The Mézières Method, devised by the physiotherapist Françoise Mézières, aims to bring the patient's body back to its original length. Let's find out better.
Origins and description of the Mézières Method
The method is born with the great physiotherapist Françoise Mézières, born June 18, 1909 in Hanoï. He completed his studies as a masseur-physiotherapist in Paris, at the French school of orthopedics and massage, where he graduated in 1938. He then taught anatomy, physiology and medical gymnastics.
From those orthodox principles he moves from 1947, the year in which he begins to look for the general imbalance of all the muscles in the patient. An investigation is launched that will lead to the method.
The goal is to bring the patient's body back to its original length . The work takes place on bones, viscera, fasciae, muscles. Behind these simple principles that are the basis of the method lies the search for a life and the illumination of a great woman is manifested:
- Movement is life, all anatomical structures are moving in relation to each other;
- The structure determines the function;
- The homeostasis which is the body's ability to rebalance and repair itself.
In 1949, he published his observations in a "Révolution en gymnastique orthopédique" report ; in these years he abandoned the old vision related to orthopedics and physiotherapy of the time. He presented his method in 1967 at the Homeopathic Center of France. The first Mézières training courses are organized in the Ile d'Elle (Vendée). Seven years later he created the Mézières Center in Saint-Mont .
Paul Barbieux comes into contact with her and directly recognizes the absolute complementarity between the Mézières method and the visceral-reflected techniques. He will become another reference figure in the method.
What is the Mézières Method for?
The method is very effective in case of back pain, joint pain, cervical pain, neuralgia. Excellent also in case of rheumatic pains, articular stiffness, circulatory disorders. Improves posture globally.
There is a lot of work on the muscular tensions that also have an emotional component or derive from habitual and erroneous motor patterns from the point of view of postural harmony and functionality.
A typical session of the Mézierès Method
A Mézières treatment requires great precision on the part of the therapist and requires a rigorous and meticulous observation of the whole body in its various adaptive behaviors.
The operator undertakes to read the patient's deformations and imbalances, to listen to the patient's experience (his conscious and unconscious experiences), to expand the tissues to feel the areas of great tension, to discover the hidden pains, known or unknown to the patient, sometimes far from symptoms.
From the positions of global stretching the operator works at the ends of the muscle chains and prevents, as far as possible, compensations - adaptations.
A work of exhalation is induced that fights the lordosis and lengthens the diaphragm, also a very important muscle for the static. With the expiration of intensifies the tension of the different shortened muscle chains.
Who can operate in Italy
The Mezieristi, are qualified physiotherapists who regularly practice the Mézières method according to the teachings of Françoise Mézières, after a specific training. The reference point is the European Trade Union Association -AME- Paul Barbieux.
