Major Research Study finds Physical Improvement from SI

Date: June 3, 2026

This newsletter focuses on an important study of biomechanical changes from Rolfing® Structural Integration that was recently published in a peer-reviewed journal by a team led by Robert Schleip. They analyzed data that Helen James, a Ph.D. physical therapist and Rolfer™ collected in the course of her private practice during 1982-2005.

Here you can watch our interview with Dr. Schleip, follow up with our brief summary, and then link to more detailed account of how the study was done. If you want to go deeper there are links to the full texts of this and two earlier peer-reviewed studies of Dr. James’ data.

Robert Schleip Interview About Recent Study of Helen James’ Data

Summary

A team led by Robert Schleip analyzed measurements of changes in chest expansion during normal and full breath intake, body symmetry, and hip and knee bending in 563 individuals who had received ten sessions of Rolfing® Structural Integration.

Those measurements and the Rolfing® treatments themselves had both been provided by Helen James, PhD, a physical therapist and Rolfer™ who had recorded them in the course of her private practice over a 23 year period.

The analysis found improvements in chest expansion during full breath intake, body symmetry, and ranges of motion in the hips and knees. The average improvements in chest expansion on full breath intake and in knee range of motion were large enough to be experienced as practical benefits.

The consistency of all types of improvement within this group suggested that SI might be effective at improving the functions that were measured in a more general population.

That needs to be confirmed by further studies that would compare the effects of SI to the effects of other therapies and also to spontaneous improvements that might occur over time with no therapy at all.