Rethinking Pain: A Holistic Approach to Chronic Issues Western Medicine Can’t Solve Alone

Chronic pain affects millions of people, yet many find themselves cycling through treatments that never address the root cause. Steroid injections, painkillers, and surgeries often provide temporary relief—if any—but rarely promote true healing.

That’s because our medical system excels in emergencies but often falls short in long-term care.

Why Fascia Matters—and Why It’s Often Ignored

Fascia—the body’s connective tissue web—is a major player in chronic pain. Yet, it’s almost never examined in traditional medicine. As a result, people go years without real answers.

Jake Liebman discovered Rolfing after exhausting conventional options for his sports injuries. What finally helped? Working directly with his fascia through integrative, hands-on sessions that aligned his body and calmed his nervous system.

The Emotional Cost of Chronic Pain

When your body hurts, your mind suffers. You move less. You isolate more. Stress rises. Depression lingers. The two are intimately connected, and they must be treated together.

Rolfing and similar modalities address both—the misalignment in the body and the emotional toll it takes.

It’s Time to Rethink Pain

Mainstream medicine is beginning to catch on. Even the VA has conducted studies on the benefits of Rolfing for veterans with PTSD and chronic pain. But access remains a barrier. Insurance rarely covers these therapies, and out-of-pocket costs can add up.

Jake keeps his rates as accessible as possible, knowing that affordability shouldn’t be a gatekeeper to healing. He dreams of a Hawai‘i where integrated care is the norm, not the exception.

Debunking the Pain Myth

A common misconception about Rolfing is that it has to be painful. “It should be therapeutically intense,” Jake says, “but never harmful.” The myth likely stems from its early days, when big hands and deep pressure were the standard. Today, Rolfing has evolved. It’s more refined, more intuitive, and more inclusive.

What We Can Do as a Wellness Community

To make holistic care more accessible, we must:

• Raise awareness of effective alternatives.

• Collaborate across disciplines.

• Advocate for insurance and healthcare reform.

Everyone deserves access to care that sees them fully.

If you’re stuck in a cycle of pain, perhaps it’s time to look at your body—and your wellness—through a different lens.

Mana Wellness is here to support your journey to wholeness. Because healing happens when we stop treating symptoms and start listening to the whole person.