Sciatica, Sigh --- Loving the Meridian Clock Part 3

In mid-June, coinciding with date of the lunar eclipse, I leaned forward and felt my sacroileac joint complain loudly. Pain shot down from the middle of my right buttock through my ankle and toes.

The human capacity to carry only a dim memory of prior pain is remarkable. If it were not for that, few siblings would be born!

Years ago I was diagnosed with two “bulging” discs at L4-5 and L5-S1; the result of being rear-ended in an auto accident. Qigong and swimming have kept awareness of this old injury but a dim memory.

But two days before this incident I had a bout of severe diarrhea, brought on by who knows what. I remember reading and often sharing with students that when the National Institutes of Health conducted a study of the best intervention to relieve sciatic pain, hydration was the most effective. I got dehydrated so quickly that they were unable to get an IV running. I stopped to get some soup on the way home. It would be a fair guess to assume that, between dehydration and the lack of success in getting an IV started, I was in a fully activated Triple Warmer state, and that’s when my back “snapped.”

I have improved considerably since then. At its most acute stage, I noticed that I would wake around 3 AM and although Tylenol would work at other times, nothing would relieve the pain between 3 and 7 AM. Knowing the meridian clock was helpful as was awareness of working with polarities. 3-5 PM is bladder time, the meridian most closely associated with the nerves.

I also was aware that, until I was able to move my bowels, the pain would be excruciating. Again, awareness that 5-7 is Large Intestine time, and that the polarity is Kidney helped me understand better how everything related. That knowledge also helped me understand how the initial bout of severe diarrhea would make kidney chi more vulnerable.

I ended up having an MRI while things were still in an acute stage which revealed discs impinging on nerve roots at L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S1. This area of the spine is closely associated with the ming men point and kidney energy. I was quite sure that all of this was triggered by dehydration along with the ensuing tension.

It is fascinating how useful an explanation can be. As long as it is plausible, and not a fear generating diagnosis or a set of negative predictions, it can be very reassuring. When I read the MRI report I felt absolved in a strange way, somehow reassured that I wasn’t making this up. Aware that dehydration had played a role in injury to the sacroileac joint, though it did not reduce my pain, served to be soothing information as well. One of the many takeaways is knowing that if I should ever have another dramatic bout of diarrhea I will not hesitate to get medical attention.

I was scheduled to lead a retreat in Asheville, North Carolina and the sciatic pain was still keeping me from sleeping well. I vacillated between persisting in going and thinking I ought to cancel. In the end I realized that if I did cancel I would just get depressed, while if I led the retreat I was likely to feel better as a result. It’s much easier to do even the daily routine when leading a group in the activity. And in my retreat we’d be spending the whole week shifting our energy, releasing emotions, changing limiting beliefs. It turned out to be a good decision. Each day the pain level decreased and I felt more like my ‘old’ self.

An important takeaway was that, if I’d hadn’t been away immediately after the MRI, I undoubtedly would have agreed to a cortisone shot or some other intervention. However, by the time I returned and saw the orthopedic physician again I was enough improved that he suggested only continuing with physical therapy.

I’m also fortunate to have a physical therapist who has studied many subtle energy methods, and has just completed a course in working with the nerves roots that are involved in spinal stenosis and sciatic pain. She has helped me considerably.

Judith Poole, MA EEMCP

Comments

[Patrice McFadin]

Drink lots of water!