How to locate and needle Gall Bladder 41 Zulinqi (Foot Governor of Tears)

Gall Bladder 41 Location

• Gall Bladder 41 is located in the depression distal to the junction of the 4^th and 5^th metatarsals, on the lateral side of the extensor digitorum longus branch to the little toe.
• In clinical practice, one way to locate Gall Bladder 41 is to abduct the little toe and run up from Gall Bladder 43 and over the tendon into the depression.

Gall Bladder 41 Needling

• To needle Gall Bladder 41, use an oblique (45 degree) insertion to a depth of 0.5 cun.

Gall Bladder 41 TCM Theory

Gall Bladder 41 is the Shu-stream point of the Gall Bladder channel.

Shu-stream points are where are where the Qi of the channel begins to pour and are located at or near the joints of the ankles and wrists.

Shu-stream points are used to:

• Treat heaviness and/or pain of the joints.
• Treat diseases which come and go such as those due to a retained pathogenic factor.

Gall Bladder 41 is also the Wood point of the Gall Bladder channel and can be used to treat Liver imbalances that are affecting the Gall Bladder.

Gall Bladder 41 also the opening point for the Dai Mai and the coupled or closing point is San Jiao 5.

To open the Dai Mai, Gall Bladder 41 is needled first, classically on the right for women and the left for men, and then San Jiao 5 is needled, classically on the left for women and the right for men.

At the end of the treatment, the needles are removed in reverse order so that San Jiao 5 is removed first followed by Gall Bladder 41.

The main TCM actions of Gall Bladder 41 are:

• To promote the smooth flow of Liver Qi in cases of headaches due to migraine and to treat pain in the breast or hip.
• A common clinical point combination to treat migraines is to combine Gall Bladder 41 with San Jiao 5.