Structural bodywork is a holistic remedial therapy that aims to put ‘ease’ and ‘space’ back into your body. The work is based around the different myofascial lines that surround the body, supporting it’s upright position, whilst allowing movement and function.
However, like most things, as we age; do repetitive work or exercise; don’t hydrate well; injuries; bad postural habits; stress; emotional ups and downs; and illness, cause these myofascial lines or places to be restrictive, overstretched or shortened and therefore do not facilitate movement as well as they should any more. Thge tissues will become a little ‘stuck’……
An assessment of the body is carried out to see how you stand, how the blocks of your body stack up, how you walk and how you move. Looking for areas of ‘stuckness’ or restriction, structural bodywork aims to stretch, loosen and mobilise these tissues. Giving the tissues back length, flexibility and elasticity, creating space to allow your body to return to ‘normal’ functioning.
Myofascia is the muscle and the connective tissue. You cannot really have an effect on one without effecting the other. The fascia is a complex, continuous web of connective tissue. It surrounds muscles, muscle groups, nerves, blood vessels, ligaments and joints. It can twist and turn on itself as it works like a giant shock absorber trying to distribute ‘forces’ throughout the body.
It has numerous messengers or feedback systems that work to constantly re-adjust the tension throughout the system, a bit like guys ropes on a tent. However, as it twists and turns, it gets tighter. It forms adhesions, becomes thick and restrictive and does not move as freely as it should.
Ideally our bodies should naturally unwind when we sleep, but many of us sleep in the ‘pole’ position, or the ‘foetal’ position, not really moving at all and some struggle to get good quality sleep. Another way to unwind, is finding an exercise or activity that compliments what you do in daily life. For example, if you are sitting at a desk or stuck behind the wheel of a car then activities like swimming, yoga, pilates or tai chi, can work to put length and symmetry back into the body.
Structural Bodywork is most effective when carried out over three sessions; the lower body, the upper body and then the spine, and the head. In each session you are involved, as function and movement is reassessed as you go. This works to re-educate the body using breath and movement. You may also be given exercises to do at home, to further integrate the work.
