What is Structural Integration?
Structural integration is a form of manual therapy and movement education that focuses on improving the body’s alignment, balance, and overall organization in gravity. It works with the body’s connective tissue (fascia) and movement patterns to address strain, compensation, and inefficiency that can build up over time due to injury, repetitive use, posture, or stress. Rather than treating isolated symptoms, structural integration looks at how the whole body functions as an interconnected system and aims to restore more ease, support, and coordination throughout that system.
Who is structural integration for?
Structural integration is for anyone who has limited mobility, poor posture, or athletes who want to improve their form and optimize their muscle engagement. Treatment combines manual therapy and movement education in order to focus on improving the body’s alignment, balance, and overall organization in gravity. It works with the body’s connective tissue (fascia) and movement patterns to address strain, compensation, and inefficiency that can build up over time due to injury, repetitive use, posture, or stress. Rather than treating isolated symptoms, structural integration looks at how the whole body functions as an interconnected system and aims to restore more ease, support, and coordination throughout that system.
how does structural integration work?
For people with musculoskeletal pain and movement limitations, structural integration can help by reducing unnecessary tension, improving joint mobility, and creating more efficient movement patterns. As the body becomes better organized, muscles often no longer have to overwork to provide stability, which can ease chronic pain and fatigue. Many people also experience improved posture, greater range of motion, and a clearer sense of how their body moves in everyday activities. Over time, this combination of hands-on work and movement awareness can support lasting changes, helping people move with less pain, more resilience, and greater comfort in daily life.
How does structural integration work with acupuncture?
Structural integration works well alongside acupuncture and cupping for musculoskeletal issues. Acupuncture often helps reduce pain, calm the nervous system, and improve circulation, which can make the body more receptive to structural change. Structural integration then builds on these effects by addressing the mechanical and movement patterns that contribute to strain and discomfort. Together, they can offer a more comprehensive approach—acupuncture helping to regulate and relieve, while structural integration supports lasting changes in posture, movement, and tissue organization—so relief is not only felt, but more easily maintained over time.