By Dr. biol. hum. Stefan Dennenmoser, Certified Advanced Rolfer® & Rolf Movement™ Practitioner, Ravensburg and Ulm
Imagine waking up in the morning and immediately feeling it – that persistent, pulling pain in your back that has been with you for months. You’ve tried stretching, massage, perhaps even physiotherapy – but nothing seems to bring lasting relief.
Why? Perhaps because the root cause lies somewhere entirely different from where the pain actually occurs.
That was precisely what puzzled me towards the end of my sports science studies. I had learned a great deal about the body, movement, and therapy, but most approaches seemed to address only the symptoms. Every complaint had its corresponding exercise – but where was the method that considered the body as a truly interconnected system?
Fortunately, my research eventually led me to Rolfing® Structural Integration. The idea of realigning the body, rather than simply tweaking individual parts, struck me as not only logical but genuinely sustainable. But how exactly does it work? And what makes fascia so special?
Fascia: More Than Just Wrapping Structures
As early as the mid-20th century, Dr. Ida Rolf recognised what today is being hailed as a “rediscovery of medicine”: fascia are far more than passive wrappings for muscles and organs. They permeate the entire body, connecting and separating structures at the same time, and continuously adapt to our movement patterns and habits. This tension network enables us to maintain an upright posture with minimal effort, while also allowing for elastic, fluid movement.
Fascia not only have a mechanical role but also a sensory function: they are rich in receptors essential for our perception of body position and pain. Particularly in tendons, ligaments, aponeuroses, and the superficial fascia (fascia superficialis), there are significantly more receptors than in muscle tissue. These structures store our movement history – and our experiences of pain.
When fasciae become restricted, they can severely limit our freedom of movement. Scars, adhesions, or inflammation-related changes in tissue can alter the structure and lead to a situation where certain movements are no longer sensed or even possible.
Greater Freedom of Movement Through Rolfing® Structural Integration
These two factors – mechanical tension and proprioceptive awareness – are at the heart of any fascia-focused therapy. Over the course of our lives, we are shaped by gravity, our habits, and our unique movement history, causing us to unconsciously “specialize” in certain patterns. This can result in asymmetrical strain and chronic discomfort.
This is exactly where the Rolfing method comes in: through precise, layer-by-layer work on fascial structures, Rolfers help their clients break free from these patterns and gain more freedom in movement and posture – both externally and internally. The classic Rolfing 10-Series offers sufficient scope to fundamentally reorganise structural imbalances, reduce overuse, and establish lasting changes in body awareness.
Many overuse-related pains ease simply through improved balance. Other complaints require a more conscious approach or additional techniques. But what fascinates me as a practitioner is that no Rolfing process is ever the same – each person brings their own unique story.
Insights from Practice: When Patterns Shift
Time and again, I witness those “aha” moments with clients that show just how powerful Rolfing can be:
- Back pain: Many of my clients are surprised that I don’t work directly on the painful area. Yet after the session, they notice it – the pain has eased or even disappeared.
- Osteoarthritis: People with osteoarthritis often come to improve their compensatory postures. In doing so, they experience not only increased mobility but often a reduction in pain.
- “I’ve tried everything!” Some clients have undergone numerous treatments without lasting improvement. Often, integrating various inputs into a holistic concept helps – and suddenly, the blockages begin to dissolve.
- More than just less pain: Many report that it’s not only the reduced pain but a completely new body awareness that makes their life feel lighter and freer.
This list could go on indefinitely. Of course, Rolfing® isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for every condition. But what we do is work consistently with the structures that connect all systems of the body. This is precisely why I value interdisciplinary collaboration with colleagues from different fields – and I’m constantly learning something new.
It’s also why, even after 30 years of clinical experience, I continue to find Rolfing sessions exciting: each person comes with their own established movement patterns – their own asymmetries, their individual strategies for dealing with gravity, and the expression of their inner posture.
Different tissue qualities and pre-existing conditions make every session unique. The perspectives and techniques of Rolfing Structural Integration provide me with a powerful tool to support clients on their journey towards greater balance and lasting transformation.
Conclusion
Rolfing® Structural Integration is far more than a method for treating symptoms. Rolfing is an invitation to realign the body and bring it into balance – with positive effects on posture, movement, and self-awareness. Those who are open to this process often experience far-reaching changes that go well beyond the absence of pain.
Author: Dr biol. hum. Stefan Dennenmoser, Certified Advanced Rolfer® & Rolf Movement™ Practitioner, Ravensburg and Ulm
Photos: Copyright © Forster & Martin Fotografie GbR, München, in: Stefan Dennenmoser, Faszien – Therapie und Training, 1. A. 2016 © Elsevier GmbH, Urban & Fischer, München
Editing: Sabine Becker
Stefan Dennenmoser in Ravensburg
Stefan’s Website
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