Swedish, shiatsu, deep tissue, hot stone, aromatherapy ­— these are some of the most popular massage types on the face of the planet.

Unfortunately, there is one that a lot of people probably haven’t heard about yet even though it’s been around for so many years already, which is too bad because it can be very promising most especially for those who are experiencing muscle tension and chronic pain. This type of massage is referred to as rolfing, and this article is going to get you acquainted with is as well as its various health benefits.

Got family members and friends who always visit day spas and massage parlors to get professional massages? Make sure that you repost this article on your various social media sites afterwards to also get them introduced to rolfing.

What is It?

Basically, rolfing is a type of massage that’s geared towards manipulating the fascia. Your fascia is a sheet of tissue that is primarily made up of collagen, and its main purpose is to separate muscles from one another.

Proponents of rolfing say that by having the fascia manipulated misalignments or imbalances within can be corrected, thus allowing the body to heal from issues that can be brought about by anything from having poor posture, severe stress to sports injuries.

It’s for this reason exactly why rolfing is primarily popular among serious athletes and dancers — often, they undergo this form of massage after demanding trainings and competitions in order to help deal with muscle tension and swelling, and also while recovering from injuries to assist in reducing pain and inflammation as well as to speed up the healing process and break down scar tissues.

These days, however, practitioners of rolfing (by the way, they’re called rolfers) say that there’s a growing number of hardworking and stressed out office workers that approach them. Aside from reducing muscle tension and chronic pain, these people undergo rolfing also for maintaining their emotional well-being — yes, so many people of today also turn to rolfing for dealing with anxiety and depression.

When Did It Start?

It was back in the 1940s when rolfing first made its presence known, and it was the creation of Dr. Ida Rolf — hence, the name rolfing. Originally, it was a form of therapy that aimed to have the body aligned properly in a vertical orientation, using firm pressure in order to have the fascia and muscles manipulated.

Just like today, rolfing back then was especially sought after by individuals who engaged in sports. It’s also not uncommon for performing artists of the yesteryears such as dancers and even singers to undergo it not only to help their bodies recover faster after a performance, but also to increase their flexibility as well as improve the efficiency of their breathing.

How Does a Session Look Like?

Rolfing is usually administered via what proponents refer to as the 10 step program. It goes without saying that it consists of 10 sessions, each one of them geared towards focusing on a different aspect of the body at a time. You see, rolfing is also about creating a balance within. Until such balance is achieved, the body cannot heal itself.

Every session in the 10 step program takes anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes to complete. And once all of the 10 treatments have been completed, impressive results are said to be achieved although it’s very much possible for noticeable changes to be attained after just a single session.

There are also the so-called tune-up sessions recommended after completing the 10 step program. However, these follow up sessions are usually scheduled 6 to 12 months after the 10 step program. In some cases, no tune-up session is required by the individual.