- Report: #1488028
Complaint Review: Michael Black Rolfing - Athens Georgia
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Client wrecked by incompetent Rolfer -
Athens, GA, United States
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Updated:
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Michael Black Rolfing
675 Pulaski Street Suite 1100 Athens, 30601 Georgia, United States
Phone:
706-247-6331
Web:
https://www.michaelblackrolfing.com
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Michael Black Rolfing Rolfing Associates of Athens Caused me debilitating neck pain, electric shocks on right side of body, deceived me about techniques he was using Athens Georgia
Michael Black is an incredibly unethical, dangerous, and negligent Rolfing practitioner. His methods left me much worse off than I started. I lost functionality and suffered debilitating neck pain and migraines. I did not have any neck pain before visting him.
About halfway through the series of sessions I began having neck pain. Everytime I reported this to him he ignored it or brushed me off. I started having electric shocks up and down the right side of my body. Then he decided to change his technique but he didn't disclose to me what he was doing.
Unknown to me he started using a different technique called dermoneuromodulation. I never would have agreed to it if I had known what it was all about. Dermoneuromodulation is total quackery that involves very light skin stretching, rather than working through the fascia and deep tissue.
It basically tricks the nervous system into disrupting pain signals so you think you feel better. Within less than an hour after I left his office the neck pain would come right back. He wasted my money for several sessions doing this nonsense.
When I repeatedly asked him to go back to his previous technique he brushed me off or manipulated me back into agreeing with him. I had no idea what he was really doing, I thought this was all just part of Rolfing, but I knew that this change in technique was not working for me.
He finally agreed to go back to using deep tissue work, but on the day I showed up for that session, he did a total switch on me and decided to teach me exercises instead. He took a super condescending attitude with me about it.
I was in pain but his attitude made me feel like I was to blame or not trying hard enough so I pushed through it. The next morning I woke up in absolute agony with neck pain, head pain, face pain, all on the right side. His attitude was totally dismissive at first. Then he admitted that he had been using dermoneuromodulation and that I might want to discuss that with a neurologist.
I was blown away when he told me this because I had no idea he was doing anything other than Rolfing. He deceived me and took my money for something that I never would have agreed to if I had known. I still have neck pain as a result of his incompetence and I am no longer able to do the same kind of work that I did before seeing him.
I wish I had never had any sessions with him. I want to warn people so this does not happen to someone else. This man comes across like he is a good guy and just wants to help, but the reality is he does not care at all what happens to you.
It is all about his own ego and if anything goes wrong he will just defend himself rather than help you. The Rolf Institute does not care either. He clearly violated their code of ethics. I reported him for it and their review board brushed me off for months. When they finally made a decision, no one even sent me the letter until over a month later when I asked for an update.
They determined that he acted in good faith. So this is how they see it, as long as a Rolfer acts in good faith, it does not matter if they cause you harm. As a result of my experience I believe Rolfing itself is very dangerous because it is unregulated and Rolfers are not held accountable for their behavior. There may be some good practitioners out there, but Michael is not one of the good ones.
I would not be able to sleep at night if this happened to someone else and I didn't try to put a warning out. Trust me Michael Black will sleep fine at night after he takes your money, and the Rolf Institute will just ignore you if anything goes wrong. Alby Dean, Les Kertay, Robin Graber, Rebecca Lisak, and Pat Heckmann all left me high and dry on this matter.
Their lack of empathy and common courtesy is so consistent, it seems to be just part of their culture and normal to them. So while I think Rolfing may have some benefits if you can find the right practitioner, it is very risky and if anything goes wrong you will probably not be treated with respect. It is part of their culture to cover for themselves and/or each other and invalidate the client's needs or concerns.
They do not follow or uphold their own code of ethics. Rolfing made my condition worse instead of better. Michael Black is a horrible Rolfer. If he knew what he was doing as a Rolfer, he wouldn't need to supplement with other methods like dermoneuromodulation. He only knows how to help people who have very minor problems with their posture.
He told me that most people don't really need that much work. He also told me you could skip the last 3 sessions in the series and you wouldn't miss anything. They are supposed to complete the whole series with you if you want all 10 because those last 3 are what help integrate the work through your whole body.
He basically skipped the last 3 sessions and I have had problems with my neck, lower legs and feet because of it. I still have knots in the fascia on my right leg where he did not complete the Rolfing. I have neck pain every day with electric shocks running into my arms, my hip, and all the way into my foot.
When he started using dermoneuromodulation on me, I believe he knew he had done something wrong and was trying to cover it up by turning off those pain signals. Research dermoneuromodulation and see what it is, it's not good, it is highly experimental and should not be mixed in with deep tissue work.
Michael Black is not honest about the kind of work he does and he will bait and switch you. He is very shady. My advice is to stay away from him.
