IS STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION PAINFUL?
The simple answer is yes, it can be. Practitioners of Structural Integration often use a lot of force in order to release (unglue) adhesions between muscles and between muscle and bone. Pain associated with releasing these adhesions can be greatly lessened when the client is actively involved in moving their own body and by breathing techniques that remind the client to let go of contracted muscles.
Many people have heard that Structural Integration is extremely painful. That reputation developed back in the 1960s when Dr. Rolf began teaching her work. Since then, the work has evolved, as has our knowledge of the body’s responses to pain.Structural Integration is not about forcing the body to change. It is about working with the body, encouraging held areas to open and let go. Depending on how traumatized an area has been and how long—how chronically—an area has been held, there can be a range of sensation, including a feeling of “that hurts” or “that’s intense.” Long term fascial imbalances create more widespread compensatory patterns, and what feels fine in one area can feel intense in a more traumatized or compensating area. Invariably, these moments of discomfort are followed by relief and a feeling of tissue release which can prove both profound and transformative.In any case, you, as the client, are always in control of how much intensity you are willing to experience.
