Structural Integration – Vol. 38 – Nº 1

I have a lot of clients who exhibit a valgus leg pattern. How much of this problem is typically due to the genetic structure and bony alignment, and how much is due to myofascial imbalance and faulty movement patterns? Are women, who naturally have wider hips than men, more predisposed to problems of this type? What are the general considerations and goals in working with these clients to help them achieve better structure and balance?

In the cases reported below, the clients were treated with Rolfing Structural Integration and Beatriz Padovan?s Neurofunctional Reorganization (www.padovan.pro.br). In the view of human functionality on which Padovan?s work is based, organization of the mouth and the body are considered interdependent.

Editor’s Note: The gathering of the selections that follow, as well as their development, organization, and translation from the Portuguese, is the joint effort of Heidi Massa and Pedro Prado.

Note: Don Hazen was certified as a Rolfer in 1978. He served on the Board of Directors for six years, the Admissions Committee for six, and as a regional chairperson for ever (or so it seemed). He received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree in 1994. Following his graduation he pursued his interest in the nervous system with 300 hours of postdoctoral study in the chiropractic neurology diplomate program. He lives in the San Francisco East Bay with his wife Mollie, with whom he celebrates thirty years of marriage. Together they share a mutual interest in photography and are working to create a business in photographic prints.

Note: The author shared his view of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) when interviewed by Christoph Sommer in “The Temporomandibular Joint in the Context of Structural Integration,” published in the December 2008 issue of Structural Integration: The Journal of the Rolf Institute. Here he adds to that foundation. Schwind’s concept of the treatment of cranial strain has its base in a long-term dialogue with Dr. med. Sebastian Schmidinger, a German dentist with extensive experience in the field of oral surgery and implantology. Besides being an Advanced Rolfing Instructor, Schwind also teaches his concept of fascial and membrane technique for the Barral Institute (www.barralinstitute.com), with special emphasis to the cranial system. This fall he will start teaching his cranial concepts for the Barral Institute in Mexico, and in June he will be one of the key speakers at the annual meeting of the German Association of Oral Surgery and Implantology.

Editor’s Note: The gathering of the selections that follow, as well as their development, organization, and translation from the Portuguese, is the joint effort of Heidi Massa and Pedro Prado.