Energy Treatment for “Lumbago”

A person came to see me with “lumbago.” She told me that a physician said it means she has a virus in her muscles. I’ve never heard of such a thing. But I suppose anything is possible. In any case, I don’t think it matters if there’s a virus or not. I believe we can help her feel better.

Here’s what I do know. This is a passionate woman, politically active and a strong advocate for a number of issues. She’s also got a strong earth element, and that element, like the Enneagram ‘2’, often indicates a tendency to over-extend oneself in concern (worry) about others whom they cannot control and over whom they have no jurisdiction. This concern tends to go beyond compassion, and eludes the boundaries that would show a healthy respect both for oneself and for the object of one’s concern.

On assessing the status of her meridians (by testing alarm points using kinesiology) we found that Kidney, Bladder, Pericardium, Gall Bladder, Stomach, Small and Large Intestine were out of balance. Since Kidney is a prominent yin meridian in this pattern, we treated kidney first. I had my client massage the front of the ball joint at each shoulder, down each arm to the elbow, and along the inside of the pelvic bone half way between the waist and the groin. These are kidney neuro-lymphatic reflex points (NLR). The NLR help move stagnant chi, and there are specific points that relate to each organ and the meridian that relates to it. I then had her massage the full length of the pubic bone. The center line area is the NLR point for bladder; the corners of the public bone are the NLR points for peridardium.

Next I had her massage the base of her spine at either side of the lumbar vertebra and then down the outside of the legs. These are the NLR for large intestine. Continuing more gently at the back of the knee stimulates the neuro-vascular reflex points for gall bladder. Massaging neuro-vascular reflex points increases the blood supply to the specific organ. Last, I had her massage more deeply again up the inside of the legs from knee to groin to work the NLR for small intestine. When we retested the alarm points all her meridians were again in balance. It is quite possible that balance would have been restored, at least temporarily, just by working the NLR points for kidney. But it was my guess that her back pain indicated stagnant lymph making it difficult for her body to get rid of toxins efficiently. Thus I felt that including more NLR points was indicated as part of a recommended routine of self treatment.

I then taught my client an exercise I learned from Donna Eden that activates penetrating flow, a radiant circuit (AKA extraordinary vessel) which involves rubbing either side of the lumbar vertebra, which is where her back pain was located and also happen to be large intestine NLR points. Next, one brings the palms around the buttocks to the groin, and up the center line to cover the mouth. With palms lightly covering the mouth one takes three gasping inhales, then exhales the sound “ahhhhhh” as the hands are slowly lowered to cover the heart. This exercise tends to be very calming, relaxing and comforting.

I’ve been struck previously by how closely associated this penetrating flow exercise is with large intestine. The actual penetrating flow is deep in the interior of the body, also known as the kundalini channel or the central thrusting channel. However, the test for the status of penetrating flow uses points at the end of the large intestine meridian between the chin and the outside of the nostrils. The keynote for metal element, which consists of lung and large intestine, is “letting go.” Activating penetrating flow, which is a radiant circuit, helps calm the stress response. The relationship between the meridians that are closely connected with fight or flight response – triple warmer (yang) and pericardium (yin) – and radiant circuit energies is analogous to a see-saw. The objective is to have these two energies in balance, but they rarely are in that homeostatic state. In a freeze, fight or flight response, the triple warmer/pericardium energy grows strong while the radiant circuits submerge. Thus, if one does not feel safe (and this might be happening at a subconscious level without conscious awareness), that will lead to radiant circuits submerging. Activating the radiant circuits is one way to address chronic stress, restoring balance to these two parts of the subtle energy system.

As I pointed out these relationships and the role of large intestine energy, my client volunteered that she has been constipated of late. My guess is there is something on a more subtle level that she has not yet felt ready to release. This intuition was reinforced when she shared that her birthday was just two days before the onset of her back pain. Usually the solar return that happens at or very close to one’s birthday places stress on the system.

Since she mentioned constipation, I also reviewed with her an exercise to address autointoxication which is one of the consequences of constipation. With knees slightly bent, one presses deeply into the groin area just above the pubic bone and inside the edges of the pelvic bone. One then scoops energy up the inside of the pelvic bone toward the waist, shaking the hands off after they reach the waist. This motion is repeated 3 times, and then the thumbs trace back down along the pubic bone. This exercise closes the Ileoceocal and Houston valves at the beginning and end of the large intestine.

The Ming Men point on the lumbar spine just above the sacrum is often congested, resulting in back pain. This point can also be considered a major source point for the whole body. Before addressing this possibility, I first tested source points on my client’s feet. Many were locked. That is, they lacked polarity, testing strong to both sides of my hand. I spun a magnet over them to open them. Then I tested Ming Men, and found that it was also locked. After spinning the magnet there, I taught my client how to massage that point, pulling it open along all radii. After opening the point, one can massage ming men with a spiral motion, and then pull the energy up and over the pelvic bones, and draw that energy down the legs and off the feet. This process is repeated three to six times. Following this she reported that her back was already feeling better.

Finally I taught her another exercise to keep that area open. First one imagines the coccyx is part of a long tail, swinging it back and forth between the legs with legs in a shoulder width stance and knees slightly bent. One then begins to circle that imaginary tail, first clockwise, then counter-clockwise. I suggested that she place her hands over her sacral spine as she does this exercise so she can feel her sacrum responding. The sacrum is actually composed of three bones connected by two suture joints like those in the skull. With a little attention and repetition of this series of movements, the suture joint is mobilized again. Working this area daily, as Mantak Chia, founder of the Universal Healing Tao emphasizes, will serve to keep the energy from getting congested in the lumbar spine, and relieve chronic back pain.

This combination of energy practices which address the larger pattern resulting from chronic stress are much better medicine, more effective, and less toxic than taking Advil!