Structural Integration

Structural Integration is a form of body work and movement education pioneered from the work of Dr. Ida Rolf. She called it ‘structural integration’, which is a process of realigning the body through soft tissue manipulation. Structural Integration works with the body in gravity and how it is affected by gravity. If the body is misaligned in gravity, the result is strain. Our day to day lives are impacted by, gravity, stress, injuries and poor posture patterns. These factors effect our bodies’ alignment and balance. This can be perceived as a loss of energy, decreased flexibility, back pain, headaches and general aches and pains. Balancing the body through Structural Integration enables us to function more efficiently. When the body becomes balanced, less energy is expended to support the body. People who receive Structural Integration often feel lighter, fluidity of motion, increased breathing capacity, more energy and elimination of chronic pain.

Fascia or connective tissue surrounds joints, muscle, and bone. It gives shape and strength to our body. Fascia typically becomes harder or shorter in areas due to repeated patterns of use such as walking, sitting, standing as well as emotional patterns. Healthy fascia moves smoothly permitting structures to slide over one another. Injury, poor posture or emotional stress will typically cause layers to adhere together and become glued or stuck. This gluing causes the body to work a lot harder to accomplish normal function. Your Practitioner works to release these patterns of holding and helps restore movement and alignment.

Relief of chronic pain such as: back pain, neck and shoulder pain.

Recovery from injuries, accidents, surgeries, and trauma.

Release of posture conditions such as scoliosis or general poor posture.

Relief from chronic tension and stress.

Repatterning of work-related repetition such as desk work or driving.

Improve performance in athletes, yoga, martial arts, dance, and any physical activity.

Anybody! People come to receive Structural Integration for many different reasons. Some seek a SI practitioner for relief from chronic pain and stiffness while others want better performance in sports, yoga, or dance. Some might seek a SI practitioner for more flexibility, mobility and a better awareness and presence in the body. Some might find an emotional process and a personal growth potential.

 

Structural Integration is usually done in a series of ten structured sessions in which the major segments of the body are addressed progressively. This is often called a ten series. Sessions are usually a week or two apart and each session is about one and a half hours. Each session has specific goals and each session builds upon the results of the last session. This creates a cumulative effect as the entire body is addressed progressively. Follow up work may consist of occasional tune up sessions. This frequency of schedule can be discussed with your practitioner.

 

When our bodies are out of alignment from injury or repetitive activity or from gravity pulling down into poor posture, we are forced to compensate for this loss of balance. These compensatory patterns bring us into chronic pain patterns and restriction. By creating length and reorganizing the soft tissue Structural Integration restores balance in the body and allows it to work more freely and efficiently.

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), 8 out of 10 people suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. This pain can be debilitating, and have negative consequences on your work performance, your personal relationships, or your emotional well-being. Structural Integration therapy can have a transformative effect on your chronic back pain.

In today’s society the neck experiences a lot of strain. Working at a computer, looking down to text or use a mobile device – these everyday habits can have a devastating effect on our spine. Structural Integration alleviates pain by undoing the unhealthy habits our bodies have encoded in our muscles, ligaments, and fascia.

Athletics can be great for our health, but sometimes it can lead to injury. Structural Integration can help by resetting the muscles, ligaments and fascia to their healthy alignments. Certain benefits of SI therapy can also enhance athletic performance – such as increased flexibility, coordination, balance, and energy.