Does Structural Integration Hurt or is it Painful as Taught by Ida Rolf?

Ida Rolf's work has been in existence at least since 1953. Her classes became especially popular in the early 1970s. This was the time of more introspective way of looking at the world after the tumultuous '60s. Therapies that let out all the emotions and sometimes took people to the "edge" like encounter groups and rebirthing were on the rise. Some Structural Integration (SI) practitioners took this philosophy to heart. Through the years, this philosophy has changed to a more moderate one.

Since SI is focused on aligning the body by manipulating the fascia, it is harder to move fascia that has been stagnant for a longer time. It took a long time to develop and it takes longer is harder to put in the "proper place" than tissue that is more acutely distressed. This is dependent on past traumas, the layer of tissue(superficial vs. deeper tissue). a person's sensitivity and other factors may affect the intensity of the moment.

Some clients describe the feeling as a "good hurt" or one that is not painful but is somewhat intense and helpful to the body. If a client thinks the pressure is too much then the client needs to tell the practitioner to ease up a little bit. The practitioner also needs to be alert that they are not being hurtful to the client. In other words, a clear communication between both people has to be established.

One thing that may help the client is to "breathe" deeper and breathe into the hands of the practitioner so it is a participatory arrangement and the client has control of what is happening to the client's body. Often the tissue will release and relax and the next session (or next few minutes) there will be little "pain" or the "pain" will be greatly reduced.

The goal of SI is to create a safe space for the client to receive the work by establishing healthy contact and responding to the clients pressure needs.