How to Balance Your Body Through Structural Integration

Many people today suffer from bad posture, which worsens with age. Gravity throws off the balance of the body as the individual succumbs to it. Over time, the connective tissue surrounding the muscle becomes rigid and the body is no longer able to right itself. Structural Integration, aka Rolfing, is a body therapy that loosens the connective tissue, allowing the body to restore its balance. Rolfing is used to treat chronic pain and to boost overall health.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer with Internet access
• Telephone
• Structural Integration practitioner

Balance Your Body Through Treatment

1. Find a practitioner in your area through the Internet. The Web site for the International Association of Structural Integrators has links to practitioners in the United States and abroad (see Resources below).
2. Make sure that the practitioner you select is certified in the technique before enrolling in sessions.
3. Contact the practitioner through phone or email and enroll in your first 10 sessions. Further sessions can be discussed with your practitioner. Make sure you discuss your concerns about your balance and posture.
4. Pay attention to changes in your balance once you begin your sessions. Note if you experience immediate improvement, or if the improvement is subtler and slower to come.

Learn More About Structural Integration

5. Discover the history of Structural Integration. Ida Rolf, Ph.D. began to use the technique in1930. Over the decades, she absorbed other body therapies into her treatment and created Structural Integration, sometimes called Rolfing in her honor.
6. Learn about Rolfing. The technique involves the manipulation of the muscles' connective tissue, called fascia. Since gravity is continually working against the body, dragging it down, the fascia can become constricted. Through loosening and lengthening the fascia, the muscles are able to move more freely, reestablishing balance to the body and restoring correct posture.
7. Find out what's involved in Structural Integration sessions. Typically, new patients will undergo 10 sessions to start. The first session is used by the practitioner to examine your areas of improvement as well as integrate your concerns into the process. You will constantly be asked for your opinion of the treatment to marginalize your discomfort.
8. Search the Internet for more information on Rolfing. You can find a wealth of knowledge at the The Guild for Structural Integration (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• One session of Structural Integration is quite affordable. Check with your practitioner for current prices. If you are new to Structural Integration, you may need to enroll in 10 sessions to start.
• While the medical community validates many of the techniques involved in Structural Integration, the health benefits are not yet recognized. Consult your physician before undergoing treatment. Additionally, because Structural Integration manipulates deep tissue, patients with abdominal wounds, osteoporosis or severe muscle injuries should avoid treatment.
• Visit your doctor right away if you see blood in your stool or have other symptoms of serious illness.
• Before you start any alternative medical technique, be aware that many have not been scientifically evaluated. Often, only limited information is available about their safety and effectiveness. Each state and discipline has its own rules about how alternative medicine practitioners are licensed. If you decide to visit one, choose one licensed by a recognized national organization. Consult your primary health care provider and keep your doctor informed about the alternative medical technique you undertake.