WHAT IS STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION?

 

Anatomy Trains Structural Integration (ATSI) involves the use of hands on techniques to manipulate the myofascia (muscles and fascia) to reorganise the body’s structure. The goal is to bring your body into a postural alignment that is unique to you and your environment by unwinding the strain patterns that have developed over our lifetime. As a result it can be excellent in helping with many long-term chronic problems such as back ache, neck and shoulder pain. These changes often flow into an improved wellbeing and quality of life.  

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ATSI is a form of structural integration that incorporates the Anatomy Trains concept developed by Tom Myers into its 12 session series. The Anatomy Trains is a tool that enables the ATSI practitioner to see the soft tissue connections throughout the body. Anatomy Trains allows your ATSI practitioner to see your body as a whole rather than a collection of individual parts. Structural integration aims to integrate all these parts so we can move through life more efficiently.

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The real potency behind the Structural Integration approach is that it is fundamentally a system-oriented rather then symptom-focused modality. Although many people come to Structural Integration to resolve pain or immobility, the intent and effectiveness of the approach is in unwinding or easing the strain pattern underlying the complaint. Many shoulder injuries and neck pain, for instance, are caused by the lack of support from the rib cage – where the ribcage maybe compensating for an unbalanced pelvis and so forth.  The value of global over local treatment for chronic injury or compensation can be appreciated over a lifetime.

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A Structural Integrator practitioner has advanced training and understanding of the body’s organ of movement - fascia (connective tissue) – and how to resolve body-wide postural patterns with an in-depth knowledge of myofascial connections and has the manual and functional movement skills to effectively alter them.  

 

Anatomy Trains Structural integration features:

The myofascial system consists of muscles (myo) and the connective tissue (fascia) that intertwines the muscles and forms a continuous web throughout the body. The ATSI approach is to free the binding and shortening in these connective tissues, what we refer to as the “fascial network”, and to re-educate the body in efficient and energy-sustaining (as opposed to energy-robbing) patterns. 

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ATSI is typically offered as a series of 12 structured and individualised sessions that work progressively through the entire body to restore its natural balance, ease, and quality of movement – as well as a vivid and accurate self-image through kinesethetic perception and myofascial release.

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There is an appropriate Structural Integration pathway for every individual and strategies will be tailored specifically for you. It is often experienced through a defined series of sessions, each lasting approximately 90 mins, each building upon the last.  The series can be thought of as a personal movement project – an individual and personal process, designed to unwind the strain patterns residing in your body. It will improve your posture, your movement, your energy and your understanding of how your body works.

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WHAT TO EXPECT

This work is carried out on a massage table or bench with the recipient in their underwear. A typical session will start with me assessing your posture - in both standing and in movement. From this visual and functional assessment I will develop a plan based on which areas of the body need either releasing, freeing or bringing awareness to. Photos are sometimes taken before a session as an aid to assessment as well as a reference for the changes that may have taken place over the sessions.

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A big difference between massage and structural integration is the intention of working with the fascia and not just the muscles: fascia binds everything and is our organ of support so it can be manipulated to improve our postures. In a structural integration session, you will be asked to do small movements as I work on an area to help the fascia to release.

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Once the outer layers of myofascia are softened and more open we are then able to work into the deeper myofascia more effectively, and the middle 4 sessions work on these deeper layers which make up our core.

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The final 4 sessions are the integrating sessions and give us both the chance to go back and readdress areas in the sleeve and core which are held particularly tight. These final sessions focus on balancing the pelvic and shoulder girdles as well as the spine, and integrate the sleeve and core so as they work with each other instead of against each other.

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BENEFITS

• Longer lasting results

• Improved posture

• Ease of movement

• Improved flexibility

• Reduced or complete resolution of pain

• Less tension

• Calmer mind

• More energy

• Increased awareness and knowledge

      of how your body works