Response to a client concerned about instability and my work in Rolfing® Structural Integration
I got a long and very detailed history of a client’s pain and dysfunction. She has a lot of pain areas, and was concerned that the Rolfing® work we did would make her even more susceptible to instability and pain in the future. This was my response:
Thank you very much for this. There is a lot of info in here, and I will keep it to stay connected, to keep our treatments congruent with the info in this report, and to inform a constant inquiry into your comfort ( or lack of it) with the work.
I want to say one thing, in response to your document: I aim always to mobilize where restrictions in your body, in the fascia or joints, have a pull on the more painful, unstable, areas. The goal for me is to NOT to hyper-mobilize an area that is unstable.
There is, then, a real important role for good, clear stabilization work. I look to facilitate that in many sessions, including giving specific awareness and strength exercises (not so much, some times, when there is so much “structural restriction” to work on) that involve
1. enhancing sensation>awareness and naming of that, i.e. perception,“feelings about it”
2. using the enhanced resources of this sensory awareness to help improve coordination
3. developing though this a definite, felt stability
4. using that as a basis for strengthening work.
So, the idea is developing strength through what is sometimes called “perceptual core stability.” (For me, the words ‘perceptual’ and ‘stability’ are more descriptive, as everybody has a different idea of what “core” means) The strength work really helps because we shouldn’t need to always hold a conscious intent to be stable. The muscular work, informed by improved awareness, coordination and “perceptual core stability” becomes a really helpful habit.
How is this landing?
Let me know.
All the best to you and yours,
Rob