Therapies

What is Mechanical Link?

Mechanical Link is a manual therapeutic method that analyzes the mobility and movement a range of anatomical structures including joints, fascia (connective tissue), organs, blood vessels, ligaments, and skin. Developed by French osteopathic physicians Paul Chauffour and Eric Prat, this technique offers a simple, effective way to safely locate and address restrictions in all parts of the body.

Because Mechanical Link is a comprehensive system that addresses all connective tissues, and releases restrictions in ways not otherwise possible, it can address many kinds of problems at once. For example, patients often report that as well as relief from their back pain, they notice more energy, a much better outlook and better elimination.

Mechanical Link is characterized by:

numerous manual tests to locate restrictions;
a ranking system to determine which restrictions should be treated; and
The recoil -- a very quick, subtle impulse done with the hand in a specific location and direction that releases restrictions.

What is the significance of restrictions?
To create and enhance health, it is not possible to separate one part of the body from another. All parts are connected, and must work together harmoniously, or there will be various problems. Restrictions, or limitations of movement in the body, cause pain or ill-health. A muscle spasm prevents movement in a certain direction; an impinged nerve creates pain down the arm and into the hand. Arthritis, a roughening of the interior surface of joints, makes movement grinding and painful. Less obvious are restrictions in other systems of the body, such as the cranial, digestive, cardiopulmonary, or nervous systems.

How can we locate and address all these numerous restrictions?
If your neck hurts, you naturally feel that the problem is in your neck. Most conventional tests and treatments will focus on your neck. Often, however, the real source of the problem is not where it seems to be, and is "silent". Using hundreds of small gentle tests to find restrictions in the body's tissues, the therapist employs a system for ranking those restrictions to identify which need treatment with recoil and which do not.

What is a Mechanical Link treatment like?
Most people find it very relaxing; some even fall asleep. The recoil treatment, which comes at the end of the session, is a very subtle technique that can be applied even to sensitive or fragile structures. The effects of Mechanical Link can be both dramatic and subtle, and may be noticeable for several weeks following treatment. Increased mobility produces changes throughout the body, and there is often a period of adjustment. You may find yourself moving in new ways, or notice parts of your body that you were unaware of before.

What kind of problems can be addressed with Mechanical Link?
Because Mechanical Link is a comprehensive system that addresses all connective tissues, and releases restrictions in ways not otherwise possible, it can address many kinds of problems. For example, release of one of the most common primary restrictions offers relief from restless leg syndrome, many kinds of headaches and back pain, and a cessation of the scoliosis process.

To learn more about Mechanical Link, visit http://www.lmoweb.com/ Available in French only. English version is still under construction. For a very clear explanation in English, of a similar approach with a different name, click here.