Structural Bodywork
An introduction for students and practitioners

John Smith (Author)

9780443100109, Elsevier Health Sciences

Paperback / softback, published 26 November 2004

248 pages, 400 ills.
21.9 x 27.6 x 1.7 cm, 0.73 kg

"The author displays an in-depth knowledge of all the currently taught philosophies, presenting many paradigms of manual medicine that are concurrent with contemporary care: massage, yoga, acupuncture, Pilates, Alexander technique, Rolfing, Feldenkrais, osteopathy and chiropractic. Smith has ably summarised the work of other practitioners, individualised some of his own contributions and produced a practical 'how-to' manual with a clear and simple working protocool." Complementary Medicine"This is an essential purchase for chiropractors that focus on soft-tissue technique, as it provides an intelligent, yet highly readable, discussion on structural bodywork, building on the theories of Ida Rolf (Rolfing) and Feldenkrais. It focuses on the issues of posture and structure and the functional limitations that arise from them and presents a broader context of discussion that includes chiropractic."Chiropractic Journal of Australia, December 2005

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 clinical 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.

• Content is highly readable, academically sound, and grounded firmly in bodywork practice.
• Previously unrelated theories are discussed and applied to practice.
• The well-known theories of Rolf and Feldenkrais are reviewed.
• A comprehensive practical manual section provides numerous techniques and models for a variety of musculoskeletal skeletal problems.
• Numerous illustrations provide a better understanding of text content.

PrefaceAcknowledgementsSection 1: Background and History of Structural BodyworkStructural bodywork: An overview A brief history of structural bodyworkStructural bodywork in the context of other complementary therapiesWhat is structural bodywork?Structural bodywork – some frequently asked questionsSection 2: Our Somatic OrganisationThe mapping of manThe techniques of structural bodyworkStructure and functionThe connective tissue networkThe oscillatory properties of the fascial networkSection 3: Practical ManualA catalogue of some common postural dysfunctionsSome useful models for working with structurePracticum – assessment, technique and strategy in structural bodyworkA first approximation to balancing structureWorking in the sagittal planeWorking on the frontal planeWorking on the transverse planeWorking with the shoulder girdlesWorking with the external rotation of the leg

Subject Areas: Chiropractic & osteopathy [MXH], Complementary medicine [MX]