Structural Integration – Vol. 35 – Nº 3

Q: One quality I consistently notice in clients with low back and sciatic pain is compression between the ribs and pelvis, as indicated by hypertonic spinal erector and quadratus lumborum muscles. My understanding is that the erectors should ideally be quiet in standing. What causes the hypertonicity and compression in the first place, and what is the process by which the erectors and quadratus can let go and the entire lumbar area decompress?

Although other authors have written in Structural Integration about the importance of metaphors in body therapies, I believe there are myriad new approaches to this theme. This article summarizes some of the concepts presented in my Master’s Dissertation in the field of Communication and Semiotics, the latter referring to the general designation for the analysis of sign systems. The subject of my dissertation was the mediation between the human body (recognized as a complex system) and the environment in which it operates. The theoretical foundation of the work was established through the ideas of Ida Rolf, and Certified Advanced RolfersTM Hubert Godard and Jeffrey Maitland, the neuroscientists Antonio Damasio and Vilaynur Ramachandran; the linguists and philosophers George Lakoff and Mark Johnson; and the philosopher Michel Bernard. My special thanks to Jose Rubens Siqueira for the illustrations appearing here.

On April 26, 2007, The Oprah Winfrey Show aired an episode entitled “Ask Dr. Oz”, which included a segment on Rolfing® Structural Integration, featuring a demonstration by Certified Advanced Rolfer and Rolfing faculty member Jon Martine. The format of the show had Dr.Mehmet Oz – a cardiothoracic surgeon, author of health books, and frequent Oprah guest – fielding taped questions from viewers on various health and medical issues. The Rolfing piece aired first and lasted about six or seven minutes. Dr. Oz spoke quite favorably on Rolfing, and Oprah effectively endorsed it by saying, “I want to get Rolfed… this looks good to me” as she watched Jon work.This was quite a PR coup, as it brought awareness of our work to a large viewing audience. (Most of the studio audience had never heard of Rolfing, and this may be true of Oprah’s TV audience as a whole.) Subsequent discussions on the online Rolf Forum indicated that some Rolfers got an immediate response in the form or queries and bookings by new clients who had seen the show. The Rolfing community owes a big round of applause to Sue Seecof, our publicist, for getting our work on the show.