The term Rolfing and Rolfer oftentimes conjures up the image of a painful massage therapy session. Oh, there can be intense sensations as fascia releases, but the intense sensation/pain should always be brief. Rolfers should always be aware of their client's level of comfort and needs.

Many will tell you they are willing to deal with pain, if the pain is gone once the therapy session is over. My practice is more gentle, I would rather apply the technique more than once to allow the body time to adapt to the pressure. All any of us are doing, when we do massage type therapy, is to have a conversation with the body's own homeostatic response mechanism. I for one don't believe we need to create more pain to relieve painful chronic conditions. Let's take a closer look at Structural Integration or Rolfing as its called.

It was Dr. Rolf's theory that pain in the human organism, both physical and emotional, was based on our relationship with gravity and its effect on our fascial membranes. Force vectors that enter the body either physically, or emotionally, can effect the physical structure. Just like a geodesic dome, our structure is totally interrelated, and any force that enters the system can be held in other parts of the structure. Through skillful application of technique a Rolfer/Structural Integrationist can inform the system of its imbalance and ultimately change the structure to a place of more ease, freeing up energy that is used unnecessarily to hold patterns of imbalance.

All the structures of the body are linked together, including the internal organs, by an interconnected fascial web. This web is easily influenced by external force. These external forces eventually are responsible for imbalance in the web and cause painful responses. Rolfing is not like Swedish massage. Rolfing can effect those imbalances in a beneficial manner

One thing you will notice with Rolfers, is that the strokes that we apply to the patient's body are very slow and often times without the use of any lubrication. We can change our patient/clients posture by the nature of fascia's sliding, elastic capacity. This is the main reason that our clients can become pain free, their bodies are aligned in gravity. Send them out the door with some movement cues and education, and the changes that they have experienced can last a lifetime.

The beauty of Rolfing is that it offers a tactile and chemical free approach to pain management and is appreciated by any performance athlete whose training allows them to be able to perceive even the slightest change in function and balance. I highly suggest Rolfing to become part of your wellness regime for not only prevention but performance enhancement. It is an outstanding regime that has been used successfully for nearly 50 years as a manual therapy for dealing with pain and performance.

Looking to findLearn more about Rolfer. Stop by Judah Lyons's site where you can find out all about classes and what it can do for you.

categories: massage therapy, pain, physical therapy, continuing education, health, alternative health, wellness, arthritis, healthcare, alternative health care

Posted under arthritis

Injuries and gout can be a cause of joint pain and arthritis. Some people feel this disease is hereditary. If you have arthritis you will have swelling around the joints.

Chronic diseases are all around us and arthritis is one of them. The best way to help is to learn to live with it. One way of relieving the pressure on our joints is to lose weight, this will cause less pressure on the joints. Dieting and exercising can slow down the joint pain.

Eating healthy is a good way to start. A body needs minerals, vitamins and nutrients. This will give you lots of energy if you keep these in balance. Think about the food groups and make sure you eat the right amounts of grains, vegetables, milk, fruit, beans and other proteins. Only eat when you are hungry, and stop eating when you are full.

Coping with joint pain is not easy so you will have to eat right all the time. Not only will weight loss begin but having more energy will increase, and the pressure on your joints will decrease. This will help with the control of pain.

Exercise is a very important part of the treatment for arthritis and joint pain. A person cannot hurt themselves any further by exercising. This will actually give you some relief. Moderate exercise will actually reduce swelling and joint pain. It also builds muscles around the joints and reduces stiffness. It will help with being more flexible and you will have a better endurance.

Exercise can be done in many ways like swimming, water walking, biking and regular walking. Doing any of these things will improve your joint pain. The best way to start is with stretching and then work your way into the next phrase. Yoga and golf can even be considered for a workout.

Discuss what you plan on doing with your doctor. Some doctors will prescribe physical therapy to teach you the best exercises and may offer you some devices so you do not cause addition stress on the joints. We must get all the information so we can take proper care of ourselves.

It is very important to take care of yourself. This disease is not going to go away. There is over the counter pain medicine and ointments and lotions to help with the pain. A person must experiment and decide what works best for them. Be consistent, do not eat well one day and not the next. Exercise on a regular basis or you will not help yourself. This is a chronic disease and a person needs to do the best they can to have control over their illness.

Controlling this illness is the best a person can do. Living life to the fullest and having a good quality of life can only be done when we take care of ourselves. Take the time to make a plan of action now and be consistent and follow it daily.

Learn more about joint pain and natural remedies. Read about Flexcin side effects and benefits on Robert Short's site. Also read about Amberen reviews for women dealing with menopause symptoms.

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When an individual suffers from an illness or injury that causes pain for a short duration, they are generally pretty uncomfortable. This short duration pain is known as acute pain, usually meaning that it has a known cause that will quickly pass and the pain will go away. For those people who suffer with pain for a long period of time, uncomfortable may hardly describe what they are feeling. This long term pain is known as chronic pain, and it often has no end. That is why it is important to understand what pain management options are available for chronic pain.

Chronic pain is often described as pain that persists for three months or more. It is not always understood, or even believed to exist by some people, but if you experience it you certainly know it is real. The challenge can be that it is not always possible for your doctor to determine the cause of your pain, leaving you the option to treat the symptoms without eliminating the cause.

Generally, the first thing tried is some form of over-the-counter drug. There are a variety of pills that work as pain relievers, some of which have anti-inflammatory properties as well. If your pain is muscular in nature, there are a number of creams, gels, and liquids that are made to rub into the affected area. In most cases the individual will have tried one or more of these treatments, often without much success, before seeing their doctor.

While your doctor will take a medical history and try to find the cause of your pain, in many cases the cause of chronic pain is never fully identified. It then becomes a matter of finding a treatment that will give you relief from your pain. This can take some time, as everyone reacts differently to pain and to each treatment. Often times, the first thing the doctor will try is giving you a prescription medication. It might take several tries to find a medication that helps, so do not get discouraged.

There is some good news relative to drug therapy for chronic pain. Doctors have accepted that narcotic drugs can be effective when used properly. They have also discovered that pairing a narcotic pain drug with another type of medication can be more effective than when either is used alone. Some of the other types of drugs used include anticonvulsants and antidepressants.

Exercise can be an important part of treatment for chronic pain. Your doctor might suggest walking, swimming, or any activity that gets your body moving. While exercise is important for anyone, it can be especially beneficial to someone suffering with chronic pain. Beyond normal exercise, your doctor may also send you to a physical therapist for a short duration of treatment. Physical therapy treatments can include a number of activities, including stretching and strengthening exercises, massage therapy and hot or cold packs applied to the body. It is often recommended that the patient continue the learned activities at home once the series of sessions with the physical therapist is over.

In addition to addressing the physical aspects of the patient's pain, doctors will often suggest counseling as well. Living with chronic pain causes stress to your mind as well as your body. This can lead to a viscous cycle of increasing pain. The more you worry about the condition, the worse the pain can become, which can cause more stress. Counseling can provide you skills in coping with the stress. This might include relaxation techniques, the use of biofeedback, or maybe even guided imagery.

This is only a brief overview of the options available to you for pain management. Be sure to educate yourself as much as you can about these and other options. If you are persistent and open-minded about the treatment options, you are likely to find some level of relief for your chronic pain.

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