Structural Integration is an organized massage therapy bodywork system that manipulates the putty-like connective tissue in the body. Connective tissue surrounds each muscle group, each muscle, and each muscle fiber, is found everywhere in the body and literally connects one end of the body to the other. For this reason it is said to be systemic, meaning one can manipulate the connective tissue in the foot and affect the head. Ergo the song: “the ankle bone’s connected to the… shin bone”. When massaging the muscles, a chemical is released in the body that allows the connective tissue to soften and become more pliable to lengthen and broaden. This enables a contracted muscle to expand to its natural state, restoring balance to the musculoskeletal system. To this end, Structural Integration is designed to bring the body back into postural alignment by manipulating the entire musculoskeletal system.
Structural Integration requires a minimum of ten sessions that are approximately one and a half hour in duration. Unlike standard bodywork, or massage therapy that tends to address muscular issues as they arise, each Structural Integration session has an overarching intention similar to that of building a house. There is foundation that is laid, a structure that is built (or rebuilt in the case of the body) and then the finishing touches. Most traditional massage therapy does not work from a model that is systemic.
Healing on the Bay, Inc. 