Rolfing: Treatment, Effect & Risks

Rolfing is a complementary medicine connective tissue treatment by biochemist Ida Rolf, which aligns the body with the ideal of the vertical line according to gravity. The indication for the therapy are complaints, such as back pain. Contraindications arise, for example, with implants, inflammation or open wounds.

What is Rolfing?

Rolfing is a form of individual bodywork that acts on the fascial network to align the body with the ideal of a vertical line. The fascial network consists of soft tissue components of connective tissue. They permeate the entire body as a connecting network of tension. Rolfing is a form of individual bodywork that acts on the fascial network and thus aims to align the body with the ideal of a vertical line. The complementary treatment is trademarked and related to structural integration. The founder of Rolfing is considered to be the US biochemist Ida Rolf, who developed her theories on structural integration in the 1970s. The first thoughts on Rolfing date back to the 1950s and were taught at Ida Rolf’s Rolf Institute in Boulder, USA. The basic idea of Rolfing is the assumption that the body needs less energy as soon as it aligns itself with a vertical line. According to Rolf, it is not the muscles but the fasciae that are particularly important for maintaining the body. According to her speculations, the connective tissue reacts to everyday stresses and injuries with hardening. Rolfing is intended to manually release this hardening and thus improve posture in the long term.

Function, effect and goals

The body requires less energy to straighten, the closer the individual body sections are aligned to the ideal of the vertical line. This assumption forms the basis of Rolfing. During prolonged stress and as a result of trauma, the fasciae change. The reinforcements and hardenings in the tissue fix acquired bad postures and thus limit the mobility of the affected person. The individual body sections are thus no longer aligned with the ideal of the vertical line. According to Ida Rolf, Rolfing is intended to improve posture in the long term through manual treatment of the fasciae and to bring the body sections closer to the vertical line again. As a result, less energy is needed to straighten the body. Rolfing does not only target medical problems, but realigns the body according to gravity. At the beginning of the treatment there is a diagnosis, during which the connective tissue is palpated. The hardenings and tensions detected in this way are released by Rolfer through a slow and manual pressure on the affected connective tissue. Depending on the body region and the depth layer of the hardening, the therapists use their fingertips, knuckles, palms or elbows to dissolve it. Movement elements, perceptual factors and gravity orientation elements are included in the therapy as complementary elements. In addition, psychosocial factors may play a role in Rolfing. Most often, Rolfing is performed for preventive health care. It optimizes posture and creates freer movement. As an actual therapeutic, the method is sometimes used for myofascial dysfunction and chronic pain conditions or poor posture. Structural fascial changes resulting from trauma may also be an indication for Rolfing treatment. There are usually ten sessions of 50 to 90 minutes each, covering a period of about three months. At the beginning of each session, the therapist analyzes the patient’s posture and assesses the fascial structure while walking and standing. The manual treatment takes place on a couch. The manual therapy is followed by the movement elements, which are incorporated in sitting, standing or walking. In addition to optimizing all everyday positions, the Rolfer thus works with the patient to develop more economical movement options for everyday use.

Risks, side effects and dangers

Rolfing may cause pain in the connective tissue during and shortly after treatment. However, the pain usually resolves within hours. Under certain circumstances, Rolfing treatments are more harmful than beneficial to health. Acute inflammatory diseases and aneurysms or acute phlebitis, for example, are considered contraindications. The same applies to poorly healed wounds.Osteoporosis patients and pregnant women should also avoid treatment. Nor is the therapy suitable for cancer patients, arteriosclerosis patients or those with mental illnesses. Caution is also advised in the case of long-term cortisone treatments, movement deficits of bony origin, inflammatory rheumatism and degenerative muscle diseases. Other conceivable contraindications include recent trauma, herniated discs, and cardiac disease. Significant complications have also been observed in the past in patients with implants, as implanted elements may slip during therapy. The effectiveness of Rolfing remains controversial. However, a clinical study of chronic back pain patients now suggests a reduction in everyday limitations. Apart from the results of these studies, Rolfing has so far only been the subject of field reports and small studies of little significance. This connection lets above all health insurance companies practice strong criticism at the method. Because of the missing proof of effect, German and Austrian health insurances do not take over the costs for Rolfing treatments so far. Since Rolfing is not listed in the Hufeland directory and thus does not belong to the recognized natural healing methods, private health insurances are also not obligated to cover the costs. Private supplementary insurances reimburse a part of the costs, at least in Austria. Switzerland is the only German-speaking country that already treats Rolfing as a recognized therapeutic method and treats complementary medicine. Therefore, Swiss supplementary insurances cover a large part of the therapy costs.