When it comes to deciding how to best support your health and wellness putting in a little time to carefully weigh your options is obviously the place to start.
So when people ask, “What’s the difference between the Rolf method of structural integration and chiropractic treatment?” I usually start by mentioning how both forms of treatment look to align the body, but each has a key difference in their approach.
Simple enough right?
Well, as simple as it sounds there is a very fundamental difference between each method which you consider before ruling out a particular method of treatment.
Chiropractors
While both a structural integration practitioner and a chiropractor can work well together, a chiropractor will focus primarily on manual therapy techniques like manipulation of the spine, joints, and muscles. A chiropractor will also provide health and lifestyle counseling as well as exercise as part of their treatment. So overall, chiropractic treatment is a well-rounded approach.
Traditionally, chiropractors work with vertebral subluxation as a way to treat signs and symptoms of pain, discomfort, or dysfunction as they relate to the spinal column. Your chiropractor will explain how subluxation (a displaced or fixated dysfunctional segment of the spine) can lead to neuromuscular and visceral disorders which is why manipulation is needed.
Spinal manipulation (or spinal adjustments – as chiropractors commonly refer to them) can be done by hands-on adjustment, massage technique, muscle stimulation, or traction (pulling or using force to create or influence spinal adjustment and the quality of related tissue).
Spinal adjustments are usually done by using a passive manual maneuver in which your body’s joint complexes are taken past their normal range of motion. This is done with a gentle precise thrust of the spine which causes an audible release at the moment when a joint’s range of motion is increased. This also can be performed on a drop table or very gently by using a hand tool called an activator.
Structural Integration
Structural integration works with the whole body in mind, attempting to align your entire body through the organization of your fascial network. Your fascia (connective tissue) surrounds each muscle fiber and groups of muscles with collagen as a lubricant to allow your them to slide across each other for optimal flexibility.
During life’s stresses, repetitive exposure to physical workloads, and or injuries, your fascial collagen begins to stick like glue instead of working as a lubricant. This can be dangerous as environments like these can cause fascial adhesions to develop. Fascial adhesions are what cause you to feel limited flexibility in your muscles as well as some forms of muscle soreness.
Symptoms like these complicate your body’s alignment. You see, your body adapts itself through posture and movement. So, if your fascial alignment is not optimal, your body must posture itself to work with the forces and tension placed on it. This causes undue stress on your joints, compression on your spine, and holds and supports your misalignment.
As Rolf practitioners, we begin our strategy by observing your alignment. We then look at your body’s strain patterns to differentiate the segments of the body, organize them, and then make your body more unified and efficient in your field of gravity.
We do this with precise deep tissue manipulation (while asking you to participate in the process) by making specific movements during manipulation. We use our hands, knuckles, and elbows, with precise depth and direction. After each session, we give you a specific integrative exercise designed to enhance the work that was done during your structural integration session. The integrative exercises help you to create a deep awareness of your new and more efficient movement pattern.
Chiropractors and Structural Integrators Working Together
While each form of treatment exhibits its own difference, both chiropractic and the Rolf method of structural integration can work together and often complement each other.