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ROLFING

STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION

How It Works:
Before she became a Rolfer herself 11 years ago, Iginia Boccalandro, who is based in Salt Lake City and works with both recreational and professional athletes, sought relief from her own knee injuries and sciatic pain through the technique. At the time, she was a world-class volleyball player who’d been sidelined because of chronic pain.  Today, at age 38, she’s training to participate in her second winter Olympics (she went to Nagano as a member of her native Venezuela’s luge team).  Most Rolfers see clients for 10 one-hour-long sessions over the course of a few months, but Boccalandro notes that many of her athlete clients continue to see her for tune-ups two or three times a year.
What the Research Says:

There’s not a lot out there.  One 1988 study from the Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association suggests that Rolfing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which could in turn speed the recovery of damaged tissue.

What an Athlete Says:

Kristen Ulmer, an extreme skiier known for her daring cliff jumps, was desperate to find relief from her chronic knee pain. So after her most recent surgery, she rested her knee and signed up for 10 treatments with Boccalandro.  By the time she’d been Rolfed from head to toe, she was pain-free for the first time in years and is back on the slopes.

Skeptic's Corner:

“Complications are very rare,” says Adriane Fugh-Berman, M.D., chair of the National Women’s Health Network. However, “it is not indicated for acute injury. ” Lisa Callahan, M.D., medical director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City says: “If you have an inflammatory condition, Rolfing can make it worse. ”

Cost:

$70-$120 per hour.

Contact Us

13710 Olive Boulevard (Primary Office)
Chesterfield, MO 63017
Telephone: 314-469-PAIN (7246)

Fax: 314-469-7251
Exchange: 314-441-6965 (for after-hour Emergencies Only)

Hours:
Monday thru Friday
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM