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Module 6   Lesson 17   Zu Shaoyang Dan Jing

Gall-Bladder: GB-1 to GB-44

Why do almost half of the Gall-Bladder points lie on the head, and why does a practitioner treating a headache still so often choose a point on the foot?

After this lesson you can follow the channel as a line, place all 44 points in five sections, give the category, actions and indications of twelve key points, and choose between GB-20, GB-41 and GB-43 in a case.

Foot-Shaoyang, 44 points tick: a point; dot: key point, start or end Head, side GB-1 to GB-20: twenty points zigzag over temple and skull Shoulder: GB-21 Flank and hip GB-22 to GB-30 Leg, outside GB-31 to GB-39 Foot GB-40 to GB-44 GB-1 Tongziliao: eyes GB-8 Shuaigu: one-sided headache GB-13 Benshen: calm the Mind GB-20 Fengchi: Wind, head, neck, eyes GB-21 Jianjing: shoulders; not in pregnancy GB-24 Riyue: Front-Mu Gall-Bladder GB-30 Huantiao: hip, sciatica GB-34 Yanglingquan: He-Sea, Hui sinews GB-37 Guangming: Luo, eyes GB-39 Xuanzhong: Hui Marrow GB-40 Qiuxu: Yuan GB-41 Zulinqi: Shu-Stream, opens Dai Mai GB-43 Xiaxi: Ying-Spring, Liver-Yang GB-44 Zuqiaoyin: Jing-Well, the end branch from the instep to the big toe: the transition to the Liver, LR-1
Schematic, no point location: the spacing is equal per point, not anatomical. Pathway in broad outline from textbook knowledge; the book describes the channel at the start of ch. 64 (p. 1099).

Know by heart

  • The channel. Foot-Shaoyang, 44 points; partner the Liver (Jueyin), level partner the Triple Burner (San Jiao). Side of the head, flank, hip, outside of the leg. mnemonic: the Gall-Bladder takes the sides of everything.
  • Shu points and source. GB-44 Jing-Well, GB-43 Ying-Spring, GB-41 Shu-Stream, GB-40 Yuan, GB-38 Jing-River, GB-34 He-Sea. mnemonic: count down from the toe: 44, 43, 41, 40, 38, 34.
  • The other categories. GB-37 Luo; GB-36 Xi-Cleft; GB-24 Front-Mu of the Gall-Bladder, GB-25 Front-Mu of the Kidneys; GB-34 Hui of the sinews, GB-39 Hui of the Marrow; GB-41 opens the Dai Mai (pair with TE-5).
  • Head. GB-20 Fengchi: expel Wind, headache, neck, eyes. GB-13 Benshen: calm the Mind. GB-8 Shuaigu: one-sided headache. mnemonic: the names do the work: Wind Pool for Wind, Root of the Spirit for the Mind, Leading Valley down the side of the head.
  • Trunk and leg. GB-21 shoulders, makes Qi descend, lactation. GB-24 bile and flank. GB-30 hip and sciatica. GB-34 sinews, move Liver-Qi, flank. GB-39 Marrow, bones and sinews.
  • Foot. GB-40 Yuan: flank, sighing, ankle. GB-41 temporal headache, breasts, Dai Mai. GB-43 subdue Liver-Yang, ears. mnemonic: 41 for the flow, 43 for the Heat that rises.
  • Limits. GB-21 not in pregnancy, and over the apex of the lung; GB-20 a risk area for direction and depth.

The rest of this lesson is reference.

Gall-Bladder: GB-1 to GB-44: Why do almost half of the Gall-Bladder points lie on the head, and why does a practitioner treating a headache still so often choose a point on the foot?
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Three practice questions from this lesson

How many points does the Gall-Bladder channel have, and at which level does it lie?
  1. 44, Foot-Shaoyang
  2. 45, Foot-Yangming
  3. 44, Foot-Jueyin

Answer: 44, Foot-Shaoyang. 44 points, Foot-Shaoyang. Foot-Jueyin is the Liver, the partner; Foot-Yangming is the Stomach, with 45 points.

Which point is the Yuan point of the Gall-Bladder?
  1. GB-40 Qiuxu
  2. GB-41 Zulinqi
  3. GB-34 Yanglingquan

Answer: GB-40 Qiuxu. GB-40 Qiuxu. On a Yang channel the Yuan point is a separate point; GB-41 is the Shu-Stream point.

Which point opens the Dai Mai?
  1. TE-5
  2. GB-26
  3. GB-41

Answer: GB-41. GB-41 Zulinqi, with TE-5 as its pair. GB-26 is called Daimai and is a crossing point with the vessel, not an opening point; TE-5 opens the Yang Wei.

The rest of this lesson

In the course you get the step-by-step explanation, 18 case-based practice questions, 23 spaced-repetition flashcards, the pitfalls and the bridge to physiology with evidence grades. This lesson belongs to module 6: Points.

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