Orthotherapy

In Quebec, orthotherapy is part of the family of manual alternative therapies as well as massage therapy. It allows the practitioner to evaluate postural imbalances and to construct an intervention plan that combines massage therapy with kinesiotherapy (movement therapy). The goal is to restore the range of motion of the various joints and the mobility essential to the soft tissues of the body.

The term orthotherapy comes from the prefix ortho- which means "right" or "correct". Its etiological sense properly illustrates the fundamental idea - postural assessment - and then the objective of restoring right or correct articulation posture.

Dr. Arthur Albert Michele, an American orthopedist, named and developed the principles of orthotherapy in 1970. In Quebec, the first orthotherapy school was opened in 1976 by Yves Paré. Currently orthotherapy is taught in several schools in Canada as well as in Quebec and occupies a place in the forefront of advanced massage therapy.