Shoulder
Your shoulders are the most movable joints
in your body. And because of that they are also often
unstable. The shoulder and neck are often taken together
because the shoulder and neck often have interrelated
conditions.To remain in a stable or normal position, the
shoulder and neck must be anchored by muscles, tendons
and ligaments. Because the shoulder can
be unstable, it is the site of many common problems. They
include sprains, strains, dislocations, separations,
tendinitis, bursitis, torn rotator cuffs, frozen shoulder,
fractures and arthritis.
The Rolfing
Approach To Shoulder Injuries
Rolfing is a systematic programme of
postural repatterning that seeks to bring your body back into
alignment. Thus Rolfing continuously seeks out a dynamic,
creative balance in your body that is quite different from
holding it in one rigid postural
position.
Rolfing sees the body and its structure as a series of
interconnected and inter-related bony segments. Your body is
designed to provide internal support for all these segments.
Large sections rest on sections below them and provide support
for sections that are above them.
To understand how Rolfing treatment for the shoulder works, it
is important to recognize that the shoulder injury cannot be
understood by looking at the shoulder alone. The shoulder and
neck rests on the thoracic/cervical spine, and hence these two
interconnected segments must be treated
together.
The
Rolf Treatment For Shoulders
As you walk into the clinic, the Rolfer
will assess your posture to ascertain if there is any
imbalance or underlying conditions in your body, especially
your shoulder or neck that contributes to your shoulder
difficulties. Once this is done, the Rolfer will use his
elbows and knuckles on the myofascia to release tension in
your shoulders at the fascial level.
The underlying principle of Rolfing is
that injuries, poor movement habits, and chronic muscle
tension from stress cause the fascia to stiffen. Fascia is
the tough, densely woven connective tissue which spreads
continuously throughout the body in a three dimensional web
from head to foot. Rolfing is designed to loosen the fascia,
resulting in a freedom in muscle movement and unlearning of
bad patterns of muscle strain and misuse. This is done via a
treatment called myofascial release.
Rolfers incorporate a range of soft tissue
massage techniques that release the motion restrictions that
impede whole body organization. Mobilization of the shoulder
joint is helpful in treating frozen shoulder. Fascia of the
surrounding muscles is targeted for loosening, including
muscles that attach at the clavicle, or collar bone, leading
up to the neck. Also addressed would be muscles surrounding
the shoulder blade and neck. A successful result is the
lengthening of the muscles and increased range of motion of
the shoulder joint.
The
Advantages of Rolfing For Your
Shoulder
Rolfing’s great strength is that it is
non-invasive, and hence while undergoing Rolfing you will be
able to continue with your sports, while simultaneously
relaxing the muscles around your shoulder, which will allow
you a greater range of movement around the shoulder and
neck and increase your flexibility. Rolfing also
addresses the muscles surrounding the shoulder
and neck including those in around your chest and
your ribcage.

View of the
shoulder
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