"I just want this pain to go away now!!!" "I have this nagging shoulder tension that bothers me all the time..
..
can you fix it?" "Whenever my chronic knee pain flares up, I just pop some Advil and wait till it goes away.
" These are comments often heard from clients when it comes to their bodies and how they deal with pain, tension, and discomfort.
Understandably so, the discomfort and malaise of chronic pain issues feel like a nuisance and, in exasperation, clients want their issues resolved NOW and QUICKLY.
I am grateful to have the privilege to change their mentality on the 'quick-fix' solution.
Culturally, we live in a fast-paced world that feeds and indulges our immediate gratification on a daily basis.
We have instant information at our fingertips via the Internet, buy food at restaurants and groceries at supermarkets within walking or driving distance from our homes, connect with friends and family instantaneously with our cellphones no matter where you are, and multitudes of medications to immediately solve any medical problem out there.
My usual response to these exclamations is fixing issues won't solve anything or last very long.
Clients usually think that the symptom area is where the solution also lies.
The pain and the solution are almost never in the same area.
It is a pretty accurate and safe assertion that your problem area is a culmination of imbalances, poor postural habits, and fascial adhesions ( i.
e.
, the fascial layers begin to stick to one another) occurring throughout your body.
Structural Integration seeks to balance all of the body's structures along a vertical axis of gravity or as Dr.
Rolf called it, 'The Line," and integrate them into an energy-efficient whole or unit.
This is what separates Structural Integration from other therapies or modalities.
Ida Rolf's work is holistic in the sense that it takes the whole body into account and asserts a Gestaltist view that the whole is greater than the sum of our structural parts.
Also, the old adage that, "real change takes time," rings true in the health and wellness arena.
With higher organization and balance of the body's structures, the posture will stand taller and straighter, and chronic pain vanishes while lasting change and resilient alignment with gravity ensues.
The series is meant to be a process, a highly effective solution for pain, and a learning experience to rely on yourself for better support and wellness.