It is often asked if Rolfing is just like Massage. Rolfing differs from massage in many ways. First of all, the techniques used in Rolfing are not those used in a typical Swedish massage or even Neuromuscular therapy. Massage is meant to relax the body and mind, increase venous blood flow, flush toxins from the muscle tissue, and even lengthen tissue.

Rolfers are interested in educating you as the client to have better posture. By releasing patterned restrictions in the connective tissue matrix, the Rolfer is helping to move your body structure in the direction of balance and symmetry. When a Rolfer is applying a technique to an area, besides releasing restrictions in soft tissue, he or she is also intending to help you connect with how it feels to hold your body with less tension. This leads to the re-organization of the body’s structural relationships, so that the entire body can be better aligned in gravity and function more efficiently in motion.

Perhaps the greatest way that Rolfing differs from Massage Therapy is that Rolfing looks at human structure diagnostically, before and often after each session, and looks to methodically produce specific structural changes.

For example, by addressing the feet and ankles, you may sense that your are more supported by the ground when you walk. This increase in stability carries up the entire body, all the way to the head, each time you takes a step.

By addressing the way the Pelvis relates to the Shoulders, and releasing any structural impediments, you may now walk upright with more ease and less effort.