Definition

Rolfing, also called Rolf therapy or structural integration, is a holistic system of bodywork that uses deep manipulation of the body's soft tissue to realign and balance the body's myofascial structure. Rolfing improves posture, relieves chronic pain, and reduces stress.

Origins

Ida Pauline Rolf (1896–1979) was a biochemist from New York who developed structural integration over the course of many years after an accident as a young woman. She was kicked by a horse's hoof on a trip out West and developed symptoms resembling those of acute pneumonia. She made her way to a hospital in Montana, where she was treated by a physician who called in an osteopath to assist in her...