There are many different types of massage that people suffering from muscle pain can choose from. But if even deep tissue massage does not seem to helping with serious pain, Rolfing is another option that is much more intensive and may actually get to the route of very severe muscle issues.

Rolfing is a manipulation therapy of the soft connective tissue of the body. It is not considered to be a type of massage, despite the fact that they are very closely related and Rolfing is often mistaken for massage. Rolfing defers from common forms of massage in a number of ways, but one very obvious one is that it involves techniques intended to improve posture.

There is a basic theory behind the technique of Rolfing, which was developed by the biochemist Dr. Ida Rolf. The theory is that the modern sedentary lifestyle that most Westerners succumb to–sitting at desks, looking at screens, etc–results in extremely poor posture. This poor posture, when habitual, results in the body’s muscles developing patterns of unnatural contractions and the connective tissue becoming malformed in the shape of thick plates.

Rolfing works by identifying areas of muscle trauma or “hot spots” and then working to gradually realign the muscles, and this is done by slowly working through each major area of the body. The result should be better posture which will help relieve pain. However, this therapy is not just about posture. It can also have beneficial affects on stress levels, altering mood and improving awareness.

Rolfing therapy is intended to be done slowly over a number of treatments. Therapists strongly stress the importance of completing the entire course of the therapy rather than stopping part of the way through.