1The body's biggest nerve
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the human body — close to the width of a thumb where it leaves the pelvis.
Source: Gray's Anatomy, 41st edition (sciatic nerve).
Pelvic (the outer hip hold)
Also called: Pelvic point, Pelvic treatment, पेल्विक पॉइंट
Pelvic is a Neurotherapy (LMNT) treatment for numbness, pain or burning in the leg. The patient lies face down with the affected leg taken out to the side on pillows, and a steady hold is given at the outer edge of the top of the thigh bone — the longest hold in its group, with a written upper limit that is always shortened if the patient cannot bear it.
Overview
What is the Pelvic treatment?
Pelvic belongs to the group of low-back and leg treatments given face down. Its one stated use is numbness, pain or burning in the leg.
It is given at the outside of the hip, over the edge of the 'ball' at the top of the thigh bone (the greater trochanter, the bony knob you can feel at the side of the hip). With the leg taken out to the side, this knob comes close to the surface.
Beneath that spot lie the tendons of the buttock muscles, the small muscles that turn the hip, and a fluid cushion called a bursa. The sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the body, which carries feeling and movement to the leg, leaves the pelvis just inside this area — the likely reason a treatment for leg numbness and burning is given here.
Most Neurotherapy (LMNT) points are a press that is released. Pelvic is different: it is a hold that stays. That is why it carries a written upper limit.
Illustration coming soonThe hip seen from behind and the side, showing the top of the thigh bone, buttock tendons and the sciatic nerve
Where it is given
Where is Pelvic given?
PositionLying face down
Body areaOuter side of the hip, at the edge of the top of the thigh bone, affected leg out to the side
You lie face down with pillows under the chest. The affected leg is taken out to the side, at right angles to the body, and rested on a stack of pillows so that it lies level with the ground — not sagging and not propped up. The other leg stays straight.
The hold is given at the outer side of the hip, on the edge of the bony knob at the top of the thigh bone of the affected leg.
The pillows are part of the treatment. A leg left hanging pulls everything at the hip tight before any pressure arrives.
Illustration coming soonA grey mannequin lying face down with one leg out to the side on pillows and the outer hip softly highlighted
How it is given
How is Pelvic given?
Pelvic is given with the outer edge of the therapist's foot, a firm, narrow contact placed on the edge of the bone, with the therapist's weight carried on the arms through two chairs so that the load can be taken back in an instant.
It is a steady hold, not a press-and-release. The hold has a written maximum; that maximum is a ceiling, not a target. A first session, a frail patient or a patient who finds it hard is given less — a shorter hold, not a lighter one, and never an encouragement to endure. The therapist says beforehand: 'Say stop at any moment and I stop.'
The exact method and timing are taught hands-on in the course, under a trained teacher.
Given withThe outer edge of the therapist's foot, weight held on chairs
Patient positionFace down; affected leg out to the side on pillows
Kind of contactA steady hold that stays, with a written upper limit
If it is too muchThe hold is made shorter — say stop at any time
The exact technique is taught hands-on in the Neurotherapy (LMNT) course. See the course →
What it does
What does Pelvic do?
The teaching names one use: numbness, pain or burning in the leg. The body-science link is the sciatic nerve and the hip muscles close under the spot; the effect of the hold itself is the therapy's own observation from clinical experience.
- Used for numbness in the leg.
- Used for pain in the leg.
- Used for burning in the leg.
Organs it reaches
- Muscles — The buttock and hip-turning muscles that attach at the outer hip.
- Joints — The hip joint lies deep beneath the spot.
- Spinal cord — The sciatic nerve's roots come from the lowest part of the spinal cord.
- Low back — Leg numbness and burning often begin with trouble in the low back.
Its family
Which treatments are its neighbours?
Pelvic belongs to the face-down group for the low back and the leg. Its neighbours share the territory but not the method.
- Sciatica Point — The sciatic point of the same group, for pain along the nerve.
- Sciatica Setting — Sciatica setting, given lying on the back, toe by toe.
- Blood Supply to Legs — Another face-down treatment for the legs.
- Bindu Point — The long diagonal that follows Pelvic in the same group.
- Gal–Spl Ghisai — A soft rub at the rim of the pelvis, for swelling of the leg.
What it is used for
What is Pelvic used for?
Pelvic has one stated use. The therapist first checks that the leg symptoms are not a warning sign that needs a doctor.
The leg
- Numbness in the legsNumbness in the leg.
- Burning feetBurning in the leg and feet.
- SciaticaPain running down the leg.
Safety: when it is held back
- The hold has a written maximum, and it is a ceiling, not a target. If the patient cannot bear it, the hold is made shorter. It is never lengthened because it 'feels good' — repeat another day instead. Pelvic Point: a held treatment at the hip for numbness, pain or burning in the leg
- Frail patients, the elderly and anyone with thin bones get far less, or a different treatment; body weight resting on bone is not for a fragile skeleton. Neurotherapy (LMNT) for small children: what is given and what is held back
- Ask before loading. The patient is told beforehand that saying 'stop' ends it at once. Consent, dignity and a chaperone during treatment
- Go to a doctor first: leg weakness that is getting worse, numbness in the groin or saddle area, loss of control of urine or stool, a recent fall or injury, a hip replacement, or a hot, swollen calf. How to tell a patient to see a doctor
- Burning feet in a diabetic needs the feet checked every session; where feeling has gone, the patient cannot report too much pressure. Diabetes
Common questions
Why is my leg put out to the side on pillows?
It brings the bony knob at the top of the thigh close to the surface, and the pillows keep the leg level so the hip is not already pulled tight before the hold begins.
It feels good. Can it be held longer?
No. The limit is written as a maximum and is not moved by comfort. If it helps, it can be given again on another day.
Does Pelvic treat the pelvis?
The name comes from where it is given — beside the pelvis. Its stated use is numbness, pain or burning in the leg.
Surprising facts
2A cushion against friction
Between the bony knob of the hip and the tendons over it sits a bursa, a small fluid-filled sac that lets them glide. When it becomes inflamed, the outer hip becomes sore to lie on.
Source: Gray's Anatomy, 41st edition (trochanteric bursa).
3Leg pain often starts in the back
Pain, tingling or burning felt down the leg very often comes from irritation of the nerve roots in the low back, not from the leg itself.
Source: Standard clinical teaching on sciatica (e.g. NICE guideline NG59, Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s).
Test yourself
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Treatments for the low back (kamar): what they offer and how they are usedLow back pain: warning signs that mean see a doctor todayFoot, hand, single point or feather touch: choosing the right tool for each bodySciatica Point and Sciatica Setting: two treatments for pain running down the legPelvic Point: a held treatment at the hip for numbness, pain or burning in the leg
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This page explains what a Neurotherapy (LMNT) treatment is for; it is not a self-treatment guide and does not diagnose. Neurotherapy (LMNT) works alongside your medical care — keep taking the medicines your doctor prescribed.