A chiropractor performs manipulations.  If you believe in bacteria, microbes, and viruses as being causes of diseases (rather than spinal column irregularaties or some such), then chiropracty is not appropriate for a large class of problems.  However, it is probably an appropriate *option* for muscle strains and back trouble (or neck trouble) of a variety of type.  I treatments were occasionally slightly painful for me, but I was in pain when I started (or was in certain positions).  Obviously, if I hadn’t had any complaints, I would not have gone.  I got some help. I sort of went out of curiosity.  I had been to rolfers before, and wanted to try something different.  The “cracking” that the chirpractors do is rather unnerving, but didn’t hurt.

The Consumer Reports had a series of articles about chiropractic a few years ago.  They were not very complimentary. Rolfing (developed by the late Ida Rolf) is a bodywork procedure which attempts to realign the body.  The approach is to apply a moderately painful pressure using elbows, hands, or fingertips as appropriate.  The fascia (a sheath which covers the muscles and gives the body its shape) is stretched by this process and in general the body regains its natural shape.

The two procedures are quite different.  The Rolfing school of thought is that when there is a structural misalignment, the tissue and bone are used to a certain position.  If you move the bone without doing something with the surrounding tissue, the bone will gradually move back to where it was, since that is where the tissue is expecting it.

I got Rolfed in l975 because of pinched nerve in my neck.  I had gone to an orthopedist and he had prescribed an anti-inflammatory and physical therapy.  When I was in traction, I felt fine, but as soon as the pull released, I hurt again.  I reasoned that if Rolfing could let my neck pop up a little, I would feel OK.  That is what happened.

People who get Rolfed usually have some recall of buried psychological material.  Also, they will be emotionally much looser afterwards. The principal drawback is cost.  The normal arrangement is 10 sessions each about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, $75 a throw (LA rates).  They may be a little higher now (1984 — inflation).  I would recommend looking at the before/after pictures in Ida Rolf’s book.  You can see the improvement in how those people are standing.

There is a similar procedure to Rolfing called Heller work.  I cannot comment except to say that my understanding is that it is essentially the same concept.  There may be a slight difference in philosophy. Rolfing was the most powerful thing that I have ever done, at least in a human potential movement sense.  The psychological material just flew up at me, and I had a terrible time dealing with it.  I used to go to Rolfing on Monday, and psychotherapy on Wednesday.  My therapy was and has been much more effective since getting Rolfed.

I’ve been rambling.  One last item:  The benefits of Rolfing are likely to last for some time.  It is a situation similar to the Reichiann (sp?) body armor stuff.  Whatever the situations which caused us to armor ourselves, we are probably better able to cope with that as an adult, or the situation may no longer exist (sibling rivalry, abusive parents, what have you).