By now you know that Structural Integration is bodywork and movement education that balances and aligns the structure of the body; you also know that Structural Integration is able to significantly change the body because it reorganizes connective tissue. However, most people still have additional questions about Structural Integration; here are some of the most commonly asked:
About the sessions: (see also "new clients")
Does it hurt?
Does it last?
How much does it cost?
Why a ten-session series?
Do I have to commit to the whole series?
How can I tell if Structural Integration is for me?
How can I get the most from Structural Integration?
What happens after I have finished the ten-session series?
Who can benefit?:
Is it suitable for children?
Are there benefits for performers?
I've heard that professional athletes receive Structural Integration...is this true?
Medical considerations:
What is connective tissue?
Conventional vs. Complementary Health Care.
What are the psychological benefits from Structural Integration?
Medication and medical conditions; will it affect Structural Integration?
Menstruation and Intra-uterine devices (IUDs); precautions for women.
Can I see a chiropractor / receive massage / exercise during Structural Integration?
Does it hurt?
As far as the actual experience is concerned, the area being worked will vary in sensation and feeling depending upon the severity of chronic tension, injuries and other factors specific to your body. Feelings can range from pleasurable release to the honest-to-goodness "hurts so good" discomfort. The work proceeds at your level and pace; nothing is forced and skilful Structural Integration never feels invasive. Many clients say that Structural Integration significantly reduces the pain experienced in their daily lives or increases athletic functioning to such an extent that any discomfort on the table is well worth the trade. |
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Does it last?
Yes: photographs taken of clients years after their bodies have been structurally integrated demonstrate the improvements to be comfortably incorporated into their structure. The physiology of the human body is such that our tissues are constantly breaking down and being rebuilt. The blueprint for the new tissue pattern is determined by the distribution of weight and stress throughout the structure. When we loosen, lengthen and redistribute connective tissue, we reduce or remove patterns of strain and improve the relationships between internal structures: the body then rebuilds itself according to its new arrangement. Movement education supports these changes by teaching clients more effective sitting, standing, walking and work habits.
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Age eight
Before Session 1 |
Age eight
After Session 10 |
Age sixteen
No additional sessions |
There are some cases where additional work may be needed: if you are in a profession
where you need
to adopt the same position for hours on end or if body-use changes due to injury, illness or stress, additional work will be beneficial.
As we explained before, your structure will continue to change after you have completed the ten-series (a phenomenon so common that Rolfers have named post-series months, the "eleventh session"). During this time, it pays to keep your awareness on your relationship to the earth - any trips or stumbles at this time may well set you back a few sessions. If this happens, give your practitioner a call.
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How much does it cost?
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The cost of Structural Integration varies according to the practitioner, their experience and the locale. Most Rolf practitioners charge session by session; ARC-Scotland charges a per-session investment of £60 for adults and £40 for children. |
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Why a ten-session series?
If you're looking for a quick fix to a pain, no doubt your Rolf practitioner can take the pain away - temporarily, but Structural Integration deals with bringing long-term positive change to your entire structure. There is sound scientific observation and reasoning behind the ten-session series; each session works different areas of the body with different objectives in mind and works with your body's inherent desire to return to a more stable position within the field of gravity. Your body didn't get this way overnight and returning it to its peak will take some time too.
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The above schema were developed from the photographs of the woman on the left during her ten hours of Structural Integration. You can see the progressive change of the body panes during this period, before, after four hours and after ten hours. The transformation from oblique planes through major joints to horizontals is clear. |
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In the time between each session your body experiments with unfamiliar movements and awareness; builds new neurological pathways and influences your structure, movement patterns and experience. This is why Dr. Rolf used to say, "Gravity is the therapist". At the beginning of the next session, we will observe what is changing and what is not and use this information to refine our strategy. Ten sessions allow us to devote appropriate time to specific areas and to customise work that is meaningful to your body's unique patterns.
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Do I have to commit to the whole series?
Of course not. Plan to come in for the first session and see how you respond to the work. Most people notice results by session three. This session is the last of the "superficial" sessions and a natural place to stop if you don't feel you're getting what you need. If, like so many of us, you get hooked on Structural Integration, session three is the time to take stock of changes and refine goals and expectations for the remaining sessions.
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How can I tell if Structural Integration is for me?
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Contact the practitioners in your area and let them know your reasons for consider the work; you'll be able to talk through your personal circumstances and have any questions answered. If you are still not sure, try one session. This will give you a pretty good idea of what the work is about, what it feels like and whether or not you connect with your practitioner.
In general, most people know whether Structural Integration will benefit them by session three. This session provides a good stopping point for people who decide that Structural Integration is not appropriate for them. Most people, however, find the process enjoyable as well as extremely beneficial. |
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How can I get the most from Structural Integration?
Movement: we are made for motion. The health of all of our systems - respiratory, circulatory, digestive, you name it - depends on movement. Furthermore, activity allows the body to take unfamiliar movement options introduced by Structural Integration and make them its own. Our body doesn't waste energy providing functional options we don't use. So, if you always use your shoulder, a ball-in-socket joint, as a hinge ... guess what? It won't be long before it only works as a hinge.
ARC-Scotland introduces range of motion exercises, stretching with a focus on alignment and Rolf movement techniques throughout the ten-series. To get the most out of Structural Integration, do your movement homework - every day. And walk, walk, walk. |
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What happens after I have finished the ten-session series?
The ten-series is designed to leave your structure balanced and in a finished place. Many clients complete a ten-series and never feel the need for another session. Others view Structural Integration as an important way of maintaining their bodies and come in for "post-ten work" on a regular basis or for the advanced five-session series.
The post-ten work is particularly popular among athletes, musicians and heavy computer users. Those people in stressful jobs or who perform repetitive functions also benefit from regular post-ten sessions.
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Is it suitable for children?
Absolutely! Structural Integration can be extremely effective for children due to the rapid rate at which their bodies break down and rebuild; profound structural changes can take effect with minimal intervention. Structural Integration can assist children and adolescents with growing pains, scoliosis, poor posture, leg imbalances such as knock-knees or pigeon-toes and headaches among others. Work on children is gentle and is always done within their comfort level.
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Sessions for children are usually shorter than for adults and the ten-series is usually not received until adolescence. Structural Integration can also help children who have had accidents, or seem to be unusually detached from others and their surroundings.
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Are there benefits for performers?
Yes. Musicians, dancers, actors and artists of all disciplines come to Structural Integration. Some use Structural Integration to increase their competitive edge; greater comfort in and awareness of their bodies allows them to more fully embody their art. Others try Structural Integration for more fundamental reasons, such as allowing them to keep working. Musicians, in particular, can struggle with repetitive stress injuries.
For an account on how Structural Integration brought virtuoso concert pianist Leon Fleisher's performances back to life visit the Performers Gallery.
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I've heard that professional athletes receive Structural Integration…is this true?
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Yes. The high demands that athletes place on their bodies repeatedly stress specific areas. The golfer who works to develop a reliable swing, can suffer from Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs), much the same as the worker assembling parts in a plant. The key to avoiding injury for both is balanced body alignment.
In recent years Structural Integration has gained acceptance as a growing list of professional athletes have used Structural Integration to improve performance, increase speed, flexibility, balance and coordination. In addition, they recover more quickly from injuries and so Structural Integration enhances and extends their careers. |
Why not visit the Athletes Gallery to see just some of those who have benefited from the work? |
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What is connective tissue?
The picture on the right shows the relationship of the reddish muscle fibres with the white silk-like connective tissue; the fascia coexists with and determines the integrity of each and every muscle, right down to providing a supporting sac-like membrane for each and every muscle cell.
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Connective tissue is the most abundant tissue in the body and its integrity is vital to the health of the body as a whole. Its structures (and therefore functions) are many and varied: simply put it surrounds, protects and support all of the structures in the physical body. It connects all of the body's components, while at the same time providing separation between them.
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Fascia, a subgroup of connective tissue, connects muscles and bones, wraps every nerve and vessel, laces all internal structures into place and envelopes the body.
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When the individual strands are densely bundled together, they form tendons, ligaments, cartilage and bone; around muscles and organs the fascia is thin and often transparent; in the low back and outer thigh it forms large, thick white sheets that are incredibly strong.
Healthy connective tissue is characterised by flexibility, elasticity, length and resilience. It is an underlying determinant of movement, mood, alertness and well-being. Within connective tissue lie cells that generate the fibres on which the body itself is modelled, cells that maintain the body's defense against invading elements and cells that signal the blood to clot or allow inflammation in reaction to tissue damage.
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It is the body's connective tissue that responds to the earth's gravitational force, illness, injury, emotional trauma and everyday stress. Any of these factors will, over a period of time, cause an imbalance in the tissue system; the tissue gradually shortens, thickens and dehydrates and joint mobility, muscle function, nerve signals and blood circulation become impaired. These impairments are due to changes in a component of connective tissue called ground substance.
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Ground substance can exist in a solid, semisolid, or fluid state. The fact that fascia changes shape as a body deteriorates is due to a change in the quality of the ground substance. When it changes from a liquid to a gel, the myofascia tightens and it is difficult to get it to reverse to a liquid state again without intervention.
Fortunately, with appropriate intervention, the very quality that causes these detrimental changes to occur can be utilised to restore the body to balance.
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Connective tissue, unlike muscle tone, changes very slowly. Under the sustained and careful pressure of your Structural Integration practitioner, the tissue can be loosened and lengthened to re-establish its optimal length, flexibility and resilience. In doing so, normal function is returned, not only to your body's structure and alignment but to all of the systems within the body.
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Conventional vs. Complementary Health Care.
In the UK Structural Integration is not that well-known and doctors, physical therapists, nurses and so on do not take any formal positions on any types of complementary health care. In the USA, where Structural Integration is much better-known, it is well received - more and more doctors are referring patients to Rolfers and are, themselves, being Rolfed. [Click here to read endorsements on Rolfing from Health Professionals.] One reason for this is that Structural Integration is based on Western ideas of anatomy and physiology that are familiar to and accepted by Western trained physicians. Many physical therapists readily embrace structural integration because they view fascial manipulation (the cornerstone of Structural Integration) as a significant factor in joint mobilisation.
We strongly encourage communication with other health care providers. With your approval,
Structural Integration practitioners
can work directly with your health care team to provide work that supports and promotes current treatment plans. Additionally, a
Structural Integration practitioner
can explain how fascial organisation may be affecting your condition, a factor that is often overlooked.
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What are the psychological benefits from Structural Integration?
Dr. Rolf said, "Rolfing is not primarily a psychotherapeutic approach to the problems of humans, but the effect it has had on the human psyche has been so noteworthy that many people insist on so regarding it. Rolfing is an approach to the personality through the myofascial collagen components of the physical body. It integrates and balances the so-called "other bodies" of man, metaphysically described as astral and etheric, now more modernly designated as the psychological, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects." In reality, what Dr. Rolf saw time and time again was that, when the physical body was eased; became balanced and enlightened, the state of the mind followed accordingly. [Click here to read a client's account.]
At the end of a session, the client may feel a sense of calm or of being grounded; at other times there is a feeling of elation. These variations in mood often last for a few days after the session, however, beneath these transient shifts a more gradual and permanent change is taking place; as the sessions progress many clients gain in confidence and self esteem; those who previously saw themselves as anxious feel calm, settled and enjoy a more positive outlook. By the end of the tenth session, there is often a sense of peace, not only in the physical structure but in the mind as well. For those who have moved away from a constraining, rigid structure during the sessions, not only does the body feel liberated, but the mindset is freed too.
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There is no doubt that Structural Integration has a positive effect on the psyche and there is no doubt that some of the most significant physical changes have occurred immediately following a release of emotion. |
It is not uncommon for emotions to surface during a session; you may feel tired, happy; even sadness or grief. These responses happen when your practitioner touches in to a feeling or memory that is trapped within the tissue of the body. When a trauma occurs, the body can store the emotions associated with it; fortunately, once the physical tissue has been released, the associated emotion is discharged too.
Structural Integration can help to access patterns of holding that are emotional as well as physical. As such, it is an excellent complement to psychotherapy and other personal development work. [Click here to read a client's account.]
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Medication and medical conditions; will it affect Structural Integration?
Medication: almost certainly; many of the drugs that are prescribed today have the affect of inhibiting tissue-change, which is the key to success in Structural Integration. Whilst we understand that it would be unwise for you to stop taking your medication, we would ask you to schedule your sessions at time when your circulating medication is at its lowest concentration. Alternatively, if you take medication in the morning, and if possible, we would ask you to schedule your sessions in the morning and take your medication after the session.
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Of course, if you are taking pain medication you may well find that you need less as the series progresses. You will have the opportunity to tell your practitioner about any medications you take prior to starting your series. |
Medical conditions: there are certain medical conditions where Structural Integration is not recommended. These include any form of infectious disease, cancer and lupus; severe forms of osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis. Anyone with bleeding disorders or taking blood thinners such as warfarin should avoid Structural Integration. People with skin damage, wounds, blood clots or broken bones in areas being manipulated should wait for the areas to heal before starting the series.
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Menstruation and Intra-uterine devices (IUDs); precautions for women.
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If you suffer from heavy, painful periods that last many days, structural integration has proved an invaluable remedy. During session five we will be working deep into the abdomen, so, for your own comfort, we recommend that you schedule session five at a time when you are not menstruating heavily. [ Click here to read a client's account.]
If you have an intra-uterine device (IUD, IUCD or coil) we do not recommend deep abdominal work and we will be unable to go beyond the third session. If you want to continue the sessions, we can only do so if you have your IUD removed.
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Can I see a chiropractor during Structural Integration?
Absolutely. Many years of experience have shown that Structural Integration and chiropractic can be mutually beneficial. Chiropractic moves bones back to their proper place to restore joint function. Structural Integration improves alignment by manipulating the tissues that hold bones - and everything else - in place. If adjustments aren't holding as long as you'd hoped, there's a good chance that connective tissue is the culprit.
Can I receive massage during Structural Integration?
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Yes. The goals for massage and Structural Integration are very different. Massage is usually about relaxation and providing relief of muscle soreness; it doesn't address structural imbalances. Structural Integration is about aligning structure and improving long-term function. Both modalities are valuable and one does not exclude the other. Regular massage, at least once a month, is highly recommended after your Structural Integration series for keeping the kinks out and maintaining a sense of well being. |
Can I exercise during Structural Integration?
Yes. Regular exercise is great, just pay attention to your body. Balance and coordination can be temporarily affected as your structure changes and time is needed to integrate changes. Although you should avoid intense anaerobic workouts the day of a session, movement such as walking, yoga and swimming are strongly recommended. All of these forms of exercise encourage the body to stretch and lengthen and so enhance the changes you will experience during your sessions.
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