Feeling a bit better today – thank you for all your kind words yesterday – they help a lot!
First up – here’s the link to the podcast I mentioned yesterday where I spoke to Ellen from Studio Migraine: it’s called Studio Migraine meets The Mindful Migraine blogger Linda. I’m super honored to have been invited on their show, and I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again; they are still new, but are already doing an amazing job of raising awareness for migraine patients and helping them to feel less alone – WOO HOO!
Secondly – today’s post is still on the short side, but it’s something I researched over the break about a phrase that caught my attention. ROLFING. The phrase sounds SO bad… it makes me think of ‘ralphing’ which is throwing up… but apparently, rolfing is a form of massage that was invented by biochemist Dr Ida Rolf (1896–1979) in the 1940s. Curious? Read on…
Rolfing concentrates on the fascia – the connective tissue, or ‘webbing’, that holds our body-bits in place (we don’t want an organ floating away, now do we?) Fascia also surrounds our muscles, and bones… it seems to be everywhere, and as one website mentioned; its role is to make your body ‘glide’ as you move.
If a chiropractor works on your bones, and a massage releases tension in your muscles, rolfing is focused on the fascia, and its primary aim is to improve balance in your whole body. To do so, it apparently aligns your body’s energy with the Earth’s gravitational fields.
[That sounds a bit odd to me, but in some ways, I do believe that gravity plays a part in our postural health… I am certain that I am shorter now than I was when I was younger… and here’s a quote that seems to support me from an article at The Atlantic (here): “As gravity pulls down on us, as the cartilage between our joints wears down, and as our spines are weakened by osteoporosis, we shrink.”]
From what I can read online, a typical rolfing session is conducted by a ‘rolfer’, and is a bit like an intense massage, (with plenty of knuckle-kneading), combined with a visit to a physio (who explains ways to improve your posture and movement to ensure more lasting relief).
Patients apparently benefit physically and emotionally, feeling lighter and possibly benefiting from the release of repressed memories. Patients with chronic pain, fibromyalgia and cerebral palsy have been noted as saying it assists.
In terms of benefiting migraines, I couldn’t find anything specific, but I suppose it could address underlying issues that might be triggering your migraine, such as poor posture, stress and tension, an anxious nervous system, and low body-awareness.
As expected, Wikipedia nominated it as a ‘pseudoscience’ based on unproven science… and yes, it reused the word ‘quackery’ (as it did for EFT tapping and functional medicine). Wikipedia suggests there are usually 10 visits, which repeat prescribed actions according to “The Recipe” (which admittedly makes it automatically sound unscientific). Wikipedia also suggests there are no scientific benefits, and the sessions can be quite painful. Also according to Wikipedia, the TV personality, Dr Oz, led to rolfing’s increased popularity in 2010, but by 2017, the Australian government determined that rofling did NOT qualify for insurance relief due to its unfounded medical basis.
It’s also important to note that there are apparently RISKS to rolfing; if you have osteoporosis, broken bones, or blood clots, you can cause more damage than good. Side effects can include nausea and headaches. One site mentioned rolfing tends to be “aggressive”, and not at all relaxing like a massage.
[Disclaimer – remember I’m not a doctor, and this blog does NOT offer personalized health information – so please seek medical advice before making any changes to your healthcare routine!]
Rolfing sounds a bit ‘fringe’, but it’s also brand new to me. I’d be curious if anyone has tried it and found a benefit (let me know in the comments).
I guess, like anything – keep an open mind, BUT do your homework before proceeding.
Take care taking care, Linda x
PS – want to know even more? Read on-on:
What is Rolfing? – Dr. Ida Rolf Institute
What Is Rolfing and How Is It Different From Massage?
Rolfing therapy: Technique, benefits, risks, and cost
And here’s a 1 minute video promoting rolfing (sorry about the preview picture (eye-roll!)):
The Mindful Migraine 
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