Developed by Françoise Mézières in 1947, the Mézières Method is a body rehabilitation method combining postures, massages, stretching and breathing exercises. In this sheet, you will discover this practice in more detail, its principles, its history, its benefits, how to practice it, who exercises it, and finally, the contraindications.

The Mézières method is a postural rehabilitation technique aimed at releasing muscle tension and correcting deviations of the spine. It is practiced by maintaining very precise postures and by performing respiratory work.

Like the sculptor who transforms the material to meet criteria of beauty and balance, the mezierist therapist models the body by realigning the structures. With the help of postures, stretching exercises and maneuvers, it reduces the contractions that cause the imbalance. He observes how the body reacts when the muscles relax. It goes up the muscular chains and, gradually, proposes new postures until the body finds harmonious and symmetrical forms.

Initially, the Mézières method was strictly reserved for the treatment of neuromuscular disorders deemed incurable by the medical profession. Subsequently, it was used to reduce muscle pain (back pain, stiff neck, headache, etc.) and to treat other problems such as postural disorders, vertebral imbalances, respiratory disorders and the after-effects of sports accidents.

The main principles

Françoise Mézières was the first to discover interrelated muscle groups that she called muscle chains. The work done on these muscle chains helps restore muscles to their natural size and elasticity. Once relaxed, they release the tensions applied to the vertebrae, and the body straightens up. The Mézières method takes into account 4 chains, the most important of which is the posterior muscle chain, which extends from the base of the skull to the feet.

No deformity, with the exception of fractures and congenital malformations, would be irreversible. Françoise Mézières once told her students that an old woman, suffering from Parkinson’s disease and other complications that made her unable to stand, had been sleeping with her body doubled over for years. Surprisingly, Françoise Mézières discovered a woman who, on the day of her death, was lying with her body perfectly stretched out! His muscles had let go and we could stretch him without any problem. In theory, she could therefore have freed herself from her muscular tensions during her lifetime.

There are very few scientific studies confirming the effects of the Mézières method on these conditions. However, we find many accounts of observations in the works of Françoise Mézières and her students.

Contribute to the well-being of people with fibromyalgia

In 2009, a study evaluated the effectiveness of 2 physiotherapy programs: physiotherapy accompanied by active muscle stretching and physiotherapy of the fascia using the techniques of the Mézières method. After 12 weeks of treatment, a decrease in fibromyalgia symptoms and an improvement in flexibility were observed in participants in both groups. However, 2 months after stopping treatment, these parameters returned to baseline.

Better understand your body: the Mézières method is also a prevention tool that allows you to become aware of your body and the organization of its movements.

Contribute to the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

This disease causes morphological dysmorphisms linked to the modification of the individual’s breathing. The Mézières Method improves respiratory disorders through pressure, stretching postures and breathing exercises.

Contribute to the treatment of low back pain

According to this method, low back pain results from a postural imbalance causing pain. With the help of massages, stretching and the realization of certain postures, this method makes it possible to strengthen the “weak” muscles and to weaken the muscles responsible for the imbalance.

Contribute to the treatment of back deformities

According to Françoise Mézières, it is the muscles that determine the shape of the body. By dint of contracting, they tend to shrink, hence the appearance of muscle pain, and also compression and deformation of the spine (lordosis, scoliosis, etc.). Work on these muscles improves these conditions.

The specialist

Mezierist therapists practice in clinics and private practice, in rehabilitation, physiotherapy and physiotherapy centers. To assess the competence of a practitioner, you should ask about their training, experience, and ideally get referrals from other patients. Above all, make sure that he has a degree in physiotherapy or physiotherapy.

The diagnosis

Here is a small test that Françoise Mézières used to assess the condition of her patients.

Stand with your feet together: your upper thighs, inner knees, calves, and malleoli (the protruding bones of the ankles) should touch.

• The outer edges of the feet should be straight and the edge notched by the inner arch should be visible.
• Any deviation from this description indicates bodily deformity.

Course of a session

Unlike traditional methods which use devices to assess, diagnose and treat muscle pain and spinal deformities, the Mézières method only uses the hands and eyes of the therapist, and a mat on the floor. A mezierist treatment is practiced in an individual session and does not include any series of pre-established postures or exercises. All the postures are adapted to the particular problems of each person. At the first meeting, the therapist does a health check, then assesses the patient’s physical condition by palpating and observing the body’s structure and mobility. Subsequent sessions last about 1 hour during which the person being treated is practicing maintaining postures for a certain time, while sitting, lying or standing.

This bodily work, which acts on the whole organism, requires maintaining regular breathing to release the tensions installed in the body, particularly in the diaphragm. The Mézières method requires a sustained effort, both on the part of the person treated and the therapist. The duration of treatment varies depending on the severity of the problem. A case of torticollis, for example, may require 1 or 2 sessions at most, while a childhood spinal disorder may require several years of treatment.

Become a specialist

Therapists specializing in the Mézières method must first have a degree in physiotherapy or physiotherapy. Mézières training is offered, in particular, by the International Méziériste Association for Physiotherapy. The program consists of 5 one-week study cycles spread over 2 years. Internships and the production of a dissertation are also required.

To date, the only university training offered in a Mézières-type technique is training in Postural Reconstruction. It is given in collaboration with the Louis Pasteur University of Sciences in Strasbourg and lasts 3 years.

Contraindications of the Mézière method

The Mézières method is contraindicated for individuals suffering from an infection with fever, pregnant women (and more particularly during the first three months of pregnancy), and children. Note that this method requires great motivation, so it is not recommended for individuals with little motivation.

Graduated as a masseur-physiotherapist in 1938, it was in 1947 that Françoise Mézières (1909-1991) officially launched her method. His discoveries take a long time to become known, due to the negative aura that revolves around his rather unconventional personality. Although his approach aroused much controversy in the medical community, the majority of physiotherapists and physicians who attended his lectures and demonstrations found nothing to complain about as the results were so remarkable.

She taught her method from the late 1950s until her death in 1991, strictly to graduate physiotherapists. The lack of structure and the unofficial nature of its teaching, however, encouraged the emergence of parallel schools. Since his death, several derived techniques have emerged, including Global Postural Rehabilitation and Postural Reconstruction, created respectively by Philippe Souchard and Michaël Nisand, two men who were pupils and assistants of Françoise Mézières.