What is Structural Integration?
Structural Integration is a manual & a systematic way to make you better balanced, improve your flexibility & enhance your quality of movement by decompressing your spine & joints throughout the body.
Structural Integration is a process of 10 manual therapy sessions, each with individual goals. Every goal is designed to improve a particular part of your body, freeing restrictions & integrating a more efficient form of movement. Each structural integration session prepares you for your next visit until your body is able to expand from the core to the extremities.
After each session, you will be given an integrated awareness exercise that enhances the gains from each session & allows you to experience your body’s newfound functionality. This process creates a deep level of awareness which is necessary to facilitate & maintain your body’s improvement.
What Happens During a Structural Integration Session?
Structural Integration is an interactive soft tissue manipulation technique. It is usually completed in 10 sessions. Each session is performed based on your body’s needs and structure. During these sessions, Bruce will be applying precise pressure, depth, and direction to your fascial tissue – utilizing his hand’s arms, elbows, and knuckles.
During your first structural integration session, we’ll learn about your personal goals and begin to formulate a plan to help you achieve them.
You may be asked about your medical or physical history and whether you have had any surgeries and or broken bones if you’re currently taking any medication, or being treated for a certain disease.
Bruce will examine your body for patterns of imbalances in your posture (while seated, standing, and walking) During this time he’ll also be observing your breathing patterns.
You may be instructed to make certain movement patterns during the session which may need to be performed while you are sitting, standing, or laying. Additionally, we may ask you to walk or move around to process the work that was just performed.
After each session, Bruce may give you some structural awareness exercises as homework between sessions to help you explore your newly positioned body. These exercises will enhance the work done during the day’s session and bring you a deeper awareness in your body and its new movement patterns.
What Does Structural Integration Feel Like? Does it Hurt?
While the application of pressure is needed for treatment it’s not meant to be painful or uncomfortable. There are some areas of the body that are more sensitive than others and those areas may vary from person to person. Any discomfort felt is usually mild and generally followed by a sudden feeling of improved mobility.
How is Structural Integration Different from Massage?
Massage therapy is excellent for stress reduction, promoting blood flow, and treating specific areas of the body for pain management.
Structural integration focuses on organizing the whole body so it can achieve a relaxed alignment in gravity. Structural integration incorporates new and more efficient movement patterns so that your body learns to expand from its core.
A balanced body allows you to put less load and compression on your joints and spine. The 10 Series Sessions bring a deeper awareness of your body so that you can continue to make beneficial changes in your posture and movement patterns.
What Changes Will I See After 10 Rolf Sessions? Can I Actually Get Taller?
It is not uncommon to gain a half inch to a full inch in height after experiencing 10 rolf sessions.
You may see a better-aligned and more balanced body or find that your back pain, neck pain, or other areas of discomfort are reduced or even eliminated.
Each person experiences something different because of various body structures and personal goals. Your own structural integration experience will be personal and unique. Sign up to get your free consultation to learn how we can help improve your body.