Systemic Musculoskeletal Biomechanics

Dr. Physiotherapist, teacher of Mézières Method and analytical and systemic musculoskeletal biomechanics

Physiotherapist since 1984 • From 1984 to present: clinical practice as a freelance professional • 1988 and 89: specialization in Mézières Method at the Centre Mézières in Noisy-sur-Ecole, Paris, teacher Françoise Mézières • From 1995 to 2001 (1000 hours): "Integrated Body Approach" course conducted by Dr. Francesca Santarelli (psychologist and psychotherapist) • 1997: "Training Course for Physiotherapist Trainers" – AIFI Liguria • From 1997 to present: president and head of training activities AIFIMM • From 1997 to present: teacher of Mézières method courses and analytical and systemic musculoskeletal biomechanics "...when I came back from Paris, I found myself with a very powerful therapeutic tool in my hands. It worked, but I wasn't completely clear about the reasons why. Mézières was a genius with a strong personality and spoke mainly through aphorisms and metaphors, without giving too many explanations about the path that had led her there. However, one could sense that there was a lot of substance behind it, with foundations rooted in physics and mathematics. Given who I am, that path was important – I work better as a therapist if all the steps are clear to me. At that point, I involved two friends, a physicist and an engineer. Together we analyzed every single statement by Mézières and... everything she had said was supported by physical-mathematical laws! That's how my work of deepening biomechanics began, to give "order" to the mass of information. Work that materialized in teaching, where, mindful of my own difficulties, I try to present the method following a logical thread, and in the book I published which is provided in courses as a reference text for the theoretical part. I have dedicated my entire professional life to the method, to its study, to its dissemination, trying above all to help it overcome that aura of "magic" and empiricism that characterized it in the past and to place it among the scientifically-based techniques of Western culture. If I can recognize myself a merit, this has been my greatest contribution to the growth of the method: the rationalization of content and its scientific support. In addition to this, having introduced, in clinical practice and teaching, new concepts and new therapeutic methodologies on issues that were little known in Mézières' time. For this I owe much to important encounters and collaborations, including those with Dr. Manni, Dr. Silvestrini, and Dr. Chiri." Mauro Lastrico

Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Physiotherapist, teacher of Mézières Method and analytical and systemic musculoskeletal biomechanics

Physiotherapist since 1980 • From 1981 to 1996: physiotherapist at Aurelia Hospital • 1986-88: Two-year training course in 'Global Body Therapy - proprioceptive Mézières base - neurovegetative approach' Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches en Thérapie d'Approche Globale (CERTAG) • 1987-88: 'Group Animation in Proprioceptive Gymnastics' Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches en Thérapie d'Approche Globale (CERTAG) • 1988 and 89: specialization in Mézières Method at the Centre Mézières in Noisy-sur-Ecole, Paris, teacher Françoise Mézières • From 1996 to present: clinical practice as a freelance professional • From 2003 to present: AIFIMM teacher for Mézières method courses and analytical and systemic musculoskeletal biomechanics "In my professional life, I have had the fortune of meeting excellent teachers. To them goes my deepest gratitude, for what they taught me and for making me passionate about this work. When I learned that I had been accepted by Françoise Mézières to participate in one of her training courses, it was the realization of a dream for me. In those years I worked in a hospital, and taking care of patients with motor, respiratory, and cardiac problems was a source of great satisfaction. However, I was increasingly intrigued by the news that arrived, with all the difficulties of the time, from France, about a revolutionary therapeutic method created by Françoise Mézières. I found it very intriguing and therefore got in touch with former students of Mme Mézières and attended their training courses, read everything that could be read at that time, participated in the rare informational events, and finally managed to arrive in France, in the presence of a brilliant personality who contributed significantly to opening my mind. There I met Mauro Lastrico for the first time, and it was surprising, after many years, to discover that we had undertaken parallel professional paths: he in Genoa, I in Rome, we had made the Mézières Method our exclusive working tool. Using it intensively and appreciating its undeniable effectiveness, I realized how fundamental proprioceptive body communication was during its practical application. In fact, to help the patient navigate the complexity of the therapeutic journey and lead them to achieve their goals, words, touches, mental images, and bodily sensations become indispensable tools that one must know how to handle. For me, they are so important that I cannot help but torment the poor students with these collateral elements as well... Being involved by AIFiMM in the dissemination of the Mézières Method, being able to count on orthodox content scientifically rationalized and on teaching methods appropriate to the times, is a passionate challenge for me: it makes me proud to be able to contribute to spreading a precious heritage of intuitions and knowledge." Laura Manni

Curriculum Vitae