Rolfing

I've never done it but my sister has and can't say enough about it. I should mention, though, that her threshold for pain is much much higher than mine.

FIVE

Can someone untie me please sport!

freeduck, I LOVE your new avatar...that confused blink, and the hair...hehehe.

does she say her alignment is better, has it helped pain that she was in?
how long ago was hers done? Has it been lasting?

my friend who had it done said it felt like her body moved much more efficiently afterwards.

I have scoliosis, and I wouldn't DARE let anyone do rolfing on me!

I have found a good massage therapist (finally!) who understands scoliosis and is doing me a lot of good. It's certainly better than pain pills. She's had training just for this...part of her national certification, I believe. In fact, I have another session in about an hour.

I've had too many people work on me who didn't really understand scoliosis. Some of them really messed me up. Be careful.

Thanks Eva

Believe me, we will be.

Thanks! It is the combined work of rp and jpin.

She had some neck and shoulder problems at the time and she said it helped her a lot. I think she had a pinched nerve, but I'm not sure if I remember that correctly. Anyway, she said it improved her range of motion a lot. I haven't spoken to her recently so I don't know if it was a long lasting effect.

I think you're thinking of primal scream stuff.

Yes, dlowan, I think I am mixing Rolfing up with Primal Scream therapy. Funny how rumors start, eh? You can see how they would get mixed up in my mind after all these years though, can't you, what with the potential for pain with Rolfing, at least in the old days.

Is rolfing not the logical end of drinking lots of Cuervo and lemon?

Indeed.

Ms Psychobabble (who was also a RN) who did me was sort of disapproving that I didn't scream a lot. In fact, I didn't at all.

As I said, it has helped make me less afraid of pain, though. I figure if I could handle that, I can handle anything. Except injections and anything to do with teeth.

Well, here it is a little over a year later, and we never did get rolfed.

However, I just called the person I mentioned a few pages back, and when she calls back, I'm going to set up an appointment with her.

Lately, I've been feeling very uncomfortable in my body. It's not just that I'm heavier than I should be, although I'm sure that doesn't help.

I haven't had a menstrual cycle since Thanksgiving, 7 months ago, so I'm pretty much entering a new phase.

I'll startle myself by finding myself walking bent over, or not bothering to stretch to get something, and that's just not like me. Also, I've just been out of sorts overall.

My husband says if I go to a couple sessions and find it helping me, he'll go also.

I'll post back when I've made the appointment.

I will be very interested to hear what you think!

I finally remembered to ask my SIL about it:

So, it might be painful (shrugs).

For me, I'm not scared of a little pain. Especially if it gets my body into alignment, which in the long run will avoid more pain.

For my husband, as I've stated before, he's in pain 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

If I judge that it did me good, he would certainly be willing to try something that might enable him to stop some of the multiple drugs he takes every day.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Of the 2 people who tried it here, for one it did no good, for another it was good.

I probably won't get in until July 11 or 12th according to a vm left for me from the rolfer, so, In the meantime, I'm looking forward to it.

All righty then!

I got my first session yesterday, and all I can say is WOW!!!

The immediate effect I felt when we were finished was feeling this incredible feeling of balance, a feeling of being solidly placed where I was standing or sitting.

For instance, when I was sitting chatting with the rolfer while processing my payment, there was a definite improvement in posture, which was effortless, and a feeling of easy control of my limbs.

I said to her "I feel like the trunk of a big tree, and my arms are branches." she smiled and said "yep"
You know how when you are sitting or standing and gestulating with your arms, your body feels pulled or influenced by the movement of your arms? Not any more. It's like my torso is solidly placed, and my arms are moving and swinging away from my body with greater ease.

My neck? OMG....This was an area I wanted to specifically address. Over the years I developed this angle to my head that caused the back of my skull to tilt back into my top vertebrae. Even when I was mindful to lower my head, it felt unnatural, and if I stopped thinking about it, it would tilt back on its own in a minute.

Now? My head is level. When I tilt my head back to try to put it in it's old position (just to test), that "place" isn't even there any longer.

When I look at myself in profile...before, my legs were slighty bent at the point they meet my torso, and where they met the knee. If I straightened them, again, it was a conscious effort, and although I looked better, it wasn't a position one could hold for long, walk around with, etc.

Now, my legs are naturally in this unbent position.

Pain during the rolfing? Absolutely NOT.

OK, a qualifier...as she was working my body, she'd ask me if it was too intense....I'd say "no" Sometimes it felt good, sometimes, well hard to describe, but you knew something was happening deep in your muscles.
At one point, I'm on my right side and she's working on my left hip leg, and we're talking away, and suddenly I grunted "AAAHHHGG" There was an intense spot of extreme pressure, and associated with that, pain. Not pain like sharp, but again, from some deep place. She just chuckled and said "Heh...I just hit one of your hot spots....you'll be surprised where I find others" Then she immediatly adjusted her technique and all was fine.

What the coolest part was when she'd be working on a body part, and suddenly, you'd feel those bones, joints, all the connective stuff just open up.
When working on a chest shoulder area, it felt good, but you could tell there was resistance of movement. Then, the only way I can describe it is like when you're cutting the drumstick off a Thanksgiving turkey. You know how if someone who knows how to really carve a turky makes just one little cut, and the drumstick will just fall away? That's what it was like. Suddenly, the points around the shoulder, roter cup, just, well, "release" and my arm fell open into this new open position which you realized was it's natural position, and felt totally marvelous....ahhhhhh.....

Anyway, sitting her typing this, the effects from yesterday are no less. I got out of bed and was surprised at the difference in how I made my way across the room to turn off the alarm.

I go for my next session in I think a week and a half.

I will say, the effects are subtle...like if you're the type of person who can't figure out if they are hungry, or tired, you probably would think nothing happened. But, if you pay attention, these subtle changes end up effecting everything as a whole.

Each session is supposed to build on the last, so I can't wait to see what's next.

Something else I just noticed.

I'm not clenching my jaw.

With my head tilted foward, my jaw drops forward.

Wow!


Maybe Rolfing has changed, or I had a rotten Rolfer?



Any more news?

Interesting......


though I have to say, this makes me think of-

more news dlowan?

Well, since Thursday I've been mindful of how I feel doing everyday things (or not so everyday). Like just now, I'm taking a break from mixing top soil, manure, compost and sand....just a little light work :wink:

I'm stooping, bending, reaching around, twisting, lifting, carrying...all with greater ease.

The main relief I feel is in that area where the leg meets the hip. When I have to bend/squat, there's more range of motion. Not that there was pain before, but that feeling of "Oh christ, I have to bend over to get that....sigh...here goes...." Now it's like there's room to bend into. Same with twisting my torso around. I don't know that I can twist any farther, but when I do, the swivel is much easier.

Anyway, I won't go on any longer right now. If you're interested, I'll post back after the 2nd session to report the new changes. Each session is supposed to build on the last.

I'm happy too...it's like my general well being is effected too.

My wife gets osteopathic treatment from her physiotherapist for such - mainly, I suppose, because rlfing isn't paid by the health insurance but osteopathy. :wink: