Rolfing

The practice of Rolfing was developed in the 1940s by Ida Rolf, who held a PhD in biological chemistry from Columbia University. Originally called Structural Integration, Rolf's method was influenced by osteopathic manipulation, yoga, postural training therapies, and the general semantics of Alfred Korzybski. Rolf began formally teaching her method in the 1950s at the European College of Osteopathy in Maidstone, England, and later at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, where she worked with other figures in the Human Potential Movement. In 1971, Rolf founded the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration in Boulder, Colorado, to formalize training in her method. By 2010, the Institute had expanded to include multiple training centers worldwide. In 1990, a group of senior faculty founded the Guild for Structural Integration, a separate teaching organization. Today, multiple schools and professional associations offer training in Structural Integration. The International Association of Structural Integrators (IASI), founded in 2002, maintains certification standards across various schools worldwide. As of 2025, there are more than 1,950 Rolfers worldwide. == The field of Structural Integration ==

Since Rolf's death, the field of Structural Integration has branched into various schools. Hellerwork Structural Integration, Internationally, some countries have a Board of Health that regulates bodywork while others don't. Four Canadian provinces require licensure for bodywork practitioners. Switzerland has separate licensure for complementary therapies including Structural Integration. == Conceptual basis ==

Professor of Complementary Medicine Edzard Ernst has offered this definition: "Rolfing is a system of bodywork invented by Ida Pauline Rolf (1896–1979) employing deep manipulation of the body's soft tissue allegedly to realign and balance the body's myofascial structures." Rolfing is based on the unproven belief that such alignment results in improved movement, breathing, Rolfers aim to lengthen the fascia in order to restore the body's arrangement around its axis and facilitate improved movement. Some osteopaths were influenced by Rolf, and some of her students became teachers of massage, including one of the founders of myofascial release. Rolf claimed to have found an association between emotions and the soft tissue: "Rolfing is not primarily a psychotherapeutic approach to the problems of humans, but [...] many people insist on so regarding it. Rolfing is an approach to the personality through the myofascial collagen components of the physical body." She claimed Rolfing could balance the mental and emotional aspects of subjects and that "the amazing psychological changes that appeared in Rolfed individuals were completely unexpected." The connection between physical structure and psychology has not been proven by scientific studies. == Technique ==

Rolfing is typically performed in ten sessions, sometimes called "the recipe", which claim to reorganize the body's connective tissues. The first three sessions focus on superficial tissues, the next four focus on deeper tissues and specifically the pelvis, and the final sessions address the whole body. and moves between the positions of lying on a table, sitting, and standing. Rolfing treatments can be painful and cause soreness. == Effectiveness and reception ==

Because of its dependence on vitalistic concepts and its unevidenced propositions about the connection between physical manipulation and psychology, Rolfing is classified as a pseudoscience, and is generally seen as quackery. Writing for Science-Based Medicine, lawyer Jann Bellamy writes that in the United States of America the public is inadequately protected from bodywork practices such as Rolfing because of the lack of independent oversight; instead certification is carried out within a "closed loop" system by such bodies as the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. In 2015 the Australian Government's Department of Health published a review of 17 alternative therapies, including Rolfing, which concluded no clear evidence of effectiveness was found. Accordingly, in 2017, the Australian government named Rolfing as a practice that would not qualify for insurance subsidy, to ensure the best use of insurance funds. A follow-up systematic review in 2022 confirmed there was no good evidence Rolfing has therapeutic effect and did not recommend a return to insurance subsidy. Proponents of Rolfing claim it can be used to alleviate pain. However, Rolfing's focus on appropriate "alignment" of structures of the body does not reflect modern science about pain. The American Cancer Society says the deep soft tissue manipulations such as those used in Rolfing are a concern if practiced on people with cancer near tumor sites. In 2019 a taxonomy of "internet scams" identified Rolfing as having been used for deceptive claims about alleviating gastrointestinal problems by "restructuring" muscle tissue. == See also ==