Session 2: Rolfing™ Experiencing with Charles - Your Feet are Your Foundation

As we talked about before, Rolfing really focuses on the connections throughout the body, and how they interact or restrict movement in other parts. Coko explains that even if you are having a problem in the upper body, lets say tightness through the upper back, it doesn’t make sense to make adjustments there until you have a strong foundation. Think about a stack of building blocks that is crooked. If you adjust the ones on top before you adjust the bottom ones, you will have to go back and re-do the upper ones again after.

It’s been over a month since my first session (summertime fun, and I had also put back on a little weight), so I had expected things to go back to the way they had before. I was pleasantly surprised that the improvements had stayed!

http://www.freeimageslive.com/galleries/workplace/education/pics/stack_of_blocks.jpg

Before this session Coko had me walk on a treadmill and recorded my gait. It was a little slower than my normal walking speed so I felt very unbalanced, especially on my right side, trying to cope with the lower speed. As a foot specialist, I felt I was always very aware of how I walked and how my feet were hitting the ground. However, this takes into account that I normally have shoes on, which provide a wider contact base. I’ve always had some issues with my right foot being weaker, but I’ve worked on strengthening it through the use of accommodative arch supports and exercises.

[picture of before 1 and before 2, front and side]

I generally seem to put more weight on my left foot, which creates tightness in the right side of the body as it is not being used as much, as you can see in the above photos.

During the treatment, we worked mostly on the feet and legs, encouraging ankle ROM and releasing of tension through flexion and extension at the ankle with breathing. Mid-way through the session after working the left side of the body, she had me get up and walk around. This is one of the most interesting parts of the session as you can directly compare the two sides. I could feel a huge difference, and really notice the tension on the right side in comparison.

Walking : Before session 2 - After session 2

After the treatment, we hit the treadmill again at the same speed, and what a difference! My gait was smoother and I had no trouble adjusting to the slower speed. I was much more aware of the weight transferring over from my heel strike to my big toe. I’m interested to see how the rest of my body adapts as we move upwards.