Painful Rolfing Massages Attract Adherents, Including a Shearman Partner
Rolfing massages are experiencing a resurgence as the younger generation embraces the sometimes painful deep-tissue workout.
The massage was popular in the 1970s, when it was spoofed in the Burt Reynolds football movie Semi-Tough. Now young New Yorkers are seeking the treatment, which focuses not just on muscles, but also on the connective muscle tissue called fascia, the New York Times reports.
“Could Rolfing be one Madonna endorsement away from becoming the next Pilates?” the story asks.
One adherent is Beau Buffier, described in the story as a 35-year-old partner at a corporate law firm in New York. A Google search shows he is a partner at Shearman & Sterling.
Buffier told the newspaper he started getting Rolfing massages after he injured his neck and shoulder in a fall. He continued to experience pain, despite surgery and physical therapy, all while he was dealing with the stresses of a high-stakes job. He tried the massage—and it worked.
“It’s dealing with the physical manifestations of something that’s kind of emotional or spiritual,” Buffier told the publication. He has also managed to lose 20 pounds and lower his blood pressure.
