Carol Orrell of Manual Therapy Solutions

I became a practitioner of Dr. Rolf’s Structural Integration because it was the only therapy that finally resolved my TMJ disorder of nearly 30 years. I had tried many other therapies including electrical stimulation and physical therapy, and I used a mouth guard that dentists have come to rely on as their only treatment.  Nothing helped until I found Rolfing Structural Integration.

Fortunately, I have now met a number of local dentists who are both knowledgeable as to a common cause of TMJ disorders – poor body structure - and know to whom to refer such patients.  Unfortunately, there are only 2 of us practitioners in the Fredericksburg area so people don't know how much this work can help relieve TMJ disorder discomfort.

To learn more, read the following article by Dr. Jack Haden, DDS, Founding Member of the Academy and Board for Head, Neck, and TMJ Pain and Orthopedics.

How I Discovered the Power of Structural Integration Structural Integration

"My wife, as well as a dental colleague and I were taking a four-day course in the Sutherland Cranio-sacral manipulation technique at an osteopathic college on Long Island, New York. All of us were inveterate joggers, but I was having a difficult period trying to run because of achilles tendinitis in both legs.

"The 30+ participants taking the cranial course were all dentists. At lunch on the third day, I happened to sit down next to someone discussing Rolfing. This particular dentist from Florida was deeply involved in relating to some other people at the table how Rolfing had made an incredible impact in treating many of his cranio-mandibular dysfunctional patients. It was fascinating. With all-out inquisitiveness, I questioned him about the concepts of Rolfing and its mechanisms. During the afternoon session, I had difficulty in concentrating on the lecture because I kept thinking of the role that fascia must play in muscular stability.

"At the end of the day, I sat down and had a really "hard core" discussion with this middle-aged dentist about Structural Integration, lda Rolf, etc. As it turned out, this dentist's interest in Structural Integration was so great that for a period of time he had given up dentistry and had gone to the Rolf Institute to become a Certified Rolfer. As a matter of fact, he was still practicing as a Rolfer.

"WOW, I thought, what an opportunity to get some aid with my achilles tendons. Brazenly, I asked for a treatment of my tendons. He told me patiently that Structural Integration was not a one shot deal that it was done systematically over a series of sessions. He gave me the rationale for a systematized approach. I was not to be denied. I pleaded for just one short session on one of the osteopathic tables just to see and feel the effects of being Rolfed. I prevailed and the Rolfer/dentist, against his better judgment, did the manipulative muscle integration technique on both legs. I thanked him, hopped off the table and still felt about the same when my legs hit the floor. However, the next morning when I got out of bed, I noticed I didn't have to walk totallly flat-footed for fifteen minutes to loosen up the gastrocnemius (calf muscles) as I usually had to do in the morning. It was a pleasant surprise!

My Personal Experience with the Structural Integration 10 Series

"When I got home, I set out to see if there was a Rolfer in Kansas City. Sure enough there was. I immediately called for an introductory appointment. We then began the whole body approach to overcome some of the ravages that time and injuries had done to the fascia in my body. I had a terrific kyphosis that was partially inherited, partially occupational (being a dentist) and partially from the nicks and bruises of life (tennis and running).

"My Rolfer took my picture before treatment, and it was a sad sight. The “building blocks" of my body were anything but lined up, and I had a big hump back. Polaroid pictures were taken throughout treatment and finally, after the last appointment, the final Polaroid was taken. What a difference! Staring back at me was a much younger man with very little hump back and looking relatively light. I was happy and impressed.

Structural Integration for My Patients with TMJ Disorders

"My thoughts turned immediately to the dysfunctional patients with head and neck pain that I saw daily in my practice. For years I had a practice predominantly centered around individuals who suffered from cranio-mandibular disorders and TMJ dysfunction. Better than fifty percent of the dysfunctional patients also carried their heads forward. Some carried their heads forward with their heads slumped down on their chests. The muscles of the upper back and neck are designed to balance and move the head. But when the head is carried forward, they are pressed into duty to support the head. These muscles are very sensitive when palpated. Some of the muscles have areas that are extremely tender and when touched, send pain to different areas of the body.

"There is a shock absorber between the upper and lower jaws known as an articular disk. About 70% of the dysfunctional patients that I see in my practice have this disk displaced in front of the joint. Some patients can retract this disk when they open their jaws but on closing, the disk pops back out of place. This phenomena is known as a reciprocal click or reducible anterior dislocated disk.

"Other patients with articular disk (shock absorber problems) have a disk displaced in the front of the joint, but can't get it to relocate on opening. The disk stays in front of the joint throughout the opening and closing of the jaw. This is known as an anterior displaced non-reducible disk. Almost all of these patients with disk problems have extreme forward head posture and rather than their heads slumping forward on their chests, their chins are pointed up or extended. This creates a problem in the neck and upper back muscles, These muscles, which are supposed to move and balance the head, are now supporting the head and the long term consequences prove devastating. The muscles themselves become dysfunctional and go into splinting and/or spasm.

"Thank goodness for Rolfing! When patients continue to walk into my office with their heads forward and their chins pointed to the sky, the treatment is clear - off to Rolfing! I cannot remember a patient who was rolfed that did not get rid of pain-inducing forward head posture.

"One of the ironies of chronic head and neck dysfunctional patients is that a large percentage of them have head and neck pain that is emanating from somewhere other than their upper quadrant. The disabling factor may be felt in the head and neck, but the source of the pain may be from the lower back, the middle back, the pelvis, a knee, both knees, the feet, a short leg and on and on. The old song about "the dry bones" all being connected is truly appropriate. The astute diagnostician remembers that many of the patients he sees may have a chain effect that emanates from the lower back, causing pain in the head and neck.

"Although there are many therapies which deal with handling the bones in the lower extremities, unless the fascia is affected, there is no long term effect. It is also important to note that most of the patients I see don't realize that the imbalance in their lower body could be the major factor causing their upper quadrant pain and dysfunction. Structural Integration addresses whole body alignment through reorganization of fascial planes.

A Case Example

"A while ago my patient, Sue, came to see me. She was suffering from severe pain with locked-out disks on both sides. The work-up of X-rays, dental and muscular exams and my observation of her walking and standing patterns showed me that almost everything that could be out of place indeed was. Sue also displayed the head-forward and chin-up posturing. Weeks of intensive therapy followed. She underwent a program of physical therapy for her upper body and wore an orthotic to re-position the mastication muscles. However, her pain would return in a day or two after treatment and the forward positioning of her head never changed. I then recommended that she begin Rolfing. I was amazed when I saw Sue a few weeks later. Her contorted body was almost upright and just as important, her contorted face with its concomitant wrinkle and severe look was now bright and smiley.

"Sue's pain is 90% relieved. Her forward-head posture is gone, and her legs are almost the same length without a shoe lift. Her mouth opening is slightly restricted due to her locked out disks, but she has no mastication dysfunction or pain. Her chewing, talking, yawning arc within a parameter of opening that lets her function without discomfort.

"In addition to having my patients treated for forward head posture and short limbs, I also have had patients successfully Rolfed for tight, painful cervical musculature, suprascapular musculature, thoracic outlet syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, lack of lordotic curve, severe kyphosis, radiculopathy, posterior nerve root impingement, etc.

"Rolfing is a my partner in treatment against pain. This form of body therapy has not only helped me in treating my patients, but many times was the paramount factor in their recovery."

(Excerpt from Rolfing: Stories of Personal Empowerment, Briah Anson, North Atlantic Books, 1998)