CHARTING THE SCIENCE OF

Structural Integration

Transforming the scientific paradigm for the way the human body is perceived and treated, using structural integration, in medical and integrative health settings worldwide.
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Support A Major Structural Integration Research Study

Effects of Rolfing Structural Integration on Biomechanical Tissue Properties and Functional Outcomes

YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL BE DOUBLED!
The Rolf Research Foundation will match all donations dollar for dollar up to a combined value of US $30,000.

Who & Where: My name is Katja Bartsch . I am a PhD student at the Department of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg in Erlangen, Germany, and a board-certified Structural Integration practitioner.

What: My research project, which is supervised by Robert Schleip, will measure the effects of Structural Integration on posture, pain, range-of-motion, and tissue stiffness, building on our recently published  Influence of Rolfing Structural Integration on Active Range of Motion: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Data will be collected from subjects being treated in a SI training course run by the European Rolfing Association at their center in Munich.

Value: This project will contribute significantly to the scientific understanding of SI which is quite limited at present, and to the acceptance of SI by medical institutions and the general public.

Appeal: We have no outside funding at present, and your contribution will be greatly appreciated! It will support the costs of equipment, laboratory and investigator time, conference presentations and publication.

EVENTS

7th International Fascia Research Congress
DATE: August 10-14, 2025
LOCATION: New Orleans, LA

MORE INFORMATION

NEWSWORTHY

Funding Opportunities

NIH funded centers for manual therapies research:

Neuroscience of Massage
ForceNET
SPINEWORK

New Resources
Videos from the 2022 International Consortium on Manual Therapies (ICMT):

Introduction to Structural Integration
Structural Integration Techniques
Hypothesized Therapeutic Mechanisms

Structural Integration Library
We are building an online library of Structural Integration published research papers. The library is searchable by title, author, year, content type, or keywords.

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ABOUT THE FOUNDATION

Ida P. Rolf Research Foundation

As a biochemist and researcher, Dr. Ida P. Rolf was keenly interested in researching the field of Structural Integration (SI).  This foundation strives to fulfill her legacy.

The Ida P. Rolf Research Foundation is a 501(C)3, non-profit organization established to encourage and support evidence-based studies of Structural Integration’s effects and its implications for conventional and complementary health care.  The Foundation was created with generous support from the Rolf Institute® of Structural Integration, Boulder, Colorado.  The Rolf Institute provided the initial financing and talent.  Since then, the Foundation has been an independent entity that seeks to advance the entire field of Structural Integration and all recognized schools of SI.

The Foundation is dedicated to growing the symbiotic relationship between science and therapeutic practice. Our focus on the collaborative research is grounded in over 40 years of experience improving the human condition through Structural Integration, as originally taught by Dr. Rolf. Advancements in scientific tools and research methods are increasing our understanding of the practice of Structural Integration and uncovering shared interests with other fields.

 

RESEARCH SUPPORT

Donate

The Foundation issues grants focusing on bringing together scientific, medical and related professionals with Structural Integration practitioners to explore, define, verify and expand the scientific basis of Dr. Rolf’s concepts and their role in improving the human condition.

Charting the Science of

Structural Integration

VISION

Transform the scientific paradigm for the way the human body is perceived and treated, using structural integration, in medical and integrative health settings worldwide.

The Ida P. Rolf Research Foundation (IPRRF), introduced in 2007 at the First International Fascia Research Congress, encourages and supports interdisciplinary, scientifically sound research focusing on the therapeutic mechanisms, clinical effects, longer-term health effects, and utilization of Structural Integration, a therapeutic method designed to evoke whole body improvement of function and well-being.

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