Client Experiences

I don’t believe in miracles, I only believe in what is proven to work. I am not really sure what I expected when I walked into my first Rolfing appointment with Allison Benner. Perhaps more pain and theory or another therapy that helped but didn’t ultimately live up to its promise. Whatever I had thought was wrong. After half of my life being repeatedly injured ( I was a terrible and clumsy motorcycle racer) and the second half trying to repair the damage, I had finally found a process that worked. A healer instead of a practitioner… I rarely had to tell Allison what I needed, she already knew. I turned 71 last week and my back and hips are virtually pain free, and have now been longer than for any period in my long adult life. Joints, muscles, hands and feet are working as they haven’t for decades. And that’s the truth. Thank you Allison.

Allison Benner allowed me to realize I did not have to live with the pain I had been enduring for more than 15 years. After countless sports injuries, a car accident, and working in front of a computer for 10 hours a day, I felt spent and depressed that the condition of my body and spirit would never change. The first time I met with Allison, the pain in my lower back was extremely intense, but had been with me for so long, that I did not realize how bad it had become. I no longer touched, leaned, or otherwise engaged my back and hips. My feet would go completely numb and my calves seized up when I went for a walk. This was because I was holding my posture and joints in such a tense state to mitigate the pain in other parts of my body. My shoulders were constantly sore from holding the same working position, creating a numb sensation in my neck and shoulder blade. I felt that this was simply the way my body worked, and that I had to accept it, which left my body and spirit feeling disconnected. After meeting with Allison for the first time, I realized that I did not have to live this way. The release I felt within my back was immediate and long lasting. Allison worked with me to regain my natural footfall and end the numbness in my calves and feet. She gave me stretches and exercises to do outside of our sessions, and encouraged me to get up from my computer hourly, do pilates, yoga, go for long walks, and dance. I had never even thought I could dance without pain. Now I try to dance at least once a week, hike with my daughter, take yoga classes when I can, and otherwise live my life feeling whole. I was able to have a natural birthing experience with my daughter, which I was once told by a doctor would be impossible given my injuries. Allison has not only helped my body to recover through her Rolfing technique, but has connected me to a network of natural health practitioners in Denver which I now consider part of my continuing healing process. I don't know where my mind and body would be without the thoughtful, caring, and experienced approach Allison Benner offers.

"My 7 year old son, Dean, is a very active and wild boy. He has complained of headaches and backaches in the past (too many flips on the trampoline!) Allison suggested Rolfing. When she began working on him, I was so amazed at how much of his body tissue was twisted and knotted! After all he is still so little and perfect, right?! After she had Rolfed him only once, his complaints went away. I am so grateful to Allison and Rolfing because now I can do something to prevent injury down the road for my active kid." - Danielle, Dean's mom

Rolfing with Allison has changed my life. I have scoliosis and have dealt with chronic back pain for most of my life. Before finding Allison, I had tried nearly everything I knew of (except surgery) to try and alleviate the pain--including rolfing with a different practitioner. My first rolfing experience was educational, but I really didn't feel as comfortable and "heard" when I described my pain. It felt as though there was a set routine no matter the individual issues. I noticed immediately that Allison's approach was different and felt more tailored to me. Her exceptional intuition, experience, and education enables her to pinpoint the root cause(s) of the pain and not only does she relieve it, she also teaches techniques to incorporate in everyday life for proactive care to prevent pain. I've been seeing Allison regularly for a few years now and I highly recommend her to everyone I know!

I was a little hesitant and apprehensive before my first visit with Allison. I had heard about Rolfing and how painful it could be. But, at that point in my life, I was tired of being in pain all the time and feeling like, as I got older, it would only get worse. I have scoliosis in my back and neck and I was finding that my pain resulting from how my body had adjusted itself to the curvatures was creating more and more pain. When I met Allison, I found her very knowledgeable about Rolfing and body mechanics in general. She has a great energy about her that immediately put me at ease. She worked on me that day and I already started feeling a difference in my body. Rolfing can hurt but Allison is very aware of this and she is very attuned to how my body responds to what she is doing. She never wants anything to be painful as it will not produce good results if the body has to react to the pain it is feeling. I have been seeing Allison now for about a year. I really wish we had taken "before" and "after" pictures. I really did not think it would ever be possible, but she has been able to transform my body from being in pain to actually being virtually pain free. I would highly recommend Allison as I could have never gotten to this place without her.

It is my honor and privilege to write a testimonial about Allison Benner's Rolfing practice. I first came to Allison 7 or 8 years ago after trying multiple other modalities to address chronic low back pain. After one full series, my low back pain was gone and the pain has never returned. More recently, I was in a car accident resulting in months of multi-week severe headaches. After a lot of physical therapy without any lasting relief, I sought out Allison's services. I am experiencing a significant decrease in headache frequency, duration, and intensity and I have complete confidence that I will be free from headaches soon. Allison's expansive knowledge of the body combined with a truly incredible eye for noticing even the slightest dysfunction in how the body moves, sits, or stands results in efficient diagnosis and treatment planning. Allison's unique skill set also includes her knowledge of the body's ability to relieve and resolve symptoms of past traumas by focusing on the patient's body sensations. Allison pulls wisdom from her training and experience as a Kundalini Yoga teacher regarding the movement of energy and the power of breath to further support her clients. Allison's depth and breadth of knowledge results in a very supportive, well-rounded, and effective healing experience. I';m a very grateful believer in Rolfing and of Allison.

I was diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis 37 years ago when I was thirty years old. The ever increasing pain I experienced made it difficult to continue my active lifestyle and even daily activities like standing and walking. The surgeon I consulted told me I would be a “crippled little old lady” if I didn’t have a spinal fusion so deciding out of fear, I had three back surgeries and a hip replacement (because one “fix” caused the next problem). PTs and new docs and pain meds were of little help and then I found Allison. I now am able to walk without pain. Because of the radical changes I’ve experienced so far, I am confident that soon I’ll be hiking and snowshoeing again! Because I have more energy and I’m feeling so much better I am now able to, fairly consistently, focus on self-care in all dimensions of my life. Allison is an amazing woman; wise beyond her years. Her healing gifts provide the foundation of her work and she is continually pursuing additional knowledge and training in order to provide her clients the most current healing treatments. She is gentle, very intuitive, curious and very funny! Her positive attitude and perspective are inspiring.

I found out about Rolfing four years ago while searching for a way to help with back pain caused by scoliosis and sitting at a desk all day. I decided to try it out based on all of the positive things I read online and I have not been disappointed. I didn’t notice any drastic results right away but after several sessions my normal began to shift from discomfort and pain in my back to not noticing it at all. My scoliosis also became less noticeable and a family member that I had not seen in a while commented that I looked taller. I have continued to do sessions every month or two to keep everything where it’s supposed to be and to take care of new issues that come up, whiplash being one of them. Allison is an intelligent, caring person who is dedicated to her work. She has taken the time to learn about me and give me advice on how to prevent issues from coming back. She is also trained in other practices such as yoga and craniosacral therapy which she has used to enhance her work on me. I highly recommend Allison to anyone who is considering trying out Rolfing.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Allison for two years now. I originally came to her for problems in my low back associated with a herniated disc. Her methods and practices have given me so much physical relief, but a session with her goes beyond her physical touch. She is not only a healer, but a teacher as well. Her knowledge of the body and all it's systems, and how our brain communicates with all those systems is what truly makes her special. She shares this knowledge with you as she works with you. Whether it's a recommendation for an exercise at home, or a better pair of shoes, or a great book to aid you in your healing, she is there to help you get well. I have not only benefited from her therapy, but her knowledge as well. I have learned so much about my body and am in a much better place physically and mentally because of her. Before I met Allison I thought perhaps I would have to resign myself to living In pain. After working with her, I know that couldn't be further from the truth. I hope she never stops doing what she's doing!

A year ago I survived a serious neck injury. I broke three vertebrae in my neck, C1, C6, and C7 from a diving accident. Throughout my recovery, I have been interested in learning and experimenting with different modalities to relieve my neck and low-back pain, and my deteriorating posture.

I am always excited yet a bit skeptical when trying a new practice of any kind. After my first session with Allison, I felt an immediate response from my body. Not only did my body seem more relaxed and at peace, but it felt balanced and realigned.

Since my first session was such a positive experience and because I felt instant relief from Allison's work, I returned to become a regular client of Rolfing. After a few more sessions with Allison my neck and low-back pain had significantly decreased and I could sleep comfortably through the night. Range of motion in my neck increased dramatically and my entire body was more at ease. I feel very comfortable with Allison and really enjoy her style of practice. She has an amazing energy while working with you and is very tuned into your body. She is very specific and clear in the way she explains her techniques as well as the results from her work. I am a complete advocate of Rolfing and love what it has done for me physically as well as mentally!

Ten years prior to discovering Rolfing I had a herniated disk in my back(L4-L5), a ruptured disk (L5-S1) and had surgery to repair the damage. That "repair" lasted for about three years before the pain started coming back. The pain became part of my daily life. Everyday was painful, some days severely, but I managed to continue on. After seeing me hobbling around the office a coworker told me about Rolfing and how it had helped his back problem. I was ready to try anything so I called the Rolf Institute and that's how I met Allison. Allison was very patient, understanding and was able to sense my pain. She was always making sure that nothing we did caused me further pain. Allison's professionalism really showed when my hip/back 'locked up' on the table and I couldn't even sit up. She very calmly rolled me over and started working on my sacrum and hips. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I didn't feel anything distinct occur, like the crack of a chiropractic adjustment, but my body knew something drastic had changed. It was very emotional. After that session my back pain was greatly reduced. Since completing the full 10 session series I've had very little, short term, back pain. Perhaps one day a month do I even think about my back. Working with Allison and going through the Rolfing series has changed my life. I used to spend many nights laying on the floor in agony, desperately trying to crack my back to relieve the pain. Now, I am able to enjoy life again. My wife has noticed the improvement in my attitude and general disposition, as have I. And my climbing has improved as well.

After working with Allison through the ten series I was able to reach a new level of physical health. With each session, I could feel dramatic changes in the range of motion in each area of my body. All of my muscle groups started to feel more fluid and after a few months I was the strongest and most pain free I had been in years. Allison was able to correct my form on certain exercises and show me how to properly build up the strength of my lower back. All along, Allison had been emphasizing how important it was to stretch a little each day and would give me little things to do as homework in between sessions. As I became more flexible I noticed a huge increase in the stability of my body. Allison's other passion is Yoga and she blended it seamlessly with my physical development. Allison was able to tailor a routine specifically to my needs and I use it regularly. Rather than just fix my problem, Allison was genuinely interested in educating me to avoid further problems and have a better quality of life. I recommended my sister to Allison who has had chronic back pain due to 15 years of gymnastics and three back surgeries with varying degrees of success. After going through the same process of Rolfing and Yoga my sister is now pain free and my entire family credits Allison with her new look on life. Fifty years down the road I will credit Allison with my families continued health and well being. She has been an amazing resource and I always look forward to learning something new from her.