*This article is a translation of one I wrote while I was practicing in Japan.

This is a progress report for a client who started the 10-session Rolfing series last month. (Permission has been obtained from the client.)

36-year-old female, office worker

Primarily engaged in computer-based work, particularly concerned about back stiffness. When walking, she feels a sensation of tightness at the base of her arms, and feels that her right shoulder is raised, preventing her arm from moving properly. She previously fell and severely hit her front teeth, breaking them, resulting in a sense of discomfort and rigidity in her facial bones due to the impact.

Thorax (Breathing) and Pelvis

At the beginning of the session, we first observe how the body moves during deep breathing and walking. After assessing the overall body condition, we begin the session.
Session 1 focuses on the thorax and pelvic area. When observing the walking pattern, the reduced connectivity between the arms and thorax was notably apparent, as mentioned in the self-reported symptoms.

From the perspective of arm and thorax connectivity, it’s common to look at:

• Muscle groups around the shoulder
• Balance between arm bones and scapula
• Connectivity between shoulders and pelvis

However, in Rolfing, we approach:

• Fascial movement from the arm to the ribs
• Relationship with the peritoneum and periosteum
• Connections between the head/neck area and other parts (shoulders, diaphragm, hip joints, knee joints, ankle joints)

We work on the connections between the target area and other parts of the body.
Furthermore, by understanding the internal state of the body through Eastern medical techniques such as pulse, abdominal, and tongue diagnosis, we assess:

• Connections between the shoulder and meridians
• Connections between the shoulder and internal organs

These assessments are made from multiple perspectives.
These are the items to check when examining the relationship with the shoulder, which is the current self-reported symptom.
In practice, we conduct the session while assessing various connections between each part and the whole.

Three Key Points (Ribs, Pelvis, and Facial Bones)

Back stiffness originates from the ribs

The cause of stiffness on the inside of the scapula is often due to poor rib movement.
In Ms. N’s case, the cause of her back stiffness was poor movement of the 9th and 10th ribs.

Pelvic movement rather than pelvic misalignment

The ribs and pelvis move in coordination.
Although Ms. N had no specific self-reported symptoms in the pelvic area, when we applied an approach involving pelvic movement, the difference between left and right became very noticeable.
In Rolfing, the ribs and pelvis are considered an inseparable unit.

Discomfort in facial bones

The movement of facial bones affects various parts of the body more than one might expect.
In this case, the severe impact to the front teeth transmitted shock through the maxilla to surrounding bones and the brain.
Imbalance in the delicate bones protecting the brain can sometimes cause unexpected and vague complaints.
Fortunately, in Ms. N’s case, there wasn’t much impact on other parts of the body, so simply balancing the facial bones alleviated the symptoms.

At the end of the session, when standing to check, she felt a sensation of her upper body firmly resting on her pelvis.
In an email a few days later, she reported that since the first session, she hardly felt the stiffness below her shoulder blades that she had before, and she felt the movement around her face had become lighter.

The characteristic of Rolfing sessions is working on the relationships between different body parts.
For example, the cause of neck symptoms can often be in the diaphragm or feet.
Finding the connections between these distant parts and removing restrictions in movement greatly contributes to symptom reduction.
Among these, Session 1 is packed with approaches to the thorax (breathing) and pelvis, which are crucial parts of the human body structure.
It was an exciting first session, and we look forward to seeing Ms. N’s future changes.

Tweet