A Short Guide To Rolfing

Developed by Dr. Ida Rolf in the earlier part of the 20th century, the massage technique known as rolfing is becoming a common way of helping those who have been injured or experience chronic pain. If you are unfamiliar with this method, you are not alone. Here is a short guide that explains how rolfing works and some things you should know about if you plan to schedule a session.

How Does Rolfing Work?

What separates rolfing from other types of massage is that rolfing focuses on the connective tissues of the body.  Connective tissues such as cartilage, tendons and ligaments provide support to your body's organs and help your body to maintain its form. Chiropractors and other rolfing practitioners suggest that massaging connective tissues to align the body properly can provide a deeper, more lasting solution to pain than mere muscle manipulation. They typically recommend a series of 10 weekly sessions in order to work their way through the entire body.

Conversely, practitioners of other kinds of massage focus instead on superficial muscle work and blood flow to alleviate pain and other issues.

What Should You Expect During a Rolfing Session?

During the session, you may feel that your body is being handled vigorously by the practitioner. They will typically use their fingers and elbows to reach connective tissues throughout your body.

How Will You Feel After a Rolfing Session?

If you have gotten a massage in the past, you might have been relaxed and peaceful after the session was completed. By contrast, after a rolfing session you could very well feel sore, as if you had a major workout. This is nothing to be surprised or alarmed about, as the technique employs deeper manipulation of your body than you may be used to.

To relieve any pain you may be feeling, you can use remedies such as peppermint oil, which is sometimes used for muscle pain relief and can be rubbed into painful muscles or inhaled with a diffuser. You can also try wintergreen oil, which has pain-relieving properties as well.

If the soreness persists, however, it is important to talk to your chiropractor or practitioner to determine whether you should wait before having another rolfing session.

Now that you have a deeper understanding of how rolfing may benefit you and relieve your pain, look for a chiropractor in the area that offers rolfing services. You may soon start to feel better and live with less pain in your life.

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