The Joy of Rolfing
Have you ever heard of rolfing? It is a bodywork practice that focuses on your fascia, that's the connective tissue around your muscles.
The idea of rolfing is that if you can move around the myofascial tissue, you can change the structure of the body, and if you change the structure of the body, you can improve its function.
My own experience with rolfing is extremely positive. It has had a bigger impact on my life than any other holistic therapy. My practitioner, Larry Stone, works here in Columbus, Ohio. He worked on me for ten sessions around the years 1998 and 1999 I think. Up until that time, I had fairly bad back problems, considering I was only in my thirties! I could not ride in a car for more than an hour, and airplane trips were unbearable. I had been to see many chiropractors, and had tried a variety of other therapies and stretching regimens, all with limited success.
Larry worked on me diligently for those ten sessions and by the end of the set, my back felt better. No, not better, I mean really good. It was fixed.
I'll admit some of the sessions were a little painful. But it was the good kind of pain, y'know what I mean? Every session was like waking up again. And I could feel the improvement.
With rolfing, after the ten sessions, which deal with every part of your body, you are done. You can come back for "tune ups" but that's up to you.
I wish I was on-the-ball enough to go back for regular tune-ups, but I haven't done that. Instead, I wait until I have a problem and then I call Larry and say "HELP!" We do 2-3 sessions and then I'm back to peak form again.
Obviously, rolfing is not just for back problems, but that's where I've had my biggest success. The other problem I used to have was tightness in the backs of my legs. Rolfing definitely helped for that, although massage therapy was equally good too.
Here's a toast to rolfing! It crosses my mind today because I'm calling Larry for a tune-up. I'm having a problem with my back every morning for the past two weeks where my lower back is quite stiff. It only happens if I sleep eight hour or more, less than that and no stiffness. I can't blame my mattress because it's a Tempur-Pedic mattress and it's been working great for me for the last 3 years or so. Must be something else.
Anyway, if you live in Columbus and you want to call Larry Stone, his number is (614) 268-1557. If you want to find a rolfer in your area, you can use the Rolfing Institute's locator service by clicking here. In Columbus, I know that Michael Lucas is very good, but I don't have experience with the others.
1:40:42 PM 
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