I dozed off with the TV on and was awakened by this announcement.
“Attention!” If you suffer from back pain, hip pain or shooting pain, you may be experiencing a sciatic nerve pain attack! ”
As the commercial goes on, it is promoting a pain relief brace that when applied to a specific Acupressure/Acupuncture point, it can relieve you of discomfort and pain.
The acupressure/acupuncture point the commercial is referencing is Gallbladder 34 (Yangling Quan/Hill Spring). Its anatomical location is on the lateral leg below the knee. The pathway of the Gallbladder Channel begins at the outer corner of the eyes, travels along the sides of the head, down the neck, through the shoulders, along the sides of the torso, hips, the outer leg, and ends at the fourth toe. Many points within Acupuncture belong to a category and have a significant influence on an area of the body. For GB 34, it is the He-Sea point of its channel and the influential point of sinews; the musculoskeletal system.
He – Sea points: Where Qi goes deeper into the body
Understanding the pathway of the Gallbladder channel, you can see how the channel is used for other conditions involving digestion, vision, as well as sciatic pain.
Since the commercial highlighted sciatic pain, let’s discuss!
The Sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in the body. The nerve serves a vital role in connecting the spinal cord with the skin and muscles of the thigh, leg, and foot; responsible for both motor and sensory function in the lower limbs.
Sciatica is actually a symptom of another medical condition (herniated disc, spinal stenosis, piriformis syndrome) and not a condition itself. Symptoms described as back pain, shooting pain, hip pain are the result of the nerve being irritated, compressed, or inflamed, causing “sciatica.” Sciatica is a type of lumbar radiculopathy (damage or injury a nerve root), meaning the origin of the pain is from the lumbar and/or sacral nerve roots.
Sciatica is actually a symptom of another medical condition
How does Acupuncture work for sciatica?
While the commercial focuses on one Acupuncture point to relieve sciatic nerve pain, Acupuncture is more than one point. Acupuncture has been shown to be an effective treatment for sciatic nerve pain. One study published February 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9948020/, concluded that “Acupuncture therapy is an effective and safe treatment for patients with sciatica, and it can be considered a suitable replacement for medicine treatment (MT).
Acupuncture is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and involves the insertion of thin needles into specific points on the body. Acupuncture is rooted in the concept of Qi, the body’s vital energy or “life force.” In TCM, Qi flows through meridians or channels in the body. Any disruption or imbalance in this flow can lead to illness or pain. Acupuncture helps at restoring the balance and flow of Qi, thereby promoting health and well-being.
In the theory of TCM, Sciatica is due to poor or obstructed flow of Qi and blood movement in the Gallbladder and Bladder channels. GB 34 is a great point for some relief with symptoms related to sciatica. However, when used with other points along other organ channels, you are able to address the reason causing the sciatica. In the study sited above, some commonly used points along with GB 34 for Sciatica are GB30, BL25, BL4, BL60, BL23, BL54. These points along with Gallbladder 34 help to address the branch (Sciatica) and the root (condition causing sciatica) cause.
If its Sciatica, stress management, or something else, Acupuncture aims to correct the imbalance. Not just to alleviate pain but to help bring the entire body back into harmony.
Wellsentials 