FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Rolf Institute Nonprofit Organization
5055 Chaparral Ct., Ste.
103, Boulder, CO 80301
New Research Published About the Benefits of Rolfing
For Chronic Fatigue And Fibromyalgia
Boulder, Colorado: October 1, 2004 - Newly published research in the
"Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Journal" examines the
benefits of Rolfing® Structural Integration for chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
This research expands the scientific basis behind Rolfing structural
integration, an alternative health approach developed by Dr. Ida Rolf.
The research, "Improvement in Balance with Structural Integration
(Rolfing): A Controlled Case Series in Persons with Myofascial Pain," will be presented
by Dr. Thomas Findley, at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Assembly
on Oct. 6. Go to aapmr.org for more info or see abstract below.
Rolfing structural integration has a reputation for helping people
feel more balanced and grounded and able to move with greater ease. Tom
Findley, MD, PhD and Certified Advanced Rolfer, is also Associate Director for Research,
War-Related Illness and Injury Study Center, at the East Orange VA Medical Center in
New Jersey. This center is designed to specifically serve veterans with medically
unexplained fatigue and pains, and has highly specialized equipment to measure balance.
Researchers there have found subtle balance problems in many veterans with
unexplained pains as well as in persons with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
Dr. Findley also did a case study with his Rolfing clients who have myofascial pain,
including some who have chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. He measured their balance before
and after the Rolfing using balance measurement tests. Everyone who had a balance problem
improved after the Rolfing. Dr. Findley's research team concludes that "subtle balance
problems are important factors in perceived health status," and
that "Structural integration for persons with below normal balance
is accompanied by demonstrable improvement in standing balance."
For further information about Rolfing go to www.rolf.org.
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October 2004- Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Journal Poster 147- Improvement In Balance With Structural Integration
(Rolfing): A Controlled Case Series In Persons With Myofascial Pain.
Thomas W. Findley, MD, PhD (VA Med Ctr, East Orange, NJ); Karen
Quigley, PhD; Miriam Maney, MA; Hans Chaudhry, PhD; Ismailu Agbaje, MD, PhD,
e-mail: findletw@njneuromed.org
Available online 11 September 2004.
Author Keywords: Alternative medicine; Equilibrium; Musculoskeletal
manipulations; Posture; Rehabilitation
Disclosure: T.W. Findley, None; K. Quigley, None; M. Maney, None; H.
Chaudhry, None; I. Agbaje, None.
Setting: Private practice. Patient: Structural integration developed
by Ida Rolf is a 10-wk organized approach of manual therapy to analyze and adjust
tension in the body's fascial layers, directed at changing the structural alignment
of the body in the upright position to allow it to function better and adapt to outside forces,
particularly gravity, environment, and psychologic stresses. The components of the body must be
in proper distribution and balance for economical movement with minimal stress. As a result of
physical trauma or emotional stress, muscles and other tissues become displaced with
compensatory adaptations of other muscles and fascial connections, often at
distant points in the body. Through shortening and thickening of connective
tissue and habitual patterns of movement, these muscular changes become chronic
and involuntary. This study quantifies a subjective sense of increased stability
reported after structural integration. Case Description: 12 persons with myofascial
pain seeking structural integration were tested with NeuroCom Sensory Organization
Test (SOT) initially and after 10 weekly sessions; 12 healthy controls and 15
persons with chronic fatigue syndrome were tested at least 8wk apart with no
intervention. Assessment/Results: The normative average ± SD was 80±5. 10/12
patients had initial balance scores below 70; of those who completed the
intervention, 6 with abnormal balance scores improved an average of 17 points and 2 with
normal balance scores did not change; overall, balance SOT score improved by 12±10 points.
The 5 control subjects with initial balance scores below 70 improved by 6±10 points;
overall, the 27 controls improved 2.9±7 points.
Discussion: Patient improvement was 2.5 times greater than test-retest
improvements in the 2 control groups. Conclusions: Structural integration for
persons with below normal balance is accompanied by demonstrable improvement in standing balance.
Thomas W. Findley MD, PhD
Associate Director for Research, War-Related Illness and Injury Study
Center
Co-Director, Center for Healthcare Knowledge Management
VA Medical Center mailstop 129
385 Tremont Ave, East Orange NJ 07018-1095
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume_85,_Issue_9,_Pages_1393-1566_ber_2004.Copyright © 2004
Elsevier B.V. <http://www.elsevier.com All rights reserved. ScienceDirect® is a
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