Skip to main content

Structural Integration for Better Alignment

Oct 25, 2015 ● By Peggy Malecki

In the early 1980s, when Diane Roth first told people she was interested in massage therapy, she was met with a few skeptical looks. “Back then, people were just starting to understand alternative methods of wellness,” she says. Ignoring the skeptics, Roth studied holistic health in college and moved to Chicago to attend what was then the Chicago School of Massage Therapy. Today she focuses on Structural Integration, which works on the body’s fascia, and has been the sole practitioner at Roth Structural Integration, in Highland Park, for 26 years.

“Structural Integration is a form of bodywork that realigns, reeducates and rebalances the fascia and connective tissue of the body. The fascia is a thin, fibrous tissue that works around our muscles and organs. Ideally, it’s supposed to be smooth and flexible, but it adjusts to accommodate strain and misalignment. The connective tissue gets dried out due to illness, injury and poor lifestyle habits,” says Roth. Sitting at desks, watching TV, stress and other aspects of our modern routines can contribute to bodies getting out of alignment.

Clients come to Roth with a variety of symptoms, but most have to do with pain. “I see a lot of headaches, backaches, chronic pain issues, neck injuries and sciatica. I treat a lot of athletes and people who sit hunched over at a computer all day,” she says. Roth starts by taking a comprehensive medical history and does a “body reading” which allows her to look at how her clients are standing and moving.

Structural Integration is similar to massage, but is generally much more clinical. “What I do is manual therapy with the connective tissue. The bodywork is deep, but should not be painful. It’s slow and deliberate manipulation, working on layers of the tissue. I especially look at relationships—how one part of the body affects another. If a person is having pain in one of their knees, that might stem from an issue in their hip.”

Roth stresses the importance of looking at the whole person, not just the symptoms. “As a holistic practitioner, I also address diet, exercise and lifestyle choices. If clients are repeatedly coming in with chronic problems, I’m going to ask about their nutrition, sleeping habits, movement patterns and stress levels. Part of the treatment plan might include suggesting they get to bed half an hour earlier, cut out artificial sweetener or try to cultivate a better work/life balance,” she says.

While some clients come in for acute problems, others visit on a regular basis for maintenance and as part of their self-care. After clinical issues are resolved, Roth recommends that new clients commit to a 10-session format as a systematic regimen for real change.

In addition to maintaining her board certification as a Structural Integrator, Roth is always learning new treatments for her clients. “I love studying the body and finding new ways I can work with my clients. The more I understand all the different elements, the better I am as a practitioner,” she says.

 

For more information, call 847-533-3213 or visit RothSI.com.