Governing Vessel Meridian Acupuncture Points Study

Locations and Functions Flash Cards

Governing Vessel Meridian Acupuncture Points Study - Location and Functions "Flash Cards"

Our site currently has acupuncture point location and function information for the 28 points along the governing vessel meridian. You can use the following list of "flash cards" as a study tool by viewing the name, seeing if you remember the point location and/or functions, then clicking on the "location" or "functions" tab to check your answer.

To view all locations and/or all functions at once, use the "show/hide" buttons below.

Midway between the tip of the coccyx bone and the anus.

Main point for hemorrhoids from excess or deficiency, anal prolapse, analfissure; otherr hemorrhoid points: UB 25, UB 30, UB 32, UB 35, UB 57, Erbai.
Diarrhea with or without blood in the stools, constipation.
Important point for genitourinary disorders, for the five types of painful urinary disorder (Five Lin), urinary retention, sexual exhaustion, impotence, seminal emission.
Main point for disorders of the coccyx. Injuries to the coccyx will generally cause the tip of the coccyx to point more ventrally, to deviate to one side, or both, affecting the energetics of the spine and the whole body.
A strong descending action on spirit disorders - epilepsy, manic depression.

In the hiatus of the sacrum (where you feel a superior ridge where S4 & S5 bones were as a child).

May be used instead of GV 1 for anal issues - prolapse, hemorrhoids.
Warming point, for cold in the lower warmer, irregular menstruation, amenorrhea or uterine bleeding from deficiency, leukorrhea, weakness or atrophy of the lower limbs, seminal emission, impotence, diarrhea.
Coccyx pain with difficulty sitting or pain at the opposite end of the channel, posterior neck pain, occipital or frontal headache.

L4.

Warming point for cold or cold damp in the lower warmer, often treated with moxa for low back pain from deficiency, women's discharges (leukorrhea) due to cold, dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation, impotence, seminal emission, infertility, incontienence, colities, edema, pain or weakness of the lower limb or knee.
Name is "lumbar gate" or "lumbar hinge," at this point the low back bends in flexion, treat for pain when bending forward.
Differentiation: GV 3 is a more local point whereas GV 4 is for back pain resulting from yang deficiency

L2.

Clears heat from the whole body, for heat disorders of the five zang, malarial disorders, steaming bone disease (can be associated with Tubercolosis among other conditions, a feeling of heat very deep in the body - Kidney Yin Deficiency from a TCM perspective).
Main point for tonifying Kidney qi and yang, for low back pain, weak knees, copious nocturnal urination, impotence, seminal emissions, deficient cold menstrual disorders, dysmenorrhea, cold-type vaginal discharge, daybreak diarrhea (5 a.m.) - possibly diarrhea with blood in the stools. Works well with ginger moxa.
Adrenal exhaustion from stress or overwork, fatigue, lack of sexual vitality or sexual exhaustion.
Epilepsy, tinnitus, dizziness, fear, panic attacks a/or fright.
Hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse.

L1.

Local point for low back pain.
Diarrhea, indigestion, poor assimilation (undigested food in stools), running piglet (similar in ways to a panic attack), shan disorder (abdominal pain, indigestion, swelling of the genitalia, hernias).

T11.

General and Local spine problems.
Adjusts the Spleen, reinforces UB 20, for loss of appetite, abdominal pain and fullness, diarrhea, jaundice, hemorrhoids.
Epilepsy, rectal prolapse in children (deadman).

T10.

Local point for back pain.
Epigastric pain, abdominal pain a/or bloating, poor appetite, amenorrhea.
Reinforce UB 19 Gallbladder Shu.

T9.

Reinforces Liver Back-shu (UB 18), special point for spasms in the sinews, general muscles tightness and contraction, spine stiffness, combine with GB 34, Huatuo of T9-T10, UB 18, LV 3, LV 8, LV 14.
Stress, irritability, physical heart pain, repressed anger, overly expressed anger.
Manic depression, epilepsy.
Mentioned for epigastric and cardiac pain.

T7.

Important point for mid-thoracic pain, chest and flank pain radiating from the back.
Asthma, cough, difficulty speaking due to shortness of breath, opens the chest and relaxes the diaphragm, combine with UB 17 and Huatuo of T7.
Important point for LV/GB disharmony, especially involving damp heat, for hepatitis, jaundice, cholecystitis

T6.

Clears Blood heat and infectious toxicity, for carbuncles, furuncles, boils, abscesses anywhere on the body but especially on the upper back, neck and face. Good point for acne.
Neck a/or back pain.
Cough, asthma.

T5.

Important point for spirit problems, palpitations, anxiety, poor memory, muddled thinking, absent-mindedness, insomnia, has strong effect on mind and mood, combine with Huatuo of T5 and UB 15 for stress.
Pain and stiffness of the upper back, cardiac region pain a/or discomfort, cough, asthma.
Differentiation: GV 11 is mostly for deficiency of HT & LU whereas GV 12 is more for excess of HT & LU.

T3.

Heat in the lungs and chest, cough, asthma, chest pain, mentioned classically for whooping cough (use cupping).
Supporting point for chronic conditions affecting the lungs, for deficiency asthma, exhaustion from deficient Lung qi.
Used for strengthening deficiencies and promoting strong development in children, epilepsy.
Classically noted for "seeing ghosts" and "rage with desire to kill" (deadman text) - which can indicate a range of stronger modern psychological issues such as schizophrenia, manic depression, bipolar depression. It does this by clearning excess heat from heart and lungs (i.e. chest), which can lead to an unsettled spirit.

T1.

Special for steaming bone disorder or inflammatory diseases affecting the bones, chills and fever.
Important point for malaria.
Stiffness of the neck a/or spine, heavy head, headaches.

C7.

Meeting point of all yang meridians, GV 14 is indicated for exterior conditions as it expels pathogens and firms the yang; clearing heat and fevers whether mild or severe; and for tonifying the yang and strengthening the neck and spine.
Main point for acute wind cold or wind heat, colds and flu, especially with fever and chills, opens the pores to cause sweating. If a patient with underlying deficiency presents with chills and no fever use moxa.
Main point for reducing high fevers, combine with LU 11, UB 40 (can bleed these points). Main point for summer heat.
Cough, asthma.
Main point for spontaneous sweating from qi deficiency or night sweats from yin deficiency.
Main point for neck and upper back pain and stiffness, combine with GB 20, UB 10, UB 11, UB 12, Bailao, SI 12, SI 13, etc. As the tissue is often thick here, insert slowly and use mild manipulation, then redirect needle towards each shoulder using oblique insertion.
Strengthens the wei qi, wind cold can enter the body through the triangle formed by GV 14 and UB 12. Keep this area warm, supple and flexible with needle, moxa, massage to promote longevity.
Epilepsy, hypertension, insomnia, nosebleed.
Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used for bone issues (arthritis, spurs, scoliosis), calcium issues, hand issues.

.5 cun above the midpoint of the PHL in a depression below the spinous process of C1.

Opens the orifices refers to the mouth, throat and tongue, for throat swelling, hoarseness, post-stroke speech disorders, important point for muteness due to tongue stiffness or vocal cord disorders.
Epilepsy, stroke, manic depression, loss of consciousness.
Occipital headaches, especially with neck stiffness, upper cervical pain and restricted neck rotation, heaviness of head - GV 15 lies over the space between C1 and C2, and can help release the suboccipital musculature which compresses the atlanto-occipital joint.
Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used to stimulate the medulla and limbic system, useful for emotional issues.

1 cun directly above the midpoint of the PHL, directly below the occipital protuberance on the posterior midline of the head.

Main point for wind, whether exterior or interior, particularly affecting the head and neck. For wind cold headache, stiff neck, aversion to wind; as well as dizziness, visual dizziness, numbness, twitching, tremors.
Window of the Sky point, promotes communication between the head and body, many indications are consistient with other points of this group, such as headache, dizziness, throat swelling, earache, eye pain, nosebleeds, aphasia.
Psychological issues such as mania, palpitations from fear a/or fright, suicidal thoughts.
Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used to effect the medulla function (breathing issues, asthma, tight chest, etc.), but GV 17 is used more frequently, useful in spinal cord issues.

Midway between GV 16 and GV 18.

Neck/Cervical issues, pain a/or stiffness of the neck, heaviness of the head, headache, dizziness.
Epilepsy, mania, lockjaw, loss of voice.
Eye pain, excessive lacrimation.
Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used to effect the medulla functions (heart, lung, blood vessel issues), useful for palpitations, asthma/shortness of breath, multiple sclerosis, lou gehrig's, muscular dystrophy.

Midway between GV 16 and GV 20.

Regulates the liver and calms wind.
Stiff neck, headache.
Visual dizziness, blurring of vision.
Epilepsy, Insomnia, Manic Depression.
Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used to effect the autonomic nerves, balances internal organs qi, useful for fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, hormone imbalance.

Midway between GV 18 and GV 20.

Headaches, vertigo, dizziness, neck pain, aversion to wind.
Insomnia, psychological issues primarily with manic symptoms, epilepsy.
Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used to stimulate the sensory cortex (sensations from skin, muscles, and sensory organs), useful for any sensory issue, stimulation also useful for improving qi sensations within treatments, qi gong, etc.

5 cun posterior to the AHL.

Main point for headache, dizziness, eye pain and redness, irritability, hypertension from excess yang in the upper body, often occuring with patterns of excess Liver yang or Liver fire. Combine with lower body points such as LV 2, LV 3, KD 1, GB 34, GB 41.
Main point for internal wind which has some overlapping indications with the above entry, for headaches, dizziness, visual dizziness, tinnitus, vertex pain, windstroke, seizures.
Main point for prolapse, anal, uterine, vaginal; main point for hemorrhoids.
Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used to effect the association area (related to emotions, memory, behavior), useful for low energy, yang energy imbalances, parkinson's, alzheimer's, motor control issues.

Midway between GV 20 and GV 22.

Epilepsy - acute and chronic (for children avoid needling before the fontanel has closed).
Headaches, migraines, blurry vision, pain a/or swelling along the vertex a/or face.
Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used to effect the motor cortex, useful for all movement issues, stroke recovery.

1 cun posterior to GV 23.

Nasal issues - congestion, olfactory problems (i.e. distinguishing smells), nosebleed, polyps.
Headaches, primarily from wind in the Chinese Medicine sense of the term, dizziness, vertigo.
Psychological issues, particularly related to fear a/or fright, panic attacks, palpitations.
Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used to effect brain and scalp issues, useful for brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, lou gehrig's. Also helpful for improving focus in children (ADD/ADHD).

1 cun posterior to the AHL and .5 cun posterior to GV 24.

Main point for nose problems, nasal congestion, rhinitis, nasal polyps, sinus headache.
Eye/Vision issues - shortsightedness, visual dizziness, painful/red eyes.
Facial swelling.
Psychological issues, primarily with wind derived mania symptoms from a TCM perspective.
Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used for face and cervical issues, useful for sinus congestion, eye issues, and neck pain/cervical disc issues.

Midway between the AHL and GV 23.

Local point for frontal headache, chronic sinusitis, nosebleeds, nasal discharge, excessive tearing.
Psychological issues with anxiety/mania as a main symptom - anxiety, panic attacks, fear, add, manic depression.
Epilepsy, dizziness.
Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Effects the cranial nerve system, useful for all issues related to the cranial nerves, TMJ, vertigo.
Differentiation: GV 23 is more for nose problems whereas GV 24 is more for headaches.

On the tip of the nose.

Important point to restore or help maintain consciousness, for shock, loss of consciousness, to revive from drowning.
Rosacea, circulation issues in nose.
Nasal issues - rhinitis, polyps, discharge, inability or changes in olfactory sensations (smell).
May reduce alcohol intoxication (deadman).

At the junction of the upper and middle third of the philtrum.

One of two Command Points (with PC 6) added to the original four, for fainting, collapse. Main point for restoring consciousness, for shock, revivial from fainting, weakness, helps patient to awaken, use fingernail in an emergency.
Main point for acute low back sprain, helps relieve pain and restore motion, moves stagnation at the opposite end of the channel. After obtaining the Qi, have pateint bend then rotate the waist.
Nosebleed, nasal discharge issues, problems with olfactory sensations (smell).
Manic-depression and other strong shen disturbances, epilepsy (seizures).

At the junction of the upper lip and the philtrum.

Problems of the mouth and sinuses - tongue ulcers, bad breath (halitosis), pain a/or swelling of the gums, nosebleed, nasal congestion.
Psychological/Shen issues - manic depression, epilepsy, etc.

At the junction of the gum and the frenulum of the upper lip.

Pain a/or swelling of the gums, stiffness in the lips.
Nasal issues - polyps, congestion, pain.
Neck pain a/or stiffness with difficulty turning head.
Stronger psychological issues, particularly with symptoms of mania.

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