Structural Bodywork

An advanced introduction to the field of structural bodywork which focusses on the issues of postural and functional dysfunction. The text builds on the theories of Ida Rolf (Rolfing) and Feldenkrais and reviews them in the broader context of massage therapy and other complementary therapies based on bodywork techniques including chiropractic. The book is in 3 main parts. Part 1 looks at the background of structural bodywork and how it has developed before defining it as it is understood today. Part 2 looks at the theory of structural body work in more depth and relates it to human anatomy and clincal presentations. It draws together various strands of theory and practice which have not been considered together before but are all related to bodywork practice. Part 3 is a major part of the book and is a practical guide to structural bodywork techniques. This latter section is highly illustrated with photographs and line drawings.

Features

Readable and academically sound without being difficult to read and understand
Grounded firmly in bodywork practice
Brings together previously unrelated theories and relates them to practice
Reviews the well-known theories of Rolf and Feldenkrais and shows how they can sit together and are BOTH relevant to practice
Includes a large practical manual section on techniques and models for different skeletal problems
Highly illustrated
Fills a gap in the bodywork literature

Contents

Preface
Acknowledgements

Section 1: Background and History of Structural Bodywork

1. Structural bodywork: an overview
2. A brief history of structural bodywork
3. Structural bodywork in the context of other complementary therapies
4. What is structural bodywork?
5. Structural bodywork - some frequently asked questions

Section 2: Our Somatic Organisation

6. The mapping of man
7. The techniques of structural bodywork
8. Structure and function
9. The connective tissue network
10. The oscillatory properties of the fascial network

Section 3: Practical Manual

11. A catalogue of some common postural dysfunctions
12. Some useful models for working with structure
13. Practicum - assessment, technique and strategy in structural bodywork
14. A first approximation to balancing structure
15. Working in the sagittal plane
16. Working on the frontal plane
17. Working on the traverse plane
18. Working with the shoulder girdles
19. Working with the external rotation of the leg