Relief for Hip Pain and Sciatica

          How do you know whether the pain you are experiencing is really caused by Sciatica? Even if it is, does the label “sciatica” help reduce your discomfort?
          According to dictionary.com sciatica is “pain and tenderness at some points of the sciatic nerve” or “any painful disorder extending from the hip down the back of the thigh and surrounding area.” The name implies that there is inflammation of the sciatic nerve and further that it is that inflammation that is causing the problem.
         Sometimes having a diagnosis that explains the source of the problem can be a relief. At least we know what is wrong. At least we know we didn’t make it up, that it isn’t “all in our head”, that the treating physician believes us. In fact, it doesn’t seem to matter much whether the diagnosis is accurate; there is relief in knowing (or believing that we know) the cause of a problem. And often we are apt to come up with an explanation for our discomfort ourselves, without consulting a physician.
         We can approach pain from a different perspective. Instead of looking to explain WHY we have the pain, we can train ourselves to ask WHAT we can do to relieve the pain. The assumption here is that the body is using pain to communicate with us. Where pain exists, it is letting us know that there is an energy blockage. If we can find where the flow of energy is blocked and restore the flow of vital energy, we will have relief from the pain.
         A frequent reason for pain that gets assigned the label “sciatica” is from a blockage in the flow of energy along the gall bladder meridian. This meridian starts at the outside corner of the eye. It has a long pathway, eventually running through the hip joint, thigh, outside of the knee, along the outside of the lower leg to the ankle, and along the top of the foot, ending at the tip of the 4th toe. Along its extended pathway there are numerous sharp turns where energy flow can be blocked. Remember, blocked energy flow results in pain.
Every meridian has a specific point known as the source point that connects energy directly to the organ associated with that meridian. That is, this acupuncture point is like a reservoir that collects and sends energy to the organ.
         As part of the body’s response to stress, Source Points can become locked or submerged. In the first case, an energy test would be strong to both the palm and the back of the hand. In the latter case, the kinesiology test would yield a weak response to both sides of the hand. Whether locked or submerged, the acupuncture point is no longer polarized, blocking the flow of energy.
         The source point for the gall bladder meridian is just below the ankle bone on the outside of the foot. This point frequently becomes locked or submerged, and when it does, energy is no longer able to flow through the length of the gall bladder meridian. When energy flow is impeded through the hips and lower extremities this often results in pain at the hip, knee, or ankle – pain that is often associated with sciatica.
         If the pain is caused by blockage of energy flow at the source point, opening the source point will bring instant relief. There are four choices as to how to accomplish this.
                1. Shine a flash light on the point.
                2. Spin a low gauss magnet over the point. These magnets, shaped like donuts with a hollow in the middle, can be found at Radio Shack. Tie a rubber band or a piece of dental floss through the hole allowing the magnet to be suspended. Then spin it over the point.
               3. Bring all the finger tips together forming a beak. Hold the beak about 1 ½ to 2 inches above the Source point on the ankle, with the fingers pointing to the Source Point. Twist the hand back and forth as if you are turning a key in a lock.
               4. Flip the flat of the hand back and forth over the point.
       Each of these methods restores normal polarity to the Source Points, opening the natural flow of energy.
       See if this relieves your hip or leg pain. If it does, you can continue to work these Gall Bladder Source points daily. After a time your body will learn a new habit and will be less likely to react to stress by shutting down the flow of energy, causing a blockage of energy flow that results in pain. And, because the gall bladder meridian's path covers much of the head, you might even find this relieves headaches.