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Rolfing
Feb 11, 2012 18:34:32 GMT -5
Post by Karen on Feb 11, 2012 18:34:32 GMT -5
I just back from a Rolfing appointment. It's a form of massage or body work, I suppose, and it's focus is getting your body structurally aligned by working on the connective tissue/fascia in your body. If your connective tissue is off, it can pull your muscles and bones of out alignment and cause all sorts of restrictions. For anyone that's had an issue with adhesions, this is something I'd recommend if you can't find a good physical therapist. I had never heard of it before until I bought a Groupon for it, so I figured I'd pass along the info! He focused mainly on my feet, legs, and abdomen and spent a little bit of time on my shoulders/neck. (I feel like my shoulders are down about 3 inches now! I tend to get the shoulder creep when I'm stressed.) Just like how I felt with PPT, I left feeling like there's a lot more movement in those areas, that I have more space inside and a lot less tension. I should warn anyone looking into it, though - it's pretty intense pressure that they use. For the most part it was pretty tolerable, though there were a few times when he had to stop what he was doing and work at something from a different angle. The work he did in my lower abs was amazing, though! It felt so good to get some movement in the tissue in that area! For me, my low back and right leg get incredibly tense & inflexible when my endo pain is flaring up, and only goes back to normal a small amount after. When walking from my car to my condo after the appointment, I definitely felt like my low back was moving a lot more as I walked, like it wasn't so tight. I'm encouraged! I'm rambling, I know... Like I said - for those of you that have been interested in PPT of sorts, this may be a good starter. There are some PPT out there that don't focus on the fascia, but it sounds like that's what all Rolfers focus on. Oh, and it sounds like the training is done somewhere in Colorado, so if you're in the area, you may be able to find an abundance of practitioners or Rolfers in training that are looking for people to practice on. If you're curious, here's a link to search for Rolphers in your area: www.rolf.org/find
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Rolfing
Feb 11, 2012 18:43:40 GMT -5
Post by redwood on Feb 11, 2012 18:43:40 GMT -5
I had the rolfing 10 series done back in 2004 and never felt better than just after that. I didn't have endo symptoms back then, but it worked on every other minor pain and issue that I had. I highly recommend it, although it also depends on how good your rolfer is. Not all of them are created equal. The best one I had (which was for the 10 series was Lorenz Schweitzer (in case any of you live in that area).
Yeah, the training is done in Boulder, CO and I used to live there and went to a few rolfers there also, although none I went to were as good as Lorenz for some reason. They were still helpful though.
are you going again, Karen, or was it a one time thing?
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Rolfing
Feb 11, 2012 19:54:36 GMT -5
Post by Karen on Feb 11, 2012 19:54:36 GMT -5
Ah, good - someone else has heard of it! Sometimes I find these crazy things and think people think I'm totally strange...
That's really cool that you had such a good experience with it! Do you think you'd go back for a tune-up someday?
I think I'll go again, but I also have an appointment with someone else for craniosacral therapy. It sounds like it's somewhat similar but has a much lighter touch. Once I can compare the two, I'll likely make a decision. And I don't know that I'd go back to the same guy - he seemed to really know what he was doing, but I don't know that our personalities really meshed, and when you're getting that kind of work, you want to be comfy. I just found out there's a Rolfer RIGHT across the street from my office - I had no idea what was in that building! So, I may check that out.
The one thing that I thought was super cool was that no matter what part of my body he was working on - feet, legs, even shoulders, I always felt a slight release in my abdomen. I really carry so much tension down there, and it was interesting to feel how connected everything is. He didn't do a thing with my back, but my back feels so much better, too.
I've read a bit about the 10 series - did you see changes every time you went? Was each session different? How far apart were your sessions?
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Rolfing
Feb 11, 2012 21:04:15 GMT -5
Post by JC on Feb 11, 2012 21:04:15 GMT -5
If your connective tissue is off, it can pull your muscles and bones of out alignment and cause all sorts of restrictions. This goes along the same lines as osteopathic medicine! Which is why I want to go to D.O. school! If your structure is off, then your function is off! Sounds awesome Karen! I wonder how you'll feel tomorrow and after more treatments. ;D
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Rolfing
Feb 12, 2012 1:00:32 GMT -5
Post by painttheseconds on Feb 12, 2012 1:00:32 GMT -5
You are braver then I am Karen. I don't know if I could handle the intense pressure of Rolfing. I'm glad you are seeing benefits from it though. That's awesome!
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Rolfing
Feb 12, 2012 9:18:13 GMT -5
Post by Karen on Feb 12, 2012 9:18:13 GMT -5
I woke up very stiff and sore today and joints are popping. I hope this passes soon! It's not terribly uncomfortable, though, and makes me realize how much he did yesterday. And Nicolle, yes, it was intense, but not too intense that I couldn't handle it! When it was, he backed off very quickly. But I know I have a high tolerance for pain, so perhaps that's just me.
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Rolfing
Feb 12, 2012 13:08:48 GMT -5
Post by redwood on Feb 12, 2012 13:08:48 GMT -5
Well, rolfing pain is much better than endo pain. LOL I originally was going every two weeks, but then switched to every week as it was working so well. Not sure if I felt an intense difference after every session, but I must have in the beginning ones to switch to every week. It's very expensive though and I used a credit card to pay for it as I didn't really have the money. It was $120/session (90 min.). I did have a tune up (3 sessions) at the school in Boulder and it was only $25/session. It was done by advanced students with an instructor there watching over them. It wasn't as effective and she had a very light touch. So not all rolfers use a lot of pressure, but honestly, the harder pressure worked better for me. The tune up sessions were actually "pleasant." But that is not what I was after. LOL Besides, that I went to 3 other rolfers in Boulder. One I went for abdominal massage after my surgery too.
One of the 10 series is really weird - #7, which is where they stick their fingers up your nose and massage the inside of the mouth (using latex gloves, of course). I hated that. At first I laughed, as how weird is it to have something stick their finger up your nose, but then it hurt, so I wasn't laughing any more! The mouth was even worse and my gums were sore for a few days afterward (and it made me keep gagging). I do hold tension in my jaw though, or used to. That's the only thing that was weird about it. The rest was awesome.
Actually, I looked up that guy I went to in San Francisco, and he now charges $170/session. Yikes! But he was really good!
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Rolfing
Feb 12, 2012 13:10:34 GMT -5
Post by redwood on Feb 12, 2012 13:10:34 GMT -5
oh, I also went to a rolfer here in Vancouver too (3 times) for my shoulder injury. He was pretty good, but he was always complaining that I made him work too hard (rolfing is strenuous), so it made me feel like he didn't want me to come back. He even recommended someone else to go to. My shoulder injury is stubborn though, so it wouldn't release easily.
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Rolfing
Feb 12, 2012 13:49:14 GMT -5
Post by Karen on Feb 12, 2012 13:49:14 GMT -5
Ha ha, it's funny that you mention the work on your jaw because that's part of the reason I did it! I was hoping he'd do more work on my jaw/ear. I had some bodywork done years ago and I had an ear infection at the time. The woman put a glove on and went at my jaw and I could feel my ear open up and drain. Since I have chronic ear/sinus issues, I was hoping to get those resolved yesterday more than anything, but he got so distracted with my lower body and it felt so good that I didn't protest. I don't mind the jaw work, but having someone up my nose, well, that might be a bit extreme for me!
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Rolfing
Feb 12, 2012 23:18:21 GMT -5
Post by redwood on Feb 12, 2012 23:18:21 GMT -5
the up the nose thing is to clear your sinuses, or at least that's what he told me. I told him that mine didn't need cleared. LOL
he massaged my jaw from the outside too.
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Rolfing
Feb 12, 2012 23:24:52 GMT -5
Post by redwood on Feb 12, 2012 23:24:52 GMT -5
oh, and also I didn't answer all your questions earlier. Each session is different, although they will work longer on parts of your that have issues, so they kind of tailor it to you in that way. but the session 1 I remember was the feet, lower legs, diaphram, etc. There was definitely a theme to each session, but he knew that I had an issue with my right shoulder and something with my hip and I wanted those address, but it really works on your whole body throughout the series. the up the nose one is session 7. You see, I remember that well as that was traumatic. LOL Some people have said that rolfing releases memories of traumatic things that have happened to you and some people will cry. I didn't cry, but sometimes it made me laugh. Isn't that weird? I have had injuries, car accidents and emotional sadness, so I'm not sure where the laughing came from. But maybe that is how I just expressed the release. Better than crying anyway.
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Rolfing
Feb 19, 2012 14:38:50 GMT -5
Post by 1234 on Feb 19, 2012 14:38:50 GMT -5
I do love this word "rolphing"--it's pretty hilarious.
This is still something I'm holding in my arsenal of things to try. I quit because the pain was too much for me--I have too much endo growing, and the PPT massages were hitting endo nodules. ugh. But glad do know there are other potential options.
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Rolfing
Nov 4, 2012 23:55:08 GMT -5
Post by redwood on Nov 4, 2012 23:55:08 GMT -5
I wanted to repost on this topic again as I had a rolfing appt. with someone back in September and it was really helpful. I went to him for a shoulder issue and he did massage on both sides from the waist upward while I was lying on my side. He massaged the area where I have/had my endo pain. It didn't hurt while he was massaging, but it was a little pinchy. A few days later it seemed that I had pain there and it lasted for a few days. So I was wondering if it had irriated the endo area. But since then I have not had any discomfort there at all. I really have not had much pain at all there since I have been taking Visanne, but once in a while (could be about monthly), I would feel something there in the endo area on my right side, but it was so minor, I mostly ignored (which is why I wasn't sure if it was once a month or not). But that hasn't happened now since after the rolfing appt. and that has been about 7 weeks now. So I'm thinking maybe the rolfing broke up some scar tissue there. I had a feeling that it might be that since it would seem to come on it I was doing a lot of ab exercises. And recently I have been doing a lot of activities using my abs (and exercises too) and no pain there at all. This guy was a really good rolfer too, like the one I had in San Francisco, so I'm thinking of doing the 10 series again. I need to press the "reset" button on my body. Really, that is what it felt like after the first time I did the 10 series. More recently, it was also helpful for my shoulder issue. But I found it interesting that it seemed to be good for my endo too.
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Post by Karen on Nov 5, 2012 7:38:01 GMT -5
Good, glad he was able to get in there and take care of that area! I just had session 5 last week. I'm always sore for the first few days and it feels like my joints are a bit sore, but within a few days, I feel incredible! It's so fun to see all the changes from one appointment to the next, I'm so glad I'm doing the 10 series!
Can you go in for just a few touch up sessions?
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Rolfing
Nov 5, 2012 13:29:37 GMT -5
Post by redwood on Nov 5, 2012 13:29:37 GMT -5
Well, he worked specifically on areas I had issues with (my right shoulder and left upper back/neck area), but basically he worked on both sides in mostly the same way and also on my lower skull. So basically, my whole upper body, but working from the sides mostly (lying on one side then the other). So it was not part of the 10 series, although he knows I had a lot of rolfing done before.
But a lot of things have changed since I had the 10 series in 2004 though, so I wonder if I just shouldn't do the 10 series again. I have had rolfing sessions after that, including a mini advanced series of 3 in about 2007, I think.
I just have some other issues I'm struggling to get rid of on my own, like my knee is bothering me, but it's from some trigger points in my quad and also the TFL. So I could have him work on that, I suppose or maybe my whole body needs to be realigned again.
I just loved rolfing. I thought it was amazing when I first had the 10 series. It's just so expensive, that's the problem. This guy charges $160, although that includes tax, which is high here (12%). But that is for 90 min. of work and a massage is usually around $100 for 60 min, so I guess it's not really so much more since more time is spent.
Let me know what you think of session 7 - that's the weird one where they stick their fingers up your nose and massage the inside of your mouth (they do wear latex gloves)! I don't think I'd want to repeat that one. Didn't like it much. They don't do that the whole time though, so you don't have to endure that for 90 min. LOL
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