עפרה וולף
ofra_woolf

Ofra Woolf has a degree in public health (MPH) from the Hebrew University's faculty of medicine and is today a leading teacher of physical education.
She has many years of experience in movement and therapeutic work for the healthy functioning and maintenance of the musculoskeletal system, for coping with various forms of back pain, and has developed expertise in this field.

Her system of movement and therapy is based on a deep understanding of the structure of the human body (anatomy, physiology, bio-mechanics and pathology) and its purpose is to achieve smooth and coordinated movement to benefit the skeletal structure, the joints and the muscles.
The human body is perceived as a complete and unified structure, comprised of many components that move in coordination and harmony, maintaining reciprocity between the different parts of the body. Injury or damage to one or more components upsets the harmony of the system and is liable to cause damage not only to the specific area affected but to other areas as well.

This method of work through movement and therapy has been examined scientifically in the context of research conducted on patients with chronic low back pain at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, Jerusalem : Secondary prevention of low back pain.
This research paper has been presented at international scientific conferences, published in the prestigious medical journal Spine and was awarded a prize by the Israeli Association of Epidemiology. The results of the research indicate that the exercise program contributed significantly to reducing the number of recurrent LBP episodes experienced by participants in the exercise group. They also indicate that in order to maintain the positive results over time, it is essential to persevere in exercise classes as part of the regular way of life.
These findings reinforce the basic assumption of the method.

In the course of her professional training, Ofra Woolf has studied various methods such as Body Cognition, the Alexander Method, Feldenkreis and Pilates and elements from each of these systems are incorporated in her movement and therapeutic work.
Her professional experience has also included training physical education teachers, development and management of a health-related project for the Israeli army (IDF), and a radio program of broadcast lessons.