is a combination of Rolfing, Visceral Manipulation and Cranio-Sacral Therapy. While each therapeutic modality has it's own unique properties and techniques, they also share a common goal, to release shortened connective tissue which may cause discomfort, pain and improper alignment of the human body. Each client has unique needs as to which type of therapy would be most beneficial at a particular time in his treatment schedule. These different therapies are seamlessly blended into what is called Integrative Body Therapy. Clients receiving treatment will receive all benefits of the Rolfing 10 series as well as the added benefit of Cranio-Sacral and Visceral Manipulation therapies.
More about each modality follows.
Rolfing is a pioneering form of bodywork created by Dr. Ida P. Rolf. If you can imagine how it feels to live in a body that is fluid, light and balanced, one that is free of pain, stiffness and chronic stress, and one that is at ease with itself and the earth's gravitational field, then you will understand the goals of Rolfing. Athletes, dancers, students of yoga and meditation, musicians, business people, people riddled with chronic stress and people from all walks of life and of all ages come to Rolfing. They come not only for relief from pain and stress, but also to improve their performance in their professional and daily activities. Rolfing can also benefit people in psychotherapy by facilitating a deeper connection to their emotional conflicts, and can effectively deepen practices such as yoga and meditation. Rolfingachieves remarkable results in a series of ten sessions. It does so through the manipulation of the myofascial system which includes muscles, fascia and tendons. The results of Rolfing are dramatic and long-lasting, giving a person a greater sense of lift, movement, and vitality. For more information on Rolfing click here on The Rolf Institute.
Visceral Manipulation was developed by French Osteopath, Jean-Pierre Barral. At optimal health, the relationship between the organs (viscera) and structures of the body (muscles, membranes, fasciae and bones) remains stable despite the body's endless varieties of motion. But when one organ can't move in harmony with its surrounding viscera due to abnormal tone, adhesions or displacement, it works against all the body's organs and structures. This disharmony creates fixed, abnormal points of tension that the body is forced to move around. That chronic irritation, in turn, paves the way for disease and dysfunction that can be experienced as back pain, sciatica, constipation, urinary dysfunction, anxiety and shortness of breath or something not as obvious such as shoulder and neck pain. Visceral Manipulation is a gentle hands-on therapy that works through the body's visceral system (the heart, liver, intestines and other internal organs) to locate and alleviate these abnormal points of tension throughout the body. For more information click here on Visceral Manipulation.
CranioSacral Therapy is used to detect and correct imbalances in the craniosacral system, which may be the cause of sensory, motor or neurological dysfunction. The craniosacral system consists of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. It extends from the bones of the skull, face and mouth which make up the cranium down to the sacrum or tail bone. This therapy has been successfully used to treat headaches, neck and back pain, TMJ, chronic fatigue, motor coordination difficulties, eye problems and central nervous system disorders. For more information on Craniosacral therapy click here on The Upledger Institute.
Ida P. Rolf, PhD
"One individual may experience his losing fight with gravity as a sharp pain in the back, another as the unflattering contour of his body, another as a constant fatigue, and yet another as an unrelenting threatening environment. Those over forty may call it old age; yet all these signals may be pointing to a single problem so prominent in their own structures and the structures of others that it has been ignored: they are off balance; they are at war with gravity."
Ida P. Rolf, PhD, Founder and inventor of Rolfing Structural Integration
What's New
Whiplash Training - Allen has completed a fourth course taught by Didier Pratt, D.O. from Lyons, France. This work focuses on treatment of victims of trauma with a special emphasis on whiplash. According to Pratt, whiplash syndrome is not only caused by car accidents but can be the result of other trauma such as prolonged computer use, work or sports related injuries or psychological stress. Besides the obvious neck and shoulder pain, symptoms can also be experienced as reflux, low back pain, knee and even foot pain. This treatment is indicated whenever the connective tissue and surrounding nerves of the neck and shoulder girdle become strained and inflamed. This course work is based on the work of Jean-Pierre Barral, D.O., also of France and was held in Fort Collins, Colorado in 2005.
Visceral Manipulation Certification - Allen has completed training in Visceral Manipulation in Munich Germany. Three classes taken over two years have dealt with the thorax, the urogenital system and the abdomen. "Visceral manipulation is becoming an integral and important part of my sessions and I am happy to be learning from Prat, who is one of the best in the world", said Allen. Massage, Chiropractic work and even Rolfing to a large extent ignores strains in the organs and intestines, which are responsible for many restrictions in the body. Visceral Manipulation is a safe, gentle and effective way to help bring order to the body on a very deep level. For more information, click here on Jean Pierre Barral.
Craniosacral training - An advanced craniosacral class was completed in August 2006 in Washington D.C. by The Upledger Institute. Advanced techniques were presented for releasing strains in the cranial vault as well as fascial strains throughout the body. Another advanced course entitled Somato-Emotional Release is scheduled for mid 2007.
Advanced Training in Europe - On July 3, 2003, Allen completed a five week Advanced Rolfing Training program in Bolzano, Italy and Munich, Germany. Advanced techniques such as Visceral Manipulation, Cranio-Sacral Techniques for Rolfers and other advanced Rolfing techniques for shoulders and hips were presented. Instructors were Dr. Peter Schwind of Munich and Dr. Jeffery Maitland of Scottsdale AZ, both senior Advanced Rolfing Instructors.
Dissection Laboratory - A six day intensive Human Dissection workshop is scheduled for June 2007 with Gil Hedley, Ph.D. This advanced workshop is designed to deepen anatomical knowledgle as well as refine palpation skills. The workshop is being held at Tuft's University Medical School in Boston.
