So I have two bulging discs(L4/L5 and L5/S1) that I brought up about two months ago. I started with the Chiro and have been working with a Pt for about a month. I have had great success, but have come to a plateu. My friend has similiar disc problems and has used Rolfing to great sucess. I have my first appt. w/ a rolfing specialist on Tuesday.
So, What can I expect?
Rolfing, at least as I know it, is a type of soft tissue work where you “roll” the skin and dig into the muscles? I’ve had these treatments from a massage therapist. Shouldn’t hurt you.
i figured at the worst I will be out some cash and I hear it hurts during the process so I got that going for me.
I was Rolfed years ago. It was a multi week protocol that went for full body (re)alignement by working on one area after another. It is a “release” technique the unblocks/unlocks soft tissue areas that are too tight and take you out of alignment. I think the theory is that you have to do all the parts to get the real benefit. Looking back on it, it very similar to ART, but more as a whole body approach. It hurts some, but not that much.
Please repost your experience. I would be interested to know if it is done on a spot basis, or as a total body series. The first Rolfing session for me was all measuring mis-alignments like horizontal hip level, pelvic tilt and spine curve, etc.
i have similar problem…i go to chiro, but will meet the PT tuesday. in meantime, have had 3 weeks of massage and it has helped some. it was not rolfing, but the therapist really worked hard on back and leg muscles. i can really tell the difference. was sore after first massgase. muscles have gotten better with each one.
what did PT do for you? i have done core work til i am blue in the face, i think i have some ligaments that are not healing/responding? of course couple of bad bike wrecks and age (58) probably have caused the problem & reason slow/unlikely to heal. massage therapist says my muscles are way too tight in back and obliques.
went to my orthopedist couple of weeks ago. he recommended PT. i asked him about prolotherapy. he did not seem too excited about that, although i know someone who received benefit from it.
good luck
tyrod,
I started at the chiro also. That helped a little, but I wasnt seeing any additional improvement after the initial success. Also, the chiro didnt really understand my wanting to start running as soon as possible. Now the PT doesnt think I should run either, but he says he will help strengthen my core so to take as much stress off my discs during running.
The PT started with a lot of hanging and other positional distraction(i think that is the word he uses). Now we are starting to add some workouts in also.
I have seen some great improvements in the 3 weeks with the PT. I rarely have any pain or dicomfort down my leg. My hip hurts more frequently, but not nearly as bad as before. I had one set back when I had no pain in my lower back and the PT said I could go for a bike ride. He didnt realize I was going to go out with one of the fastest rides in town until I got dropped after 35 miles. He thought I was going for a nice easy 30 minute ride. OOPS!!!
I really want to try the Rolfing to see if it will jump me to the next level. I am probably being impatient, but I feel I have already lost my early season races and would like to save the second half.
I will chime in after my first session w/ the Rolfing on Tuesday.
From what I know it is a practice that is not practiced by alot of people(in comparison to DC, PT, ART, etc)and not alot known or written about it (from what I can find). Make me wonder…If it is so great, why isn’t it practiced everywhere and alot written/researched about it since its been around for many decades. Just wonderin’…
Im with you on the little written about it issue. I wouldnt try it if I didnt have a friend that had/has the same issues I have, probably worse, and has had great success. I know that not every disc issue is the same, but I really have nothing to lose.
I forgot to post after my rofling appt. as promised. It seemed to help loosen me up a bit, but didnt notice any digfference with my bulging disc issues. I realize that it will take more than one session and do have another appt, but it isnt untl the 15th.
i can speak raves about my two (2) separate rolfing experiences. the most common, and most practical approach is the 10 step series. since the basics of rolfing were mentioned in a previous post, i will just give my testimonial:
the summer after i graduated from college (where i played varsity baseball), i started instense training for a summer marathon and IM wisconsin. i began having lower back problems and faced the prospect of having surgery. a friend of mine, an olympic biathlete at the nagano olympics, had seen a rolfer who whose work had helped him avoid surgery, so i gave it a shot. it worked wonders, i actually grew an inch taller, and my feet grew about half an inch. it is hard work, and not relaxing like a sports massage, but the effect is like starting a life in “new skin”. it is a worthy alternate before surgery.
i live here in boulder where the US rolfing center is and there are practices all over town. i was so convinced it saved me from surgery, i looked into going to rolfing school too. many top age-groupers i know, brian bich (minnesota) and rhett bonner (minnesota) get worked on by a former olympic skiier-turned rolfer John Bauer.
stay the course…i think you’ll be pleased with the outcome.
IMO, trigger point work (self-applied and by massage therapist) is the way to go.
I have (had?) L4-L5/S1 bulges, and core work certainly helps, but my daily “stretching” sessions include hunting down and attacking trigger points, especially in QL, erector spinae/iliocostalis/iliopsoas (everything that originates on lumbar spine, essentially).
In terms of stretching, iliopsoas, rectus femoris and QL, it’s impossible to stretch them TOO much. Iliopsoas gets overworked by cycling and running, but is vulnerable for those of us with desk jobs–sitting is just plain bad.
While some back troubles are acute, most of us spend many years doing daily activities in ways that get us out of balance muscularly, and then when we add sports on top of that, everything that is wrong is brought to the fore. So if you want to stay active you have to just work harder to overcome whatever you’ve done to yourself for however long you’ve been alive.
PM with email address if you’d like my doctored stretching routine that apparently works well for people; one guy just emailed me that after a week he is doing much better.
When I was in teens through 20’s, I could easily crack/adjust my entire spine by myself, as I was really, really flexible and in good condition. As I grew older and less active for awhile, became progressively less flexible, and then I started running and stuff and guess what, the body didn’t like it so much. But after a good 1.5 years of concerted stretching and a commitment to twice weekly core sessions, I’ve recovered much of my back flexibility. This is not to say my back doesn’t tighten up a bit after a long or hard run–it does–but I can get back to my normal state in under 24 hours because I stretch daily. I haven’t been to a chiro in 2 years and have no plans to go back. IMO, a good sports massage therapist versed in trigger point therapy will do much more good.
Another thing that seems to be working is to breathe bilaterally for the bulk of my swim sessions. I know it’s making a difference, since I’m right-handed and a right-side breather, my right back was getting more of the workout. In just 4 months since I decided to go all bilateral, I’m noticing that my back is doing even better, and whereas I’ve been able to crack my back twisting only to the right, the left side is now coming around.
YMMV
What was the frequency of your sessions. I have about 3 weeks between my 1st two sessions. This seems a bit long. My rolfer is very popular/busy and I think that is the reason for the amount of time between sessions. He has people that come in from all over the world, some guy from Tibet was after me, and he works on a few of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On another note my PT is starting to think that I prolapsed my l4/l5 disc. Im not sure if anything but time is going to fix that. Well I guess I could do the surgery route, but I am dead against that. I should get a new MRI especially since my first was laying down and thus had no pressure on the discs.
have had 2 sessions with PT at Emory. He is attacking glutes, primarily medius, with trigger point and strenghtening with simple exercises. the dull pain in lower back is alread gone, but i do have some residual soreness where muscles i guess attach to bones (ilium).
the trigger point really hurts as he digs his elbow into the glutes…yow!
it was amazing to see how weak my glutes were…he had me on side with one leg in air at a specific angle to make sure i engage just the glute, not the lower back, and it was really hard to complete a set of 10 with 10 second hold at top of the leg raise. here i am a triathlete having swum, biked, & run many miles, but truly humbled by doing a very simple but specific exercise.
i also am having trouble with hip flexion and thus transfer load to back.
the pt is going real slow (30 minute sessions) and i think is reluctant to move on to other areas til we get the glutes working better.
using massage therapist with extremely strong hands to work me over and seems to help…i may look into rolfing too if i hit plateau. any more feedback on rolfing would be appreciated after your next appointments.
good luck!
I would love to see your stretching routine, especially if it includes the trigger points. MY PT is very carefull about which stretches to do, but I would like tosee the alternatives. I willsend a PM
Good Luck with the Rolfing…I experienced a few session when I was in massage school and it hurt but seemed to be effective. Now where I live I haven’t found a Rolfing therapist but I have a good sports therapist who does stretches and it works the same.
Next time you come to Sarasota/Bradenton to visit Heather G. tell me and I can hook you up with mine. He is in Tampa, 45 minutes, and from what he and others have said he has people fly in from around the country and world on a regular basis. I guess this means he is pretty good. Has some great stories also.
Thanks will do ~~ It would be good to have it done again. I hope you find it works well for you too.
Sorry to resurrect this thread. Im in Bradenton too and struggling with similar issues. What is the name of the Rolfer you went to see? Thanks
I have Rolf Wheels and thought this was related to wheels. Since this thread started in 2007, it’s 16 years later and I’ve never heard of Rolfing. It sounds a little bit like snake oil to me.