MK Rolfing

I had a severe groin muscle tear over 30 years ago. It never healed properly and has been very difficult to stretch without pain. As a dancer and runner, I have been frustrated by this injury. Rolfing was recommended to me as a solution; I finally decided to follow up on the suggestion and found MK Rolfing (Marcel Kempf). I made an appointment on intuition as I had no personal recommendation for Marcel’s work. I was immediately at ease with Marcel and assured of his expertise. Marcel and I discussed the options for treatment; I chose to do the traditional Rolfing 10-session regime as I felt I had more issues to address than the old groin tear. The results of those 10 sessions are as follows: I can stretch my groin muscles without pain, my overall muscle flexibility is much greater, my posture is significantly improved (I find I’m quickly aware of when I’m raising my shoulders or hunching over), my running gait is smoother/easier, and I have a general fluidity in my movement that I hadn’t felt in years. I had heard that Rolfing is very painful but discovered that this is not necessarily true if the practitioner is skilled. Marcel has a gift for reading what the body needs; he applies pressure effectively and knows just when to ease up or move on. Marcel has educated me about the body’s structure, how issues occur, and how to avoid those issues. The 10-session investment has been very worthwhile and I’m so glad I discovered the enormous benefits of Rolfing. I highly recommend Marcel Kempf—treat yourself to a lasting solution to musculature ailments!

Marcel is an exceptional Rolfing practitioner. The results I've had are beyond my expectations. When I started seeing Marcel I had constant hip pain (level 8) and now I only occasionally feel discomfort (level 1-2). In addition to my hip pain being resolved, my entire body feels looser and more agile. I cannot recommend Marcel strongly enough!

I found out about Marcel from the 49ers orthopedic surgeon at the SOAR clinic. Following my professional soccer career, I was plagued with the remnants of my past injuries. My upper back and neck were constantly sore. My knee pain was impacting my ability to exercise. I have tried acupuncture, chiropractic, physical therapy and medications... nothing was helping in the immediate aftermath or long term. The difference that I notice with Rolfing is that it is addressing the root cause of the problem. It focuses on the source of the imbalance or tension and resolves that, so the symptoms are alleviated. It works long term.

I am happy to say the alignment that was causing my knee issues is resolved and I have started to run again. The tension in my neck and back are much improved but will need a refresh time and time again. I will still require maintenance but well worth it.

I recommend MK Rolfing to anyone who has long term pain that needs to be addressed and those with new acute pain. Massages feel good, but they don’t help long term. Marcel has a great sense of what is causing the issue and has a great ability to work with the body to get it to respond so it can heal.

If only I could book an 8 hour session with Marcel! When you have a session with him it will be the highlight of your week! I cannot stress enough what a truly special person and amazingly skilled bodyworker he is.

He is an incredibly gifted Rolfer who listens deeply and really cares about his clients and improving their quality of life and eliminating any and all pain/discomfort. He somehow manages to make the entire session experience pleasant, relaxing and wonderful (which most Rolfers do not do - most are agonizingly painful!).

He asks the right questions up-front in his registration forms which allow him to quickly focus in on making dramatic and quick improvements to the areas of concern, so you will start to see results immediately. He stays in touch with his patients in-between appointments, and truly cares about the progress they make. I have completed 10+ sessions with him - all consistently wonderful and delivering great impact to me - and will continue to see him regularly. I am no longer seeing my other massage therapist as Marcel is by far the most impactful to all of my musculo-skeletal issues.

As a former Stanford athlete and Olympic Trialist, and now mom of four young children, I have had the fortune of working with dozens of massage therapists, chiropractors, Rolfers, bodyworkers, Tui Na Chinese massage therapists, acupuncturists, etc over the last twenty five years. Marcel is the most impactful bodyworker I have worked with and I wish I had found him during my athletic career days! My body, my range of motion and my spirit all feel at least 10 years younger and 20 pounds lighter after a session. He is a gem, and working with him is by far the best investment you can make in helping yourself.

Marcel sure can Rolf. Often times after a session I would feel a level of freedom in my body I could not even remember ever having. He can work out the kinks in your body with deep, deep pressure, but is very attentive and checks in often to make sure that it is at a level you are comfortable with. I'm taking a break from Rolfing because I feel like there is an emotional aspect to my problem that must be worked out, but in terms of working the physical body, Marcel is top notch.