Get Your
“Slinky” Back: Get Rolfed
By Sharon Sklar, Certifi ed Advanced Rolfer
with ease, grace and symmetry; poetry in motion. We are actually designed with that sort of fl ow and natural movement. The injuries, accidents and traumas of life can either abruptly or over time create abber- ated patterns, taking us out of our rhythmic movement and proper body function.
R
Everyday actions like putting on socks without pain or comfortably sitting at a desk for work or at a table to eat a meal, cease to exist for so many people. They suffer the physical limitations that chronic stiffness and pain can cause. My Rolfi ng® practice over these last 39 years has been devoted to helping people get back their freedom of movement and joy of everyday activities with ease and fl uidity.
People can easily fall out of the bal- ance that is our natural state. That slip on the ice last winter resulting in a hip that doesn’t move well anymore. That fender- bender car accident that a couple of weeks or months later has you turn your entire torso instead of just turning your head. Or that life-saving surgery that leaves us with a stiff back and limited movement.
Our joints are designed with a certain
level of horizontality for correct bio-me- chanical usage. Many times, tennis elbow (tendonitis) is the result of the shoulder being too tight, not fully functioning so that the elbow is asked to do more motion than it was actually designed to do. That strain pattern begins to put wear on joints and creates a pattern of pain and stiffness.
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emember watching a slinky roll itself down the stairs? It was one continu- ous metal coil that effortlessly fl owed
When I was growing up, my dad had a
“bad back”. When his back would “go out” he was in bed for days not moving and sucking down pain killers and muscle re- laxants. People back then were told to wait out the pain and lay low. What we know now is that movement creates the ease that we need to overcome the stress and strain of the spasm. What we need is circulation which brings that healing blood fl ow to the affected area.
We all know people who have had hip replacement surgery, they are up later that day, walking a bit, moving as much as they are able. As they progress, the major rehab is “walk, walk, walk”. Movement is key for a body to get strong and remain strong. Unfortunately, we live in a culture that rewards long hours at a desk and comput- ers. We are all guilty of binge-watching or letting kids play endless hours of video games. We get less sleep, less exercise and
have become more and more sedentary. We seem to lack the balance that keeps us happy and healthy.
In my practice as a Rolfer, I work with
people who are wanting to restore the natural movement that they once had after an injury, trauma or accident. That is what Rolfi ng® is all about. Over the years, I have had the honor and privilege of working with scores of people who have done just that…they got their “slinky” back!
Take Rob. He is a healthy, strong
working man who loves to golf. I met him several years ago when he got tired of his back acting up a few times a year. It would feel somewhat weak at fi rst, then would go into painful spasms that would side-line him for some time. Then came the “wait it out” phase, when he was no longer in pain, but was not able to swing his club or sit for long since his back was still not right. This was a cycle from year to year.
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