserves energy to perform efficiently and  comfortably in all aspects of your life.

What is the Rolfing's History?

Dr. Ida Pauline Rolf received her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Columbia University in 1920. Driven to find solutions to her own health problems as well as those of her two sons, Dr. Ida Rolf spent many years studying and experimenting with different systems of healing and manipulation. Throughout most of her life she was intrigued with and explored many forms of alternative healing including homeopathy, osteopathy, chiropractics and yoga. 

In 1971 the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration was established. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado with adjunct facilities in Brazil, Germany, Australia and Japan the Rolf Institute is the sole certifying body for Rolfers.

How long does Rolfing Last?

The benefits of Rolfing reach far beyond the immediate results of a session. Many clients report noticing changes in their body up to a year later. When accidents and stress do occur, clients often opt to come in for periodic 'tune-up'  sessions in an effort to maintain their alignment. 

How is Rolfing different from Massage?

Whereas the primary intentions of massage are to relax your muscles and increase circulation, Rolfing works to change the alignment of your body.  Both the structure of your body and the function, how you use your body, are addressed in a Rolfing session. Rolfing works directly with nerve restrictions and connective tissue to release and align the larger structural patterns responsible for imbalance.

How is Rolfing different from Chiropractic?

Chiropractors work with alignment by adjusting bone restrictions while Rolfers work with strain in the soft tissue. There are no quick adjustments in Rolfing. Bones are often able to sustain proper alignment when the soft tissue strains are addressed. The two practices can be complimentary. Rolfing helps chiropractic adjustments last longer.