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Beginning around 1978, French osteopath Paul Chauffour, of Lyon, searched for a new way to investigate and treat the human body, informed by the osteopathic principles of Andrew Taylor Still. He developed Mechanical Link (ML) in response to the extreme cases of dysfunction and ill-health with which he was confronted in his practice. About 1984, he was joined by Eric Prat, D.O. who was himself passionate about this wholistic approach. In the course of the last 20 years, they have together considerably enriched the method of ML in its diagnostic and treatment thanks to their theoretical research and daily clinical experience.

Mechanical Link is a manual therapeutic method that focuses on restrictions, or lack of mobility, of fascia and connective tissue, which can be found everywhere in the body, including all muscles, joints, bones, nerves, organs, ligaments, membranes, skin, arteries, and within and surrounding the brain. Connective tissue provides structural cohesion that stabilizes, unifies and connects every part of the body to every other part, while still allowing mobility and flexibility. If one part is under tension, it will automatically transmit tension to other parts, and can cause restrictions at a distance.

The name of Mechanical Link comes from the developmental history of connective tissue. During embryologic development, all connective tissue arises from the same germ layer of the embryo, the mesoderm, or “middle layer”. Its position in the middle already makes it a ‘link’ between the other two germ layers, the endoderm, from which arises the respiratory and digestive systems, and the ectoderm, giving rise to superficial skin and the nervous system. Even so, the many kinds of tissues which originate from the mesoderm take a wide variety of forms and densities, from the hardness of teeth and bones, to cartilage and membranes, and the fluidity of blood and lymph.

What’s different about Mechanical Link?

Unlike massage, which generally focuses on muscle tightness; or chiropractic, which is concerned with boney subluxations; or acupuncture, which addresses the flow of energy, or chi, in channels known as meridians, Mechanical Link addresses all types of physical structures in the body.

The Mechanical Link practitioner must view the body as functional unit, where any problem may have its origin in any other part.

A Mechanical Link treatment is characterized by hundreds of small, gentle tests, using only the hands of the practitioner, for movement and restriction in all the systems (in osteopathic terms, "functional units) of the body. The restrictions, found are prioritized with an eliminating test, using the hands, until the most significant restriction, or lesion, is identified. The treatment technique, the recoil, is a subtle rapid impulse with the hand, applied to whichever restriction is the most dominant. The work requires extensive anatomical knowledge and highly sensitive palpation skills.

After a successful treatment, numerous changes can be noted, as restrictions of which the patient was previously unaware are released. For example, the trachea and pulmonary ligaments may become more mobile, allowing more oxygen to be available, and/or the ligaments of the digestive system may release, allowing for a decrease in indigestion or acid reflux. Generally patients report a rapid improvement in their chief complaint, generalized well-being, and many beneficial changes.

Paul Chauffour, DO and Eric Prat, DO are authors of [1]Mechanical Link: Fundamental Principles, Theory, and Practice Following an Osteopathic Approach. Mechanical Link is taught widely throughout Europe, and also in Japan, Russia, Canada and the United States. More information (in French) can be found at http://lmoweb.com