WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ROLFING®, CHIROPRACTIC AND MASSAGE?
Of these three, Rolfing® is the only one that deals with changing the structural aberrations that cause pain. Massage therapy focuses on releasing muscle knots, increasing circulation, and decreasing stress via relaxation. Chiropractic uses thrust adjustments to get vertebrae and other bones back into alignment. However, if the soft tissues and fascia that surrounds the bones is out of balance, it will continue to pull the bones into incorrect alignment. Rolfing® encourages proper alignment through balanced tissue tonus. Rolfing® is a technique that works on the connective tissue, not only the surface structures, but also deeper structures that massage does not address. The goal and result of Rolfing® is to balance the over-all structure of the body. Massage and Chiropractic do not generally produce balance and alignment in the body. Rolfing® is a compliment to these disciplines.
Chiropractic is primarily concerned with freeing spinal joint restrictions. Unlike Rolfing, it does not address the soft tissue patterns of the whole body and their influence on structural balance. Rolfing and Chiropractic care are compatible and can be complimentary. Massage is a broad term that refers to many styles of bodywork. In general, massage promotes relaxation and blood flow. Some “deep tissue” massage works to release local patterns of structural strain, but unlike Rolfing, this is not usually done as part of a strategy to balance the whole body.
