City Rolfer – Greg Brynelson

From years of involvement in various sports to the negative effects sitting all day with a desk job, the accumulated discomfort had finally gotten to me. I reseached various remedies from western medicine to the «holistic» side of things… which ranged from severe consequences (back surgery in my 20s? no thanks), a bridge until the next appointment or nothing. I discovered rolfing through a fellow crossfit buddy and decided to try it out. I started out by doing one session and then ended up doing the entire series.
Thanks to Greg, a lot of my daily pain has now been reduced to minor aches and annoyances expected from any intense physical activity. I’m also much more aware of my bad posture habits that I have and their effects on my health.
Greg is an extremely nice, knowledgeable and genuine guy. Unlike most chiropractors and the related sort, Greg is more interested in fixing you than putting a bandage on you until you sign up for another appointment or trying to convince you to drop a bunch of money on pseudoscience garbage. He will never ever try to pressure you with shady used car salesman tactics.
If you’re experiencing any sort of pain, check out Greg, you will not be disappointed.

This review is WAY past overdue, as I have known Rolfing for more than 10 years and was lucky enough to find Greg a couple years ago, not only he is an expert, he is one of the most honest therapist I have met: he will let you know if he can’t help or/​and when you don’t need his help anymore and are good to go.
I will forgo the compliments, since the ones before mine are 100% accurate. Just remember the sooner you fix your ache, alignment, injuries, the faster you can get back into your sport painlessly.

I have been meaning to write a review for awhile. I had seen Greg a year or so ago. I had no idea what rolfing was about; a patience told me about this and so I took him up on his referral. I had a lot of issues with my body — sore areas, tight spots and I know my posture wasn’t in the proper alignment. Immediately after my first visit, I felt a huge difference and over time I notice how my posture was affecting my overall body. The location is close to Bart and is in the heart of the financial district. As far as the price I take it as getting a message. I will def be back for some minor tune ups. Thanks Greg!

This review is long past due but reminiscing on how Rolfing changed my life, it’s only proper that I share my experience with others. I injured my upper back surfing in late 2007 and after three years of going to through various doctors (including one quack who recommended surgery — I was 26 years old at the time), chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy, yoga (which helped) and even an osteopathic specialist, I experienced some, but no long-​lasting improvement. I was convinced that my injury was chronic and would just have to deal through the pain indefinitely. This was a very dark and debilitating time in my life. Then in 2010, I came across an article on a surfing website wrote by a famous physical therapy who trains surfers and other professional athletics, and this article briefly mentioned this foreign term called «Rolfing» as a potential healing technique for back pain back and misalignment. Greg was located 2 blocks away from my work so I thought why the hell not.
Words cannot express how amazing and life-​altering the treatment was. It turned out (and I had a hunch from my new-​found yoga practice) that my upper back pain was caused by serious misalignment of my body due to extreme tension/​tightness on the left side of my body (shoulder, oblique, hip) that developed through years of surfing and working a physical job as a butcher in college, without ever really stretching. Long story short, after 5 session with Greg, he was able to not only able to REALLY loosen up the deep tissue (myofascia) on my left side, which enabled my spine to fall into proper position, but he also made solid customized recommendations regarding my posture when walking/​sitting/​surfing that I still use today. I highly recommend Rolfing and Greg for anyone who suffers any type of acute of chronic alignment/​tension issues. Greg is extremely genuine, knowledgeable, and confident in his practice which translates to a no-​pressure, no BS, and motivating form of treatment/​maintenance.

I’ve had a hip injury for two years. It was actually a hip flexor injury. Greg fixed it in one session. (I bought 3 so he fixed it on the 3^rd) Thanks Greg!

After rounds of doctor’s appointments and physical therapy for a repetitive strain injury/​tendonitis in both arms, I went to see Greg for 14 or so sessions over about 5 months. He was consistently professional and interested in figuring out what was causing (and how to treat) symptoms that no one had been able to explain. I didn’t need to repeat myself each session because he was paying careful attention. He was always able to explain his approach in a clinical way that made sense to me. I experienced some significant changes in my posture and alignment and have a much better understanding of where some of my symptoms were originating. Unlike other kinds of bodywork I have tried, Rolfing seems to keep working over time. I am still letting the tendonitis heal but am convinced that Greg addressed the underlying issues in my upper back and neck, and helped me figure out how to prevent reinjury. I have moved out of the area but will definitely seek out a Rolfer to help meet address issues as they come up… I definitely recommend Greg to anyone experiencing pain or hoping to head it off by improving their alignment.

My rolfing session with Greg changed my relationship with my body. Greg was able to look and work on where I can make small adjustments so I will move freely and more in tune with my natural alignment. Greg has helped me to have a better body awareness that is becoming second nature. More than ever, I can feel where I am stressing out certain parts and I make adjustments so I can be more relaxed. I feel that more taller; I that I walk more smoother; and that I more one with my body. Rolfing will have a lasting effect on me that I will always be grateful to Greg Brynelson. In every session, I learn something about my body and some tips on how I can improve. He is a very knowledgeable and intuitive therapist./rolfer I can I think everyone should get rolfing experience from Greg.

5 stars because this is the least amount of pain that I’ve been in over the last 10 years.
Yes it’s kinda pricey, and yes it’s a time commitment, but it’s oh so worth it. I did the 10-​session series and by session 3 I felt major improvement. I’ve basically had a really really bad headache for a decade. Sure I started to get «used» to it, meaning I could some what function, but at the price of giving up everything that I loved and living in a state of constant grumpiness. I had tried everything, chiropractic, dozens of physical therapists, back specialists, massage, more specialists and nothing made even a dent in my pain. Rolfing really might be my saving grace.
Greg is fantastic at what he does. He listens and observes. He also teaches you what your body should be doing (which you should listen to because he knows what he’s talking about!). If you’re in pain check out rolfing.

My chiropractor recommended Greg to me for chronic back issues, and I’m glad he did. Chiropractic and rolfing are very different approaches, and if you haven’t heard of rolfing before I recommend learning a little about it. My simple-​minded, layman summary of rolfing is: focused, systematic, structured massage.
Greg took the rolfing framework and applied it very effectively to my specific back issues. Before every session started, he took the time to gauge where my back pain was at, my posture and my walking stride. He then tailored that day’s session with his observations, combined with my personal observations since the last session. I thought this was a very effective approach, and I definitely noticed an improvement throughout my body, not just my back, over the weeks.
If you’re considering rolfing (and you should), don’t hesitate to go with Greg.

I echo everything that previous reviewers have said about Greg. I have known about rolfing for several years, and finally decided to pull the trigger and give it a try. Every rolfer on Unilocal seemed to have rave reviews, so I based my decision on cost, ease of parking (or using public transportation) and years of experience. On all three factors, Greg was the hands-​down winner. And the fact that he is a registered nurse was a plus.
When I met with Greg, he was great. He seemed to really understand my needs, and was able to stick with the 10 session outline created by Ida Rolf, yet made time to address any specific complaints I had that particular week. I recently saw a massage therapist whom I hadn’t seen for nearly a year. She was shocked at how different my body felt, noting that I no longer had the knots and adhesions that have plagued my poor shoulders, back, and hips for years. She couldn’t believe the change in how I felt, and immediately asked for Greg’s contact info. Yes, he’s that good.
A note about pain: I was full of trepidation, because all the Unilocal reviews mentioned pain. I didn’t think my sessions felt very different from a really good deep tissue massage, and I even briefly fell asleep at least once. Then again, massage therapists tend to comment on my high pain threshold. I think most people who get rolfed seem to tolerate it fine, but maybe that’s because the wimps weed themselves out. Just be forewarned — if you can’t tolerate a deep massage, or using the foam roller on tight muscles, you might have a hard time. Greg is very cool and can ease up on the pressure, but if he goes too light, you won’t get any benefit, and might as well just be getting a massage.

Rolfing is something I have been wanting to do for some time now. I used to see this before and after rolfing picture in the Santa Cruz sentinel of this guy all hunched over Quasimodo style, and think, «damn I need rolfing». So now, 5 years later, I finally have the funds to do rolfing.
I just finished 10 sessions with Greg. And I can honestly say that I feel better than I felt before I went. I was having some back and neck issues and feeling pretty crappy about my posture. I can’t say that I am straight as a board now or that I don’t have any pain, but what Greg has done for me is created a foundation upon which I can improve my own posture and has taught me how to adjust my everyday movements to reduce the pain I get.
Rolfing felt really great to me… it hurt like hell, and sometimes I would come home with bruises, BUT, it made me so self aware of just how interconnected things are in my body. The pain is a werid, but good pain and sometimes after a session I would go home and feel so much more alive and aware, it was great…
OK, so I am rambling. If you have done your research, and want to be rolfed, go to Greg. He has a great understanding on anatomy and physiology, he is a really nice down to earth guy and he is super professional. No heady crystals or incense… just good strong rolfing. Oh and he has a blog!

Greg is awesome! If only the current economic crisis didn’t include my bank account, I would be there every week. Yes, rolfing hurts like a mother but it’s the kind of pain that definitely results in gain and Greg makes sure to adjust the pressure to your level of tolerance. I’m a bit of a tough customer because of some surgeries and implants (steel not silicone) but he was very conscious of my needs and informative during the whole process
After my sessions, I’d always drift deliriously to my bus stop wondering what all the suits walking by thought of my messy hair, rumpled clothing and silly smile.
When I finish grad school (in 108 days) and am actually seeing a few plus signs on my bank statement, I’ll be going back to rolfing regularly.

Do some homework, to understand what Rolfing is, and once you understand what Rolfing is, only trust Greg with your body. Simple.
(By the way, if you’ve read my other reviews, which have been very negative… let it note that this is my first POSITIVE review :) He’s great, don’t be shy).

I’ve been to Greg six times over the past six months for a back problem that kept me out of capoeira and had me frustratedly trying acupuncture, acupressure, a chiropractor, yoga, and plain old rest. Greg has been the most helpful for my abused ligament and I feel he’s helped me become more aware about other issues I’ve been carrying around, like posture issues, and tightness issues in some long-​ignored muscle groups. Greg has been through his own back issues, is a nurse, and generally brings a lot of experience to his rolfing practice. Rolfing, or as some of my friends prefer me to say, «structural alignment,» can be painful — be aware. I’ve never been to any other rolfers, but my friend who put me on to rolfing said it’s the nature of the medicine. To his credit, Greg is sensitive to your limits and communicates well; there’s plenty other places you can go in SF if you’re looking for a sadist…
The bottom line is that Greg has helped me reduce pain from a strained ligament in my back, helped me get back in capoeira, he’s a great guy, and I’ve gone back for one tune-​up and plan to be back for more — I recommend Greg to anyone looking for a new perspective on ortho-​muscular issues and for effective treatment that addresses the underlying causes of these issues.

OK, I was torn between five stars and four. Not because I wasn’t totally happy with Greg, but just because I’m sure that somewhere in the world, there probably is a «better» rolfer. But, who knows… maybe not?
My experience with Rolfing is very limited. (Greg is the only person who has ever rolfed me.) So, I don’t have much point of reference there. And so I can only speak about my experience, and let that stand on it’s own.
On top of that, it’s hard for me to say the exact impact that the rolfing sessions had in my life. During my 10 sessions, I combined the rolfing with a wild cocktail of multiple transformational workshops, a 10-​day Vipassana retreat, Tango classes, Yoga, Chi Kung, Holotropic breathwork, and a vacation to Japan. :) Yes, I like to get a little crazy with my self-​development — but hey, that’s why I live in San Francisco.
Over the 10 sessions (combined with the other activities mentioned above), I can no doubt say that I feel much more «in my body» than ever before in my life. I can feel my body more, and it feels better to be in it, walking around and being alive. I feel that my posture has improved. And, at times I’ve even felt intense waves of energy coursing through my body (think that’s mostly from the meditation though).
At certain times during the 10 sessions, I even had very specific moments of feeling «release» in my muscles and fascia. I had the experience of parts of my body being taken care of that had been tight and stuck for years and had never gotten any attention before (mostly in my hips and shoulders).
In the end, I highly recommend Greg. He’s great at what he does and lots of fun too. And, he seems to really be tuned in to my body and what it needs most to return to it’s natural happy state of being.
Thanks Greg!

Okay. First things first, ROLFING is NOT a massage. You don’t go in hoping to relax after a hard day and float into a state of semi-​unconsciousness. This is serious treatment when your body needs work. Greg is really wonderful (especially since you spend each session in a bathing suit or a bra and underwear) and really knows how to get things in alignment. I ran my first marathon recently (and I am NOT a hardcore athlete) and started going to see Greg during my training. For someone who sits at a computer all day, my poor body was getting very sore after each long run. But, I ran that marathon, and within one day I was hardly sore, and within 2 days after, I was COMPLTELY normal — no residual soreness. I give that credit to Greg. I’m currently on session 7 of the 10-​series, and while its not so much fun all the while — the benefits are great.

I’ve been experiencing chronic knee pain ever since having ACL surgery three years ago. I saw multiple doctors and physical therapists, and nothing helped, so I eventually turned to Rolfing.
I went through the 10 Series with Greg last year. It was uncomfortable, but I could feel the difference in my body’s alignment after each session. Most importantly, I’ve also experienced a significant reduction of knee pain. (Ahhh yessss) Greg has a nice office that’s close to the Montgomery BART, and he’s usually pretty flexible regarding appointment times.

If you’ve never tried Rolfing before, give Greg a call. Pretty much everyone has walking/​sitting habits that don’t contribute to proper alignment in the body. However, Rolfing breaks down the out-​of-​alignment tissue to reform and realign your body with gravity.
Greg has the knowledge and strength to really work deep in your body. He’s also careful to adapt his techique to your individual comfort level.
Be forewarned, though: This is not massage! It is a working session to contribute to your long-​term health and well-​being. You feel more free and flexible in your body as you progress. The effect is not temporary.
I can’t wait for my next session!

Greg is a great Rolfing practitioner. I went through the 10-​session series with him, and was able to get relief for chronic neck/​shoulder pain that had been bothering me for several years. He is quite knowledgeable, and put me at ease from the first session. The office he works in is very professional.