41. Bladder and Kidney points
The use of the back shu and outer back shu points on the Bladder channel that affect the various Organs are discussed in the section of the respective Organ.
Bladder points (Table 41.1)
The primary pathway of the Bladder channel
The Bladder channel begins at the inner corner of the eye. It ascends the forehead and travels over the head to the nape of the neck. From here it divides into two pathways. The first pathway is the inner Bladder line. This travels down the back at 1.5 cun from the medial line. It then passes over the buttock and travels down the back of the thigh to the knee crease. While travelling down the back it enters the kidneys then the bladder. The second pathway is the outer bladder line. This travels down the back at 3 cun from the medial line and passes over the buttock and down the back of the calf. The two lines join at the knee crease at Bl 40. From here the pathway travels over the gastrocnemius muscle, posterior to the external malleolus, over the calcaneus and along the external edge of the 5th metatarsal to the exit point Bl 67. Here it connects with the Kidney channel at Kid 1.
| Yuan source point | Bladder 64 |
| Luo junction point | Bladder 58 |
| Tonification point | Bladder 67 |
| Sedation point | Bladder 65 |
| Back shu point | Bladder 28 |
| Outer Back shu point | None |
| Horary point | Bladder 66 |
| Xi cleft point | Bladder 63 |
| Entry point | Bladder 1 |
| Exit point | Bladder 67 |
| Window of the Sky | Bladder 10 |
Bladder 1 Jing Ming, Bright Eyes: Meeting point of Bl, SI, St; Entry point
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; no moxa
Ming is the same word that in the phrase shen ming is translated as the ‘radiance of the spirits’. The eyes are often regarded as the best indicator of the state of a person’s spirit. When the eyes shine the spirit is flourishing. This point is the first point on the Bladder channel and is used with SI 19 if a patient has an Entry–Exit block between the two channels.
It is also an important point to bring dynamism and vitality to patients who are deficient and depleted in the qi of their Water Element. It also can have a profound effect on a person’s spirit and can bring lubrication to a person who is lacking in fluidity and flexibility at this level. This point may be beneficial to patients who cling to old habits because they are fearful of making changes. It also can have an important local effect on the eyes and is used for many eye problems.
Bladder 10 Tian Zhu, Heavenly Pillar: Window of the Sky, point of sea of qi
Needle depth 0.5–0.8 cun; moxa cones 3–5
The pillar referred to in the name is probably the trapezius muscle, but tian zhu is also the name of a star. Its location at the top of the spine might also indicate its importance in helping people to stand erect and to ‘face up to’ what is happening to them (Hicks, 1999, p. 25).
This point is extremely powerful, being both a Window of the Sky and a sea of qi. In the absence of many other points that treat the person’s spirit on the Bladder channel, there is a tendency to use this point often. It can also help people to gain new perspectives on areas of their lives.
Bladder 11 Da Zhu, Great Shuttle
Needle depth 0.5–0.7 cun; moxa cones 3–7
This is one of the points used in the External Dragons combination.
Bladder 12 Feng Men, Wind Gate
Needle depth 0.5–0.7 cun; moxa cones 5–10
This point can be reduced or tonified for problems in the Lungs.
Bladder 17 Ge Shu, Diaphragm shu point
Needle depth 0.5–0.7 cun; moxa cones 7–15
Although no emphasis is placed in Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture on the Blood (xue), this point is sometimes used if the person is suffering from disorders of the Blood.
Bladder 28 Pang Guang Shu: Bladder back shu point
Needle depth 0.7–1.2 cun; moxa cones 7–15
A very valuable point for treating problems of the bladder, painful conditions in the sacrum and for strengthening the Bladder in general. Like other back shu points, it can strengthen the Organ directly. By doing this it can strengthen a person at any level of the body, mind and spirit. This is one of the points of choice when the Water Element or lower jiao has been affected by cold. Moxibustion would be used in this case.
Bladder 40 Wei Zhong, Supporting the Middle: 1 Earth point
1J. R. Worsley used Wu Wei-ping’s numbering system for the Bladder channel. This accounts for different numbers being allocated for Bladder 40–54. Bladder 40 in the Chinese numbering system accords with Bladder 54 in Wu Wei-ping’s (see Worsley, 1982, for the numbering system he used).
Needle depth 0.5–1.0 cun; moxa cones 3–5
This point has also been called ‘equilibrium middle’. This is the Earth point and, as the name implies, it also has the ability to stabilise and bring equilibrium to the Organ. Although it is very useful for local problems and for problems in the lower back, it is not commonly used by practitioners of Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture.
Bladder 45 Yi Xi, Cry of Pain
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 5–10
Yi and Xi are both said to denote the kinds of sighing sounds that the patient utters when this point is palpated. This is presumably due to a releasing of qi in the area of the diaphragm. Some practitioners use this point to support people’s spirits when they need internal strength. Its strengthening effect is probably due to it effectively being the outer back shu point of the Governor Vessel.
Bladder 58 Fei Yang, Fly and Scatter: luo junction point
Needle depth 0.7–1.0 cun; moxa cones 3–7
Tonifying this point can bringing vitality and energy to a patient who feels sluggish and depleted. It is the luo junction point, so it is often paired with Kid 4 and Kid 3. Using these Bladder and Kidney points in combination can bring stability to the Element, especially if the two paired Organs are out of harmony.
Bladder 59 Fu Yang, Instep Yang
Needle depth 0.5–1.0 cun; moxa cones 3–7
This point is sometimes paired with LI 4 in order to eliminate toxins from the body, in a combination known as the Great Eliminator.
Bladder 60 Kun Lun, Mountain: Fire point
Needle depth 0.3–0.7 cun; moxa cones 3–7
In a well-known legend in Chinese mythology, the Kun Lun mountain is a mythical mountain in the far west of China (found in the Huainanzi, Chapter 4 and other texts). Believed to be unattainable, it is surrounded by a vermilion lake (this is the Fire point) and is the source of the Yellow River. This mountain is thought to possess powerful qi and offer spiritual and physical renewal (Lade, 1989, p. 171).
Although the name may partly refer to the external malleolus, which is situated close by, this story indicates that this is a powerful point on the channel. It is often used in the treatment of chronic back pain anywhere along the spine, especially if this is associated with deficiency in the Bladder and Kidney channels. Much of this point’s strength comes from its ability to warm the Bladder and to keep the Water from becoming too cold. Cold Water will cause people to become stiff and contracted in their movements and in their spirits. It can also cause pain. Warming the Water will free the person up so that they can move with greater flexibility. Moxa should be used with care if a patient has signs of Heat, but if indicated then moxa can be used to great effect. This point should not be used in pregnancy.
A female patient in her fifties was a Water CF. Her main complaint was tiredness and increasing anxiety, which she realised was often completely inappropriate. Tonifying her Water had good results and the pulse changes from moxibustion were better than from needling. On three occasions Bl 60 was used along with Kid 2, the Fire point on the Kidneys. The use of this point made a clear improvement in the tiredness and anxiety.
Bladder 61 Pu Can, Servant’s Respect: point to release External Dragons
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–7
This point is used in the External Dragons combination.
Bladder 62 Shen Mai, Extended Vessel
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
This powerful point is the opening point of the Yang Heel Vessel. It can create dynamic changes when people have low energy due to a deficient Water Element. It can also have an effect of sending the qi down from the head and calming the spirit if someone has extreme fear and fright, insomnia, mania or hyperactivity.
Bladder 63 Jin Men, Golden Gate: xi cleft point
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
Gold is almost pure yang in its nature and is a Daoist symbol for incorruptibility (Lade, 1989, p. 175). Like other xi cleft points, it can be used in acute situations and especially in acute fear or anxiety arising from an imbalance in the Water Element. It can also be used to warm up a deficient and cold Bladder.
Bladder 64 Jing Gu, Capital Bone: yuan source point
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–7
As the yuan source point this is a very reliable point for strengthening the Bladder. Like other yuan source points it is commonly used when testing for the CF. In this case it is often used in conjunction with Kid 3, the yuan source point of the Kidney. It also has a general strengthening effect and can bring calmness to patients who are fearful. It is an excellent distal point when other points higher on the channel are used.
Bladder 65 Shu Gu, Bone Binder: shu stream point, Wood point, sedation point
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
This point is the sedation point but it is rarely used as the pulse of this Organ is seldom full. It is the Wood point.
Bladder 66 Zu Tong Gu, Passing Valley: Water point, horary point
Needle depth 0.2–0.3 cun; moxa cones 3–5
This is the Water and horary point between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. It is often paired with Kid 10 and can be used to shake up and invigorate the Bladder, especially in the late afternoon. Because it is the Water point within the Water Element it can also have a powerful effect at other times of day and can bring moisture and lubrication to the Bladder. Some practitioners use it as a ‘seasonal’ horary point during the winter.
Bladder 67 Zhi Yin, Extremity of Yin: Metal point, tonification point, Exit point
Needle depth 0.1 cun; moxa cones 3–5
This is the Metal and tonification point. As the tonification point it can reconnect the mother Element, Metal, to the child, Water, along the sheng cycle. It is common for the Metal pulses to be significantly stronger than the Water pulses so it is a frequently used point.
This point is also used in the treatment of Husband–Wife imbalances.
Other points used to treat the Bladder
Several points on the lower abdomen are sometimes used to treat particular problems of the bladder, for example, Ren 2, Ren 3, Ren 6, Bl 31 and 32, but no other points on the Bladder channel are commonly used as part of the long-term treatment of a Water CF.
Kidney points (Table 41.2)
The primary pathway of the Kidney channel
The primary pathway of the Kidney channel starts on the sole of the foot at Kid 1. It then runs up the navicular bone and behind the medial malleolus before travelling up the medial side of the leg and moving up to the groin. On the leg it intersects the Spleen meridian at Sp 6. The channel then ascends the abdomen and travels over the chest before proceeding along the throat and ending at the root of the tongue. The channel exits at Kid 22 where it joins the Pericardium channel at PC 1.
| Yuan source point | Kidney 1 |
| Luo junction point | Kidney 4 |
| Tonification point | Kidney 7 |
| Sedation point | Kidney 1 |
| Back shu point | Bladder 23 |
| Outer Back shu point | Bladder 52 |
| Horary point | Kidney 10 |
| Xi cleft point | Kidney 5 |
| Entry point | Kidney 1 |
| Exit point | Kidney 22 |
| Window of the Sky | None |
Kidney 1 Yong Quan, Bubbling Spring: Wood point, sedation point, Entry point
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
This is the only point on the sole of the foot. As the first point and Entry point on the Kidney channel, it is compared to a spring where the qi ‘bubbles’ up from the Earth. The name gives an image of pure, fresh, revitalising water replenishing a person, so understandably this point can powerfully enliven a person’s Kidney qi when tonified. It is often paired with Bladder 1, the Entry point of the Bladder, which can also have an invigorating effect.
This point can also descend qi that has risen to the upper part of the body. For example, if a person has heat rising to the head or feels agitated due to imbalance in the Kidney qi, this point can bring the qi downwards to the feet. Because of this action this point has a very calming effect.
It is the Wood point and sedation point, but it is rarely used in this respect because patients’ Water is rarely fuller than their Wood.
Practitioners of qi gong make contact with the Earth qi at this point. Contact with this point while standing allows practitioners to root and descend their qi or absorb the invigorating qi of the Earth up through the feet and into the dan tian.
Kidney 2 Run Gu, Blazing Valley: Fire point
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
At this point the spring has turned into a valley.The word ‘blazing’ is referring to the fact that this is the Fire point. This point can warm people who are chilly and lethargic because their Water is too cold. Care should be taken with moxa as this point has an extremely powerful warming effect. Kid 2 can also cool people who easily flush up and become restless because the Water is too warm. If used in this context this point is usually sedated.
Kidney 3 Tai Xi, Greater Mountain Stream: yuan source point, Earth point
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
This is the yuan source point and Earth point. As the yuan source point of the Kidneys it has special significance, due to the yuan qi being stored between the two Kidneys and the Kidneys’ role in storing the jing. Yuan qi is ‘jing in qi form’.
This point is commonly used for any problem arising from the Kidneys and it has a powerful effect. Like other yuan source points it is commonly used when testing for the CF. In this case it is often used in conjunction with Bl 64, the yuan source point of the Bladder. It is also one of the points used in the treatment of Husband–Wife imbalances, as it can transfer qi across the ke cycle from the Spleen.
Kidney 4 Da Zhong, Great Cup: luo junction point
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
A cup is a receptacle to store fluid and this may refer to the key role of the Kidneys and Bladder in the control and storage of fluids in the body. This point links the Kidneys and Bladder as it is the luo junction point and it is often used in combination with Bl 58 or Bl 64. If these two Organs are out of balance, this combination of points can have an extremely stabilising effect on the Element.
This point also has a strong effect on a person’s emotions and is particularly noted for its powerful effect in calming a patient’s fear, especially when the Kidneys are depleted, causing a person’s will to be deficient (Deadman et al., 1998, p. 342). This may result in symptoms such as a lack of confidence or withdrawal and an inability to leave the safety of the home.
Kidney 5 Shui Quan, Water Spring: xi cleft point
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
This point is called Water Spring, a place where water is always available. This is the xi cleft point and can be used for general support of the Kidneys and also when treating acute conditions.
Kidney 6 Zhao Hai, Shining Sea: opening point of Yin Qiao Mai
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
The image of the ‘Shining Sea’ is provided by the fire of the ‘Blazing Valley’, which lies close by, shining on the water (Ellis et al., 1989, p. 201). As a sea it can also be seen as a huge reservoir of water. This is a very moistening point and can be used if a person’s Water Element has become too dry or hot. This is generally a very dynamic and invigorating point. It is especially powerful due its role as the opening point on the Yin Heel Vessel, one of the Eight Extra channels (for more on the Yin Heel Vessel, see Maciocia, 1989, p. 362).
Kidney 7 Fu Liu, Returning Current: jing river point, Metal point, tonification point
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
The name of this point still maintains the imagery of water that is found in Kidney points 1 to 6. It has an alternative name of Fui Bai, Bearing White, which alludes to this point’s function as the Metal point on the channel. As the Metal point it is therefore the tonification point and is very commonly used to strengthen the Kidneys by connecting the mother, Metal, to her child, Water. It is one of the four points used to treat Husband–Wife imbalances.
Kidney 9 Zhu Bin, Building up the River Bank
Needle depth 0.5–0.7 cun; moxa cones 3–5
Zhu Bin can be translated in several different ways; for example, as well as the name above, it can also be called ‘Guest House’. Consequently it is difficult to be clear about the meaning intended for the name of this point (Hicks, 1999, p. 33). The name ‘Building up the River Bank’ brings to mind the fact that uncontrolled water arising from flooding was a major concern in many parts of China. In the building of canals in England, the internal bank is often ‘puddled’ or patted, a process that makes the bank less porous. There are many historical references to the treatment of psychological disorders, such as madness, mania, raging fury and cursing, through the use of this point (Deadman et al., 1998, p. 349).
This point is often used at the 3rd, 6th and 9th months of pregnancy to strengthen the Kidneys and enhance the subsequent health of the child.
Kidney 10 Yin Gu Yin, Valley: Water point, horary point
Needle depth 0.7–1.0 cun; moxa cones 3–5
The point name gives another reference to the passage of water. This is the Water point and horary point between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. It is a commonly used point that can have a powerful effect during horary time, when it can shake up and revitalise the Kidney qi. It can also invigorate a patient’s qi if it is used as the Water point within the Water Element. Some practitioners also use this point as the ‘seasonal horary’ during the winter.
Kidney 12 Da He, Great Brightness
Needle depth 0.5–1.0 cun; moxa cones 5–10
Situated next to Ren 3, this point affects the centre of qi, that is located in this area. It can be used to great effect for problems in this area and also to re-invigorate a person whose Water Element is depleted.
Kidney 13 Qi Xue, Qi Cave
Needle depth 0.5–1.0 cun; moxa cones 5–10
This point has two alternative names, Bao Men, Gate of the Womb, and Zi Hu, Door of Infants. These names indicate this point, sited next to the important point Ren 4, is mainly used to treat the womb and issues of fertility. There is much anecdotal evidence of this point being used successfully to help women conceive.
Kidney 16 Huang Shu, Vitals: shu point
Needle depth 0.5–1.0 cun; moxa cones 7–10
This point is one of the band of points that encircles the lower dan tian and can be used to enhance the qi that is stored in this area. The word huang here alludes to the dan tian. It is particularly used to help restore depleted vitality, in body or spirit. It is especially useful to calm the spirit if the Heart and Kidney qi have lost their connection and the spirit has become unsettled.
Kidney 21 You Men, Dark Gate
Needle depth 0.3–0.7 cun; moxa cones 3–5
This point can be used to good effect when a patient is suffering from phobias or is being overwhelmed by fearfulness.
Kidney 22 Bu Lang, Walking on the Verandah: Exit point
Needle depth 0.3–0.7 cun; moxa cones 3–5
This is the first of the Kidney chest points (see Chapter 36, this volume, ‘Using Points to Treat the Spirit’). It is also the Exit point of the Kidney channel, linking to PC 1, the Entry point of the Pericardium. Verandahs are the first places people walk to beyond the interiors of their homes. They can be safe places for fearful people to go when first venturing out into the world or for asthmatics who wake in the night to sit (Hicks, 1999, p. 35). This point can also be translated as Corridor Walk, referring to the points of the Kidney channel travelling by steps up the ribcage (Ellis et al., 1989, p. 218).
Kidney 23 Shen Feng, Shen Seal
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
A seal is the traditional way that people assert their identity on a document. Like the other Kidney chest points, it is used not only to treat Water CFs but also to support Fire or Metal CFs. This is partly because of its location on the chest. It has the effect of strengthening and nourishing the spirit and giving a person a better sense of their own identity. It is especially helpful when people’s sense of self is weak as a result of their Heart and Pericardium being disturbed by intense emotions, such as sadness and shock.
Kidney 24 Ling Xu Ling, Burial Ground
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
The ling is the yin aspect of the Heart spirit and the word xu also has yin connotations, i.e. meaning hidden, dark or obscure. This is an important point to resurrect the spirit. It is used when a person has become resigned and depleted by the vicissitudes of life. It can help to reach into some of the darker recesses of the spirit in order to help people to re-engage more fully with life, especially if they have lost purpose and direction.
Kidney 25 Shen Cang, Spirit Storehouse
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
Storing, cang, is one of the roles of the Water Element, as winter is the time for storing. This point refers to the storehouse of the shen. It is used when a person needs to call on reserves at the level of the spirit. It is the last of the three Kidney chest points that refer to the spirit specifically. All these points are sited over the middle dan tian. It can be used in similar situations to Kid 23 and 24 and is very commonly used in association with treatment on the Heart and Pericardium. It is perhaps the point of choice in situations when the intensity of feelings of rejection and loneliness have devastated the stability and strength of a person’s shen.
Kidney 26 Yu Zhong, Elegant Centre
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
Zhong refers to the old name for the centre of qi that resides in the chest (see Ren 17). As this point and the next are slightly further away from the middle dan tian, they are not quite as powerful for the spirit as the preceding points. This point is quite commonly used, however, to strengthen a person’s spirit in conjunction with treatment on the Kidneys.
Kidney 27 Shu Fu, Shu Treasury
Needle depth 0.3–0.5 cun; moxa cones 3–5
This is the last point on the Kidney channel and it is the least powerful Kidney chest point for treating the spirit level. It is a fu, or treasury, which is a place where reserves of qi can be accessed and drawn on.
Bladder 23 Shen Shu: Kidney back shu point, point to release the External Dragons
Needle depth 0.5–1.2 cun; moxa cones 3–15
One of a ring of points around the area of the lower dan tian, this point is commonly used to bolster, strengthen and warm the Kidneys. By treating the Organ directly, the Kidney can be strengthened at all levels.
Bladder 52 Zhi Shi, Zhi Dwelling
Needle depth 0.5–1.0 cun; moxa cones 7–15
As the zhi or Will Dwelling, this point is used to strengthen the spirit of the Kidneys. When the spirit of a Water CF has become imbalanced, it can manifest either as overwhelming ambition and willpower or conversely as the lack of the requisite driving force to motivate or generate change or embrace life. This point will bring either of these extremes into a better balance.
The state of the zhi is also important in relation to the shen, as in many ways the Water/Fire relationship is central to the person’s yin/yang balance. The Huainanzi expresses the close relationship of these two aspects of the human spirit.
The shen is the inexhaustible reservoir of zhi; when this inexhaustible reservoir is clear and pure, zhi shines forth. Zhi is the storehouse of the Heart. Through perfect zhi, the Heart is in balance.
(quoted in Larre and Rochat de la Vallée, 1995, p. 66)
Other points used to treat the Kidneys
The points Ren 1, Ren 4, Ren 8, Du 1 and Du 4 can also be used to supplement treatment on the Kidneys.
