Is Rolf Structural Integration the Right Treatment for You

Bella Cohen, Rolfer in Santa Fe Explores if Rolfing is the best treatment for you. 

Rolfing explained, how it was developed, who developed and why it's such an effective treatment for chronic pain.

More than 30 percent of adults in the U.S. are living with severe chronic pain. If you’re part of that statistic, you know how devastating living with severe or daily pain can be.

Treating chronic pain, defined as pain lasting 12 weeks or longer, depends on the underlying cause. For example, for musculoskeletal issues and inflammation, anti-inflammatory medications, ice, heat, and stretching can be beneficial.

For many people, taking prescription drugs long-term may not be the best option to treat pain. The good news is, there are other methods of managing chronic pain.

Different things work for different bodies and injuries: acupuncture, deep tissue massage, Epsom salt baths, anti-inflammatory diets, yoga, and more.

Rolfing Structural Integration is one technique people who live with daily pain might not have explored yet. Developed in the 1960s, Rolfing is increasing in popularity again in the alternative health community.

What is Rolfing? To understand how this method and Rolfng with Bella Cohen in Santa Fe is helping people get long term relief from chronic pain, you’ll need an overview of Rolfing and how it’s different from just getting a deep tissue massage.

According to Certified Rolfer, Bella Cohen in Santa Fe, Rolfing is a systematic and holistic method of manipulating of the soft tissues, muscle, fascia, ligaments and tendons to help the body return to it's natural blueprint.

Once this happens, Bella Cohen Rolfing in Santa Fe, says the body’s natural mechanisms take over and finish the job of correcting these imbalances.

Makes sense, right? But how does Bella Cohen, Rolfing in Santa Fe accomplish this?

“In the traditional 10 series of Rolfing, Bella Cohen Rolfing in Santa Fe, systematically addresses the places of strain, misalignment, and restricted areas of motion  that exist within the body pattern as a whole. 

“Sometimes where you feel pain is a point of strain within a larger pattern. That’s why working with the whole pattern can help diminish pain that is maintained or kept in place by the strain.

How is Rolfing different than a deep tissue massage? While Rolfing is a manual therapy and at times might feel  similar to a deep massage, Rolfing practitioners will manipulate the soft tissue not only where you’re feeling pain, but all over your body. Bella Cohen Rolfing in Santa Fe treats where the pain is coming from and the compensation patterns in the body. The goal is to fix your body’s posture and structure so that your body reintegrates and  will correct any lingering imbalances that are causing the pain.

7 things you should know about Rolfing if you have chronic pain.

 With chronic pain, there’s a good chance you struggle to understand why your pain persists. this is a common concern for both the practitioner and the person seeking relief.

“If pain being caused by a form of serious illness can be ruled out, the chances are good that Rolfing Structural Integration with Bella Cohen, Rolfing in Santa Fe can play a positive role in the treatment of the condition.

Here are seven things that Bella Cohen, Rolfing in Santa Fe say you should know about Rolfing and chronic pain before deciding to move forward.

1. Rolfing may help chronic pain.“You should know that Rolfing can be an effective non-medical, non-drug method to address chronic neuromuscular pain.

The Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine Comprehensive Pain Center has incorporated alternative and complementary therapies, including Rolfing, into their practices.

However, there’ve been limited studies on Rolfing’s effectiveness. Two small studies in 2014 and 2015 and found that Rolfing can decrease pain levels for people with fibromyalgia and lower back pain.

2. Rolfing isn’t a quick fix.“It took time to get into chronic pain, it will take some time to recover. However, often clients will feel relief with just one or two session after seeing Rolfing with Bella Cohen in Santa Fe.

A good rule of thumb, is that for every year of pain, allow yourself one month of weekly sessions to feel the total results.

It’s also likely that you’re going to need to make ongoing lifestyle changes to assist in maintaining and furthering the changes from Rolfing. This may include ergonomics, footwear, pillows, yoga, nutrition, etc. Bella Cohen, Rolfing in Santa Fe offers individualized exercises to assist in the long term health of the body.

3. Rolfing addresses structural (think postural) and functional (think movement) aspects of chronic pain.Rolfing can be helpful when chronic stiffness, compression from injury or surgery, held postures that inhibit fluid motion, or repetitive motion are keeping your pain levels up.

4. Rolfing should never be experienced as painful. Rolfing is frequently deep and sometimes intense and uncomfortable, yet Bella Cohen, Rolfing in Santa Fe says, that it’s never meant to be painful. “Rolfing should never be more uncomfortable than the chronic pain you’re already in, Rolfing should never hurt to the point that one has to hold their breath or tighten other muscles in the body. 

5. Rolfing may reveal other places of pain. If you’ve been dealing with chronic pain, chances are that is the area you focus most of your energy on. However, with Rolfing, Bella Cohen, Rolfing in Santa Fe says, you’ll discover other places in your body that may be playing a role in your pain. Knowing this information can be helpful in your overall treatment plan. Sometimes a client will come in with a specific pain. However, as the body unwinds and compensation patterns or undone, other parts of the body may experience pain.

6. Rolfing may uncover deeply held emotions.to be aware that you may have emotions surface, on and off the table, since your tissues hold and release muscle memory. This is frequently part of the healing process, so as strange as it may seem, it’s actually helpful.

7. Rolfing requires a skilled practitioner. Rolfing, especially for chronic pain, needs to be done by a certified and skilled practitioner. Bella Cohen, suggests you find a Rolfer that you connect with since it’s a very personal process.

And the best part? There’s virtually no risk to trying Rolfing, and there are no side effects.

“I always tell my clients that it’s an experiment. If it works, then great. But if it doesn’t, there is no harm done.”

To find a certified Rolfer, visit the Rolf Institute’s website.