District Rolfing Structural Integration

10/12/2021

What to let pain researchers know what you think is useful for dealing with back pain? Not a healthcare/massage practitioner? Here's your chance - an online survey conducted by a researcher in Australia. It takes 15-20 minutes. Feel free to forward. [I am not involved in this research in any way].

Study link: https://research.sc/participant/login/dynamic/357D02E3-DB25-43BB-9999-8E1821F26E40

Study description:

Low back pain is the leading cause of disability in the world. Research has shown that back pain is complex and influenced by many factors such as the things happening in your body, what you do, what you think, your interactions with family, friends, and health care professionals, and loads of other factors.

Imagine you experience back pain and decide to seek help from a healthcare professional. You might imagine that the information you receive about your back pain and its underlying factors would be consistent, especially from healthcare practitioners within the same profession. However, this is unlikely (1, 2). Although we have evidence based guidelines for treating back pain, research has shown that there is a large discrepancy in how healthcare practitioners tackle similar issues (1, 2)

There may be pros and cons influencing how a person with back pain feels about their situation and how helpful they find these different approaches. Although we know that it is vital that people with pain find someone they trust and who works for them, there may be hidden problems with approaches that seem helpful, and perhaps even benefit from approaches that seem unhelpful!

It is essential that we better understand what does and does not help people with low back pain. So, we’re asking!

We have constructed a novel online survey for anyone with or without back pain. This unique survey will place you in a virtual scenario where a fictional you will experience back pain and then receive treatment! Along the way we want to hear your thoughts about what you would do.

If you are a healthcare practitioner working with people with pain, sorry, this survey isn’t for you. But you can still help by sharing the link to the survey with everyone you know - anyone with or without back pain can take the survey.

If you are not a healthcare professional working with people in pain, aged between 18 and 80, with or without back pain, you can follow the link HERE to complete the survey, and help us better understand low back pain and the best way to treat it. Your thoughts will be extremely helpful.

The 15-20 minutes that it takes to complete the study is precious to us, and those living with pain – so we thank you in advance! And again, please share the link with a friend or family member you care about. It will likely give you some interesting things to talk about after - with some great info about back pain right at the end!

Brendan Mouatt
Body in Mind Research Group
IIMPACT In Health, Allied health & Human Performance
University of South Australia

Make the world a better place by participating in cutting edge behavioural research

08/17/2021

Todd Hargrove trained as a Rolfer and then pursued training in Feldenkrais. Here are the most interesting articles he read this week - worth going through! One on how building muscle improves immune function as we age and another addressing whether you can run with a meniscus tear (yes!).

Forecast errors, octopuses, and baseball slides

07/24/2021

Can mental imagery help elite sports performance? As this clip shows, yes! Can it improve everyone else move better in daily life? Yes!

Paralympian Matt Stutzman, born without arms, has become a world-class archer by shooting with his feet. He trains in remote Iowa, where his only competition is…

07/16/2021

Cutting edge Australian PT David Butler's advice to a friend with severe back pain: "Just like love doesn’t come from the ge****ls, pain doesn’t come from the back!!!! " 😂

Full letter here - best practice for back pain in less than a page:

David Butler writes to a good friend about back pain, disc herniation, leg pain, scans, surgery, and his 10 point plan to a beautiful back

06/14/2021

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/01/well/live/the-secret-life-of-pain.html?action=click&module=At%20Home&pgtype=Homepage

Over a decade I had become adept at hiding the unexplained pain that racked my back and joints.

04/21/2021

What does beautiful posture look like? Free, open, effortless & functional.

03/09/2021

Looking forward to listening to this podcast- a fascinating topic!

Welcome to the second episode of the Better Movement Podcast. I’m very excited that my good friend Stephan Guyenet agreed to be a guest.

02/20/2021

Any thoracic or abdominal surgery creates some scar tissue, and the potential for increased tension and imbalance. It may not be as dramatic as for this woman, for whom breast reconstruction surgery created a nerve entrapment years later, but might be felt as a pinch, a stuck spot, or decreased movement. Rolfing & visceral manipulation can help ease and balance the tissue after a surgery and aid in long-term recovery.

One surgeon’s open-mindedness led to a successful fix others had dismissed.

02/10/2021

A lovely story of the author's journey away from pain through PNE - pain neuroscience education. Almost all pain - even pain with a clear physical cause - is modulated by emotions and beliefs; for much pain, particularly chronic pain, working with emotions and beliefs - can be the key component of getting out of pain. Awareness that your body isn't broken and that you're not damaging your body by routine movement can be the first step.

“These psychological components don’t mean the pain isn’t real. It’s a real phenomenon. It’s a biological phenomenon.”

How I thought about my body was all wrong.

11/23/2020

"We’re all living in challenging times, and we’re all at high risk for disrupted body budgets. If you feel weary from the pandemic and you’re battling a lack of motivation, consider your situation from a body-budgeting perspective. Your burden may feel lighter if you understand your discomfort as something physical. When an unpleasant thought pops into your head, like “I can’t take this craziness anymore,” ask yourself body-budgeting questions. “Did I get enough sleep last night? Am I dehydrated? Should I take a walk? Call a friend? Because I could use a deposit or two in my body budget.” "

In stressful times, this surprising lesson from neuroscience may help to lessen your anxieties.

11/22/2020

Here's a great way to learn VM1 anatomy - with Play Doh!

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