Structural Integration
What is KMI Structural Integration?
KMI Structural Integration is a hands-on treatment, using touch and movement, to manipulate and re-educate your body’s fascia. It aims to enhance your posture and flexibility, giving long lasting changes by unwinding the patterns of strain that are held in your body thereby restoring its natural balance and grace.
The Structural Integration process consists of a series of 3 or 12 sessions designed to progressively and systematically cover the whole body.
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What is Fascia?
The fascia is the name for the net of connective tissue (or extra cellular material) which forms a single connected entity in your body. Fascia contains 10 times more sensory receptors than your muscles. It forms an organized, communicating structure, a single system that surrounds, unites and separates all your body’s specialized structures. Fascia gives your organs and muscles form, it holds them in shape, without it they would be blobs of jelly. These linings, wrappings and cables form a continuous substance connecting every part of your body to another. We are used to thinking of an individual structure in our body, such as the biceps muscle, but we now know that it is connected to the whole muscular system and rest of the body through the fascia.
Fascia consists of 3 elements:
fibres - collagen (12 types) elastin and reticulin
glue - colloidal gels (heparin, fibronectin & hyaluronic acid) which accomodate change and provide a base for other cells to embed
water - mixes with the glue to give different properties; keeps fibres wet & pliable and allows exchange of other mediums.
By varying the proportions of these 3 elements the fascia can form thick strong bands such as your tendons or looser less dense structures that allow the muscles to move smoothly over each other.
Healthy fascia is in a constantly changing state. It is adaptable, flexible and resilient, distributing the stresses of movement and gravity whilst retaining the shape of its different parts. When placed under duress it dehydrates, shortens, thickens, and becomes restricted and inflexible, which may result in pain and discomfort.
It is these restrictions and shortenings that create your own personal shape, a recognizable pattern of posture and movement.
An interesting article appeared in Men's Health, which you may like to read. Click here to go to it.
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How does fascia become restricted?
Quite easily through living your daily life. From a young age you start to develop strain patterns in your body:
- from accidents,
- being right or left handed,
- the way you sit
- the sports you play,
- through stress,
- trauma,
- inactivity,
- repetitive actions
- and even emotional events.
Everyday actions such as:
- carrying your handbag on one shoulder,
- driving the car,
- working at a laptop,
- slouching in front of the TV
- sitting on a wallet in your back pocket
can all have a long term effect on your body as it makes little compensations and adjustments to support these activities.
Over time these small habits become your posture, lodging in your structure and requiring alterations in your fascia. These changes are rarely helpful. Anything pulling you out of alignment gives gravity a chance to increase that misalignment or needs your body to increase tension in other areas to counteract it.
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Why and how does Structural Integration work?
- Structural Integration lengthens, opens and unwinds the patterns of strain and tension in the fascia allowing adaptability to return.
- The fascia re-hydrates and resumes its healthy, resilient state.
- Your body will welcome the restoration of its natural alignment, giving a feeling of ease, balance and fluidity of movement.
- The use of the my hands provides warmth and pressure and a sensory reconnection
- The small movements I ask you to do provide friction and mechanical motion allowing the fascia to adapt and adjust.
- This can improve posture by giving the muscles space to move and the joints improved freedom.
The wonderful thing is that your new posture simply becomes part of who you are and not something that you have to consciously work at or repeatedly see a practitioner to maintain.
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What is the background of KMI?
KMI (Kinesis Myofascial Integration) was developed by Thomas Myers, who studied with Dr Ida P Rolf, the originator of Structural Integration, before her death in 1978. (Dr Rolf gained a PhD in biological chemistry in 1920 and conducted research for 12 years. In an attempt to find a solution to her own health problems she explored diverse systems of healing and manipulation, including homeopathy, osteopathy, chiropractic and yoga.) With the help of modern research into the nature and characteristics of connective tissue Thomas Myers has developed the Anatomy Trains concept, which are pathways for tensile communication throughout the body.
See www.anatomytrains.com for more info
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Do I really need 12 sessions?
- The 12 sessions build one upon the other to ensure your whole body has been systematically treated.
- There are clear session strategies that will take account of your individual patterns.
- As each part starts to unwind, it may trigger further changes allowing the process to continue between each session.
- It is possible to have 3 sessions, but there are limitations as to what can be achieved in this timescale.
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What to expect during a session
- At the first session we will discuss your medical history, your goals and aspirations for the sessions.
- At each session you will be asked to undress to your underwear (or vest and shorts if you feel more comfortable) and I will assess your posture and plan the session accordingly.
- Sessions last between 60 - 90 minutes, depending on your body and its structure.
- The sessions are carried out on the couch, seated and sometimes standing.
- I will use my hands or forearms to apply pressure and ask you to make small movements at the same time.
- The session should be a comfortable experience for you as I am skilled at working at the correct depth and speed to achieve release of the connective tissue without discomfort.
- The aim is for us to work together for optimum release so I will encourage open communication with you.
- Sessions are best carried out every 7-14 days to allow your body and mind time to process and enjoy the changes that are taking place.
- Structural Integration is an individual process; no two people will have the same experience. For some there may be dramatic physical changes, for others these may not be so obvious, but most important is how you feel in yourself. Positive emotional and psychological changes are often experienced.
- Please be aware that I may not address an area of pain in the first session. Structural Integration is not a method of symptom relief, but a whole body protocol. As patterns of strain start to release you may find your symptoms have altered or disappeared.
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Who can benefit from Structural Integration?
Absolutely everyone.
If you have
- long term pain
- a chronic condition
- aches and pains
- feel ‘out of sorts’
- in need of a change
- or just want to try something new
We have all developed areas of tension, holding and postural compensations that we live with throughout our lives, usually below our level of consciousness and so we can all benefit from Structural Integration.
From children to the not so young, the process is designed to take account of your needs. Allowing your body to work with gravity, not against it, will give you ease and fluidity of movement, your body will be able to function better and simply living your life will take less effort.
Uncertain whether Structural Integration is right for you?
Feel free to call me for a chat - click here to go to the contact page. I am happy to arrange an appointment for you so we can discuss how I may help you. You could try 3 sessions and see how you feel, this will enable you to make an informed decision whether to continue with the full series - I would be surprised if you didn't!
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