Rolfing anybody?

[Dogmama]

Has anybody done this? My neck & back are giving me fits (again) and my physical therapist says I'm extremely right side dominant. I was thinking that trying to loosen up the fascia would help with the new movements I'm practicing with my PT.

If you did it, what were your experiences? Any tips on finding a good rolfing person?

[smilingcat]

make sure they are certified Rolfers. Rolfing is all about the whole posture and not just localized problem areas. It can be very intense just like any deep tissue or sports massage.

If you have a localized problem, maybe you might want to try deep tissue, sports or Swedish massage first on your problem area. If you can handle the intensity then talk with a Rolfer and then decide if you want the complete Rolfing experience.

I did like rolfing, I also liked deep tissue, Swedish, and sports massage. Hated the "spa" massage such as the hot rock. They did nothing for me.

Massage is like everything else, some are good some are so so. Make sure they are certified though.

[Irulan]

My BIL used to be a rolfer, and DH went through the whole series. It was incredibly painful for him, but helped somewhat. Ideally you do the whole program, and even replace all your shoes after you've been "realigned".

Further down the road, BIL is out of the picture and we've found a massage therapist who practices very deep therapeutic massage. He works very very deep, and is not fluffy or relaxing at all. He's fixed issues of mine that two rounds of PT and god know what else couldn't' fix with deep fascia tissue issues in my hips. He actually has people sign a waiver that they know the treatment might be uncomfortable to say the least. He will also work deep into the abdomen, groin and buttocks areas. A lot of massage people just won't go there but he gets right in there, very professionally, and works the hell out of connective tissue.

To sum, rolfing may be an option, but finding really good therapeutic masseuse who knows deep tissue, myofascial release, and trigger point work might also be an option. And stick with it. I am now on maintenance program, every six weeks or so, and pain free from an issue that formerly caused me daily pain for about 7 years or so.

[Dogmama]

Never thought about a good massage therapist. I do know one (Ben)who does deep tissue & great trigger point massage. I've also gone to my friend who does the same but REALLY hurts you with trigger point. After treatments by both people, I feel the same pain relief, but not as stressed as with Ben. They're both Reiki masters, and I believe that helps.

Interestingly, I asked Ben why his trigger point therapy didn't hurt as much as my friend's. He said that he uses acupressure first to relax the area, then does trigger point. Makes a huge difference.

Ben also works independently - not in a "spas are us" chain. I found him at a local massage therapist place but he left and went out on his own.

I feel like Dorothy and the shoes in Wizard of Oz. My answer was right here. But if a lion sticks his head in my window, I'm still screaming.

[Irulan]

My experience with therapeutic (as compared to spa) massage is that you need to commit to a period of treatment, and then to maintenance. My problem was deep in my hip. I went in several times a months for a few months, and then moved to maintenance, which is going in every other month or so. Tim, my guy, says what happens is people come in once or twice and begin to experience relief, so they quit coming until it gets bad again. I feel strongly that by sticking with the treatment phase, I had significant relief that enabled me to really back off into maintenance.

Massage isn't cheap. I have to pay out of pocket for it. But, I am pain free after years of discomfort and tons of other treatment that didn't work. So it's worth it to me. It's taken years to find the right massage person. They are a dime a dozen in this town because we have several massage schools that primarily teach spa massage.

I love my massage therapist. Relaxing he isn't. He might have Johnny Cash on the iPod; no water sounds or flute. Bu wow does he get them job done!

[ehirsch83]

Growing up, as a teenager, I went through Rolfing when I was a really competitive equestrian- riding the younger ones that bucked and played along with all the jumping did a number on my back. It helped...

But now I see a really good sports massage therapist and he works wonders(his work along with my stretching has fixed my bursitis issue in my hip) Real massage is not relaxing... it will hurt when they get deep into areas, you will be sore the next day probably and as previously said, you need to devote time into it and for maintenance- but it does work!

I am a huge fan of it.

[azfiddle]

Dogmama, I'll send you a couple of names of LMT's in Tucson.

[Irulan]

Growing up, as a teenager, I went through Rolfing when I was a really competitive equestrian- riding the younger ones that bucked and played along with all the jumping did a number on my back. It helped...

But now I see a really good sports massage therapist and he works wonders(his work along with my stretching has fixed my bursitis issue in my hip) Real massage is not relaxing... it will hurt when they get deep into areas, you will be sore the next day probably and as previously said, you need to devote time into it and for maintenance- but it does work!

I am a huge fan of it.

My massage guy has people sign a waiver that they understand it might be painful and it is not a spa massage. I know people who won't go back to him because they wanted the aura-fluffing kind of massage, not the kind that you and I describe.

[snapdragen]

Those of you with hip issues, tell me more? I have had PT for bursitis, it's better but there is still a dull pain, as well as some muscle issues. I can't decide if I should try more PT, or look up my old massage therapist. He does the OMG I'm going to crawl off the table deep tissue work.....

[Irulan]

L]

Those of you with hip issues, tell me more? I have had PT for bursitis, it's better but there is still a dull pain, as well as some muscle issues. I can't decide if I should try more PT, or look up my old massage therapist. He does the OMG I'm going to crawl off the table deep tissue work.....

(sorry for the novel)

Snap, I've had issues ever since I was pregnant; youngest one is 22 lol.
In the last 7? years hip pain has been pretty consistent on one side. Most activity was fine, it was sleeping and certain movements, like getting out of certain chairs that was really painful. I'm pretty sure the diagnosis is "piriformis syndrome" which covers a lot of territory.

Chiropractic would provide temporary relief but the pain always came back. I did several rounds of PT, which again provided temporary relief. A couple of years ago I was biking with a different friend of mine who is a PT, as as she was riding behind me she said. "does your left hip hurt a lot?" So then I thought it was an alignment issue on the bike. I did some fitting work, which included insoles to bring my hips/knees/feet into better alignment which helped but not great. Still lots of pain in my hip. I tried stretching. I tried rolling a tennis ball around on the hip joint.... again relief, but not permanent relief!! Them my regular PT told me I had overstretched the pelvis and to back off. I resigned to living with this pain and being woken up every night by it.

Fast forward to about three years ago when DH and I started our functional fitness classes run by yet another PT outfit. One day I was chatting to the resident massage guy who was hanging out in-between sessions, and he suggested I give him a try, as trying to fix ongoing pain issues was one of his specialties.

End of story.... several months of consistent sessions with this guy "fixed" this issue. I go back about once every 5-6 weeks for maintenance. I appreciate that he will work on the hips, pelvis and buttocks in an extremely professional manner. A lot of spa masseuses won't go to these zones. He will get underneath the iliac crest to work the psoas attachments on the front. He does very deep work around the attachments in the head of the femur.

One thing I find interesting is that he doesn't work the body in quadrants. Your typical massage is done by the clock, dividing the body up into sections so that every part gets a bit of work. My guy primarily works on the problem area, and then just check to see if, for example yours hips are balanced out before he send you on the way.

The maintenance piece is really important, I think. A lot of folks get a a little relief, and then quit taking treatment. Then they are back again two years later for the same thing. Sure it's not cheap. I pay out of pocket. But I am also pain free for the first time in years.

And yep, this is the kind of "feels like childbirth" massage. I have to try and breathe through the pressure sometimes while he works. It's not fun. But it sure works for me.

This link describes in some detail the techniques used.

[snapdragen]

L]

(sorry for the novel)

Snap, I've had issues ever since I was pregnant; youngest one is 22 lol.
In the last 7? years hip pain has been pretty consistent on one side. Most activity was fine, it was sleeping and certain movements, like getting out of certain chairs that was really painful. I'm pretty sure the diagnosis is "piriformis syndrome" which covers a lot of territory.

.

Thanks Irulan! This sounds very similar to what I'm experiencing right now. Sleeping is the worst for me, especially if I sleep on my back.

[sarahkonamojo]

You might also look into acupuncture. I had a frozen shoulder that acupuncture and deep tissue massage really made a difference. Big difference.

Sarah