Structural Integration (SI) is a deep, specific form of myofascial work. Its aim is to facilitate lasting change in posture, balance, comfort, ease and range of motion.

Issues where I have had success improving a client’s comfort and/or mobility include: back pain, neck pain, hip pain, TMJ disorders, frozen shoulder, recovery from hip and knee replacement, scar tissue release, scoliosis, repetitive stress injuries, sciatica, poor posture, headaches, improving balance and range of motion, improving self-image. Each person comes with their own set of attributes and circumstances that assist or complicate their healing. Therefore they need to be evaluated as an individual, to see whether SI is applicable, whether there are any cautions or contraindications, and often by trying a session to see how their body responds.

SI can be supportive for recovery from a wide variety of injuries, surgeries, and skeletal imbalances. It frees restrictions in the muscles and fascia, guiding the body toward posture and movement where force is more balanced and evenly distributed through the structure. This reduces “stress points” where certain muscles and/or joints are carrying more than their share of the workload, making them vulnerable to pain or injury.

The purpose of SI is to support each individual in their particular goals for their body. And in reaching their body structure’s fullest potential for freedom, balance, and fluid movement.

Each body has its own particular strengths, weaknesses, and overall maximum potential, all influenced by our history and habits. Over time, we accumulate various compensation patterns. We do this for many reasons. Compensating for healing injuries. Holding ourselves certain ways to camouflage traits we’re self-conscious about, or imitating someone we admire (Think of the elaborate slouches some teens cultivate, or how a small child may imitate a parent’s movement pattern).

This applies whether you are a professional athlete, or have multiple serious muscular or skeletal anomalies. Whether supporting athletic performance and reducing susceptibility to injury, or optimizing and maintaining ease and mobility possible for someone contending with serious musculoskeletal challenges, the principle is the same.

SI is not a substitute for counseling and should never be used as such. However, it can support you in breaking out of old patterns of operating in the world. The most obvious way it does this is by reducing pain and movement restrictions that may be interfering with exercise and sleep. There are other ways as well.

When a particular emotional state has been prevalent for extended time, we can start to carry our bodies in a way that reflects it. For instance, a person who often feels sad or vulnerable may carry themselves with a curled-in chest and bend-forward head. This “instructs” the body to reinforce fascia to support that posture. The brain has a small, but perceptible response to how the body is held, and slightly alters the hormones it releases to reflect the body’s posture.

Humans are more verbal, and less perceptive about body language than some animal species, but we still send and receive social signals with how we hold our bodies. Change your body language, and you influence the signals you are unconsciously sending to other people, and therefore, to some degree, their response.

“Structural Integration” is a broader term than “Rolfing”. They are the same “family” of bodywork. Structural Integration is the type of work. The basic principles are the same, but each school has its own “brand”.“Rolfing” refers to the particular form of Structural Integration taught at the first school of Structural Integration, originally founded by Ida Rolf.

It often feels good. Sometimes it can feel intense. If there is pain, often it is the “hurts so good” variety. The intensity can (and should) be adjusted to your individual needs and comfort. Physical sensations are important feedback from your body about what it needs, and how much it can handle. You are always in control of your session. Communicate what you feel. What your body “says” is important feedback I use to create the best possible session.

Fascia is connective tissue that surrounds muscles and other body structures in layers, separating and supporting them. It is continuously molded by how we use our bodies. The body reinforces “lines of pull”, muscles that are used a lot and used together, by putting extra collagen fibers along those lines for added support, like paving a road to withstand heavy traffic. This is one of the reasons people often struggle to change their posture. It’s not just a habit, it’s a “path of least resistance”. Like a rubber band, the fascia pulls the body back into its familiar pattern each time your vigilance lapses. With bodywork, exercise, and postural awareness, you can reshape your fascia over time.

The first session begins with a detailed postural assessment and discussion of your injury history, relevant medical issues, exercise, daily activities, and what you want to achieve with your body. After the first session, assessments are brief check-ins to see how your body’s alignment and comfort are evolving. SI is more participatory than massage. At various times you will be guided to make small, intentional movements, which increase the effectiveness of the work. Most of the session is usually on the table, but for some techniques you might be asked to sit or stand.

Please bring a swimsuit, jogging clothes, or modest underwear you feel comfortable being seen in. You will keep these on during your session. The objective is to be able to see every tilt and bend in your structural alignment, and to be able to access skin to work on. If you are feeling shy, a tank top that can be folded up like a crop top, and soft shorts you can move in can work. Cotton fabric is better than synthetic.

SI is not for everyone. For some body systems that are already in overload, or have an especially easily triggered inflammatory response, it can be “too much input” for the body to make sense of. If your body is easily overwhelmed, I may suggest doing half-sessions (45 minutes at a time, instead of 90) so there is less change for your system to integrate at one time. Ending the SI session with a little gentle massage to soothe your nervous system. Waiting until a time when your body is better able to receive the work, recommend a different modality, or ask to speak with your doctor before we work together, to better understand your body’s needs and adjust the session to best support you.