Whether through past injuries, prolonged stress, or simply bad habits, we all respond in the same way, by bracing and guarding. This results in less range of motion and more aches and pains. Fortunately, Marquette now has a unique form of manual therapy called Rolfing® that is designed to tackle these age-old problems. Meet Rey Allen, who has been a practicing Certified Advanced Rolf

While Rolfing may not be  well-known in the UP, it has been taught and practiced all over the world since the  1950s, with schools in Colorado, Germany and Brazil. The goal of Rolfing is to create profound and long-term change.  The theory posits that the ways  we stand, move, and even rest are the result of deeply held patterns that  arise  from our  past physical and emotional  experiences. Rolfers believe that even decades-old  patterns of tension and pain  can be changed in a meaningful way, and the practice of Rolfing facilitates this change.

“There is a philosophical bend to Rolfing.  People who have been hurt or feel like they’re buried underneath a pile of tension, they physically withdraw so change requires their participation. Rolfing isn’t a passive therapy,” Allen said. “Real change requires permission, aspiration, and work.”

Rolfing is a systematic and process-based approach  that involves  hands-on manipulation and movement education. The treatment takes place over a series of sessions in order to address the entire body. Rolfing sessions are highly individualized, since every person has different genetic proclivities, movement patterns, and life experiences.

Rey Allen

On his website, Allen explains: “While individual Rolfing sessions can help address specific issues, we know that the body responds to stress and injury by spreading the load across the body and all  its  joints so as to mitigate discomfort and maximize our ability to get up and get through our day. Designed to take place over a series of sessions, each treatment builds on the previous one with specific functions and quality of movement in mind.”

Results vary  from  person to person, but the most common effects are better posture, less pain, and more movement. 

“My job is to free people’s body from being stuck in the past and become more resilient. Rolfing is great for maximizing athleticism and overcoming past injuries, but for many  people  it’s about being able to pick up their grandchildren again, to  sit in the car for a road trip, or  to go on a hike without having a flare-up.”

Allen’s Rolfing practice  was featured in a New York Times story in 2010 and later in  the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in his home state of Texas.  Those articles can be found on Allen’s website,  rolfingmarquette.com, along with information on how to contact him and testimonials from those whose lives  have  improved through Rolfing.”

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Rey Allen, who has been a practicing Certified Advanced Rolfer for nearly 20 years, is shown treating a client. (Photo courtesy of Rey Allen)

This image is an actual photo of a child who received Rolfing in the late 1950s and is now the official registered trademark of the Rolf Institute. Rolfing is a systematic and process-based approach that involves hands-on manipulation and movement education. The treatment takes place over a series of sessions in order to address the entire body. Rolfing sessions are highly individualized, since every person has different genetic proclivities, movement patterns and life experiences. (Image courtesy of Rey Allen)