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 Who is Ida P. Rolf, Ph.D? | What is the Rolf Institute? | Research and Rolfing

Research and Rolfing®

 

 

Project:

Dr. Rolf conducted research at the Rockefeller Institute from 1918-1927 and published thirteen scientific papers.

 

Result:

Dr. Rolf learned the process of scientific research and made it one of her highest priorities as she developed the protocol of Structural Integration.

 

 

Project:

Children's Project; three year pilot study in Philadelphia, PA conducted by a group of Rolfers led by Robert Toporek, 1978; monograph "The Promise of Rolfing Children" reported on this study published in 1981. Each child's photograph before Session 1 and after Session 10 and some two and three years later were shown. A summary of results gathered from interviewing the parents and Rolfer's comments documented the changes.

 

Result:

This pilot study with children demonstrated that:

  • A dramatic improvement in the children's physical, psychological and behavioral patterns had occurred.
  • Consistently parents reported the children had increased confidence, better verbal expression, more self-control and less destructive behavior.
  • Rolfing is an effective means to address conditions such as cerebral palsy or scoliosis.

 

 

Project:

UCLA Department of Kinesiology; five year study conducted by Dr. Valerie Hunt and Dr. Wayne Massey; "A Study of Structural Integration from Neuromuscular, Energy Field and Emotional Approaches" completed in 1977. There were measurements before and after Rolfing of anxiety states, brain hemisphere activity, energy field photography, DC recordings of energy flow in electrical voltage readings, EMG recordings from sixteen separate muscles, electromyograms of neuromuscular patterning of energy, and electronic auric field study.

 

Result:

This five-year study produced many results, difficult to summarize adequately in a brief statement. These are a few of the outstanding results:

  • greater physical skill
  • emotional calmness; decrease in anxiety state
  • improved social interaction
  • feelings of well being
  • memory recall
  • enhanced ability to access different states of consciousness
  • increasing right hemisphere brain dominance when needed for right brain activity
  • evidence of changes in ways of processing data and the nature of thought processes that ensue 
  • greater movement efficiency
  • more energy; less fatigue
  • improved neuromuscular balance
  • greater energy flow and balance distribution of energy

 

 

Project:

J. Cottingham, M.S., S. Porges, Ph.D., and T. Lyon, M.D. studied the "Effects of Soft Tissue Mobilization (Rolfing Pelvic Lift) on Parasympathetic Tone in Two Age Groups" at the Frances Nelson Health Center, 1987. Parasympathetic tone was assessed by 1) quantifying the amplitude of the respiratory sinus arrhythmia from the heart rate pattern and 2) measuring heart rate.

 

Result:

The pelvic lift increased the tone of the parasympathetic nervous system. This is usually associated with decreased levels of stress.

 

Home | What is Rolfing? | Who gets Rolfed?

 Who is Ida P. Rolf, Ph.D? | What is the Rolf Institute? | Research and Rolfing 


Thanks to Briah Anson & Jude LaClaire, Growing Right With Rolfing Heartland Personal Growth Press, 1996, Kansas City, MO.

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