One zone therapy enthusiast, who claims that “Treat It By Zone Therapy” should be hung in every doctor’s office, while on a pilgrimage to a Shriners’ Convention, noticed that the conductor of the train walked “all doubled up” and seemed to be suffering great pain. It developed that the railroad man had a “misery in his back,” had given up work, and had been in a sanitarium for three weeks—without obtaining much relief—and also that for the three days prior to his resuming work, he had not been able to “straighten up,” nor make any sudden move, without suffering excruciatingly.
He was invited to come into the smoking compartment for a few minutes, where the doctor put rubber bands on the thumb and forefinger of each of the trainman’s hands, and at the same time made firm pressure with his thumb-nails on these ligatured fingers.
The conductor was not informed of the purpose of this procedure, so his imagination had nothing to work on.
After holding his fingers in this manner for about ten minutes the whistle blew, and the conductor had suddenly to leave his chair. He straightened up and went out “on the run.”
When he came back he laughed and said: “This is the first time in six weeks I’ve gotten up or moved without pain. What in thunder have those little rubber bands to do with lumbago, anyway?”
The doctor saw this man before leaving the train two hours afterwards, and the trainman volunteered the information that “so far as the lumbago is concerned I have no more feeling than a fish.” And these results can be duplicated by any one who will study the zone charts (Figures [1] and [2]), and apply the simple technic outlined.
Naturally, in sciatica, and in articular or joint rheumatism, the results have not been so uniformly favorable. For sciatica may be due to hip joint dislocation. Indeed, one of our most famous bone surgeons claims that all cases of sciatica result from a twist, or subluxation of the hip joint which certainly is not true of those cases cured with a comb, or by electricity, or by some medical measure.
In treating sciatica particular attention must be given the “hip area” of the hand on the same side as the sciatica. This means that the palmar surface of the ring and little finger and the palm of the hand on that side, as well as the “edge” of the palm, running up over the top of the hand must be thoroughly “combed.”
But the best and most rapid relief for sciatica is usually secured by “attacking” the soles of the feet—using the comb in the same manner and for the same areas as described for the hands. In other words, by manipulating the zones in the feet corresponding to the zones in the hands.
Dr. George Starr White, of Los Angeles, California, has invented a mechanical device for this purpose, consisting of a piece of hard wood about five inches in length, cut with deep screw-like threads (see Figures [16] and [18]). A heavy, smooth rope is attached to each end of this implement of battle, and the patient uses it with a long, strong pull for five or ten minutes at a time—repeating the maneuver several times daily. Possibly any rough-surfaced, home-made device might give equally good results.