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It is hard to overstate the importance of the legs in the Rolfing paradigm. Here is an exceptional example of a significant shift in direction of the fascia and muscles of the lower legs in a single session. In a second session, we generally introduce the importance of the feet and how the walking gait pattern are generated from utilizing the feet as the primary mode for movement to create a more contralateral gait pattern in the hips. Rolling through the feet and pushing off the toe hinge transferring weight from outside to inside activating a smoother walking motion. Of course, when you have this much lateral rotation in the legs that pull goes all the way up into the hips to be addressed in a later session. With the gastrocnemius medially rotated and facing forward and shifting to the back of the lower leg where they belong is a longer-term project which we will continue approaching going forward.

Often this much shift is too much, and one gives back some of this gain but encouraging tissue direction over time can transition for the new position to hold which allows the shift to go up the body and lays the groundwork to keep moving upward. We plan to get the connective tissue to be more supportive with ease and avoid the strain that would occur when doing these interventions in a stilted or artificial way.

Nice shift in this before and after picture of my client from a single session. One of the primary issues my client was seeking treatment for was aching in her lower left side of her back. In the after picture, you can see that she gets more space in her lower left side where there was more compression in the before picture. The length gained on her left side starts from the ground up to her head. Her left leg moves slightly medially supporting a more even pelvic girdle. More room in her left side between the hip crest and 12th rib area allows the length to go up her entire left side for a better shoulder girdle presentation left and right. In the process her head shifts left to right down the centerline for better placement. Here at Rolfing Iowa, I am working toward structural integration with people who come from all walks of life with different circumstances and hope to hear from you soon!

Amazing shift in this before and after session from a single session from my client who contracted Polio or poliomyelitis at two months of age. My client has tried massage, chiropractic, and physical therapy and was finding them helpful only temporarily so she decided she would try Rolfing® Structural Integration. With my client I had an open-ended approach as to what connective tissue is available to shift and if it could be supported over time which is the challenge for all of us without regard to the difficult conditions like Polio which add immensely to the complexity. Some of my client’s goals are to be less stiff and more mobile and we are making improvements in those areas as well as structural issues where available. In this session there is a lot of shifts. Her pelvis posteriorly is rotating left to right which goes up her spine and the shoulder girdle is rotating left to right from behind and on her left side she has limited use of her arm. In the after picture her head is more down the centerline of her body and is in a more balanced position on her shoulder girdle.

Very nice shift in this before and after picture from a single session. My clients right leg comes under her and adds more support to her structure starting at the right foot as it slightly rotates to a more parallel position which shifts the right lower leg's connective tissue, and that shift goes up and into the right hip as the entire right leg becomes more supportive in her pelvic girdle. This right sided shift allows more span or space into her left hip between the hip crest and 12th rib area which reveals a more horizontal pelvis which is one of the primary goals in Rolfing®. This movement in her left hip move all the way up to her left shoulder girdle area and her head shifts from tilting left to more down the centerline of her structure. This whole-body shift starts at her right foot and goes up her body to the head moving toward more integration in her overall structure which is the process-oriented bodywork of Rolfing®.

Moving to a better lateral line in this before and after animation from a single session. The flexion in my clients’ thighs is greatly reduced creating a more aligned profile. The lumbar spine lengthens and extends to give a little more length and support to the natural anterior tilt in her pelvis. The shoulder girdle moves posterior and allows her head to move back and have a better position in stacking the various segments of her body in a more easy and refined profile. This new line is more supportive to my client and creates more energy for her system as the force of gravity is allowed to flow through her structure more easily with her new alignment. A person wants to make gravity their friend and creating a more balanced lateral line will do just that!

Likeable shift in this before and after animation from a single session. My clients left leg shifts to be more supportive. The left posterior lower leg moves from more lateral to more medial and that movement continues up her left leg allowing more space between the hip crest and 12th rib on both sides of her pelvis. The right lower leg shifts less than the left, but the slight shift creates more balance in supporting her weight more equally down each leg which is one of the goals of Rolfing® Structural Integration. Her lumbar spine moves left to right all the way up her body toward the centerline and continues through her cervical spine and a slight rotation in her head which is moving left to right.

Nice shift in my client in this before and after animation from a single session. My client had a significant injury many years ago to her left hip and knee. You can see in the after picture how my client shows more confidence in bearing weight in her left leg which transfers up her body into her thoraco-lumbar region that gains length. The length continues up her body bilaterally into the shoulder girdle and she gains height! My client is fit and has no extra weight and I mention this only because most of us are overweight to a lesser or greater extent which makes the integration process more complicated and more necessary. We are trying to get inside outside balance in a person’s structure with the most verticality with support that they can maintain without any artificial posturing.

Nice shift in my client in this before and after picture from a single session. The shift starts with her left foot rotating medially toward a more parallel position in relationship to her right foot. That movement follows in her lower left leg as her movement continues to move medially through the left thigh and elevates the left side of her pelvis creating a more horizontal pelvis which is one of the major goals in the Rolfing Structural Integration process. This left sided lift continues up her body into the left side of her shoulder girdle creating more evenness across her entire shoulder girdle. This left sided lift continues upward as her head moves to the right more down the centerline of her body and there is more even weight distribution into both legs into the ground.

Before and after animation from a single session showing very good improvement in the long-term process of reorienting the feet and lower legs toward a more parallel position. One of the challenges to do this is that it is done in a way the more parallel presentation does not create a new strain pattern. My client’s right leg and foot have been injured in the past so right lower leg has a different profile than his left and despite this his right leg is able to make more progress to the parallel in this session. This shift goes up his body creating a more horizontal pelvis and the left side of his body moves upward from his hip crest to shoulder girdle showing more integration, his head sits better on his shoulder girdle and his posterior neck lengthens.

Nice shift in my client in this before and after picture from a single session. Allowing for length in the lumbar spine area which enables my client to come up out of his hips and get space bilaterally between the crest of his hip bones and in the 12th rib area as both shoulder girdles move superiorly, and his head moves to a better position in his new orientation down the centerline of his body. Helping clients move toward more integration in their structure is one of the reasons why you would come to Rolfing Iowa and look forward to hearing from you soon!