Sciatic Pain: A Case Study

I have written about sciatic pain in these blogs. However, I never discussed the exact treatment methods I use to cure this pain. Before I start this discussion, I need to reemphasize how the “clinical” terminology in TCM has no connection to Western clinical terms. I’ll devote a whole blog to discuss this subject. For now, I ask you to just appreciate this fact.

With sciatic pain, the lower back, the buttocks and the lateral aspect of the thigh are most affected. In TCM, the channels that most correspond to these areas ate the Leg Shao Yang and Leg Tai Yang. If you have a TCM clinical reference book, it would be helpful to look these Meridians up.

Once I identify these Meridians as affected, I look to treat their paired Meridians to get the needed results. Before continuing, I must point out that the method I am explaining about here is not the only method to treat sciatic pain. There are different methods in TCM to treat pain.

Let’s say, that the patient suffers from sciatic pain that originated in the L5/sacral region of the lower back and travels down the buttocks to the lateral aspect of his thigh stopping midlevel. His right side is most affected. A technique, in TCM, that is used frequently to treat pain is the “Mirror-Image” technique Here, we see parts of the body in inverse order. For instance, the lower back would have a mirrored relationship with the wrist.

Getting back to this case, I would first select points around the left wrist/forearm on a Meridian such has the Arm Tai Yin to treat the lower back; this is a sister Meridian of the Leg Tai Yang, previously discussed.

I will finish up explaining the treatment of this case in the next blog. I hope you’re starting to appreciate the intricacies involved in treating pain by TCM Methods.