Bladder Meridian
The Bladder meridian is the longest meridian in the body
The Bladder meridian is a Yang meridian. It crosses the head, the back, the back of the legs, the side of the foot, and ends on the small toe.
“The Bladder is where the water converges and where, after being catalyzed by the qi, it is eliminated.” – Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine
With 67 acupoints, it has more points on it than any other meridian.
The first point of the Bladder meridian (also referred to as the Urinary Bladder meridian) is found on the inside corner of the eye. This point is BL 1. From here, the external pathway runs up and over the head and down the entire back side of the body, ending at the acupoint BL 67 at the tip of the small toe.
Bladder meridian begins at the eye and ends on the little toe.
Among other things, I use the Bladder meridian to relieve headaches, eye strain, neck pain, back pain, hip pain, knee pain, and ankle pain. By massaging the Bladder meridian and many of the points along the back, pain can be prevented, and an overall sense of energy and vitality is sensed throughout the body-mind.
Famous Bladder Point
BL 60* Kun Lun “Kunlun Mountains”
There are many famous Bladder points! I choose to show off BL 60 as it is easy to find and effects the entire meridian. Pressure to BL 60 stimulates the Qi (energy) of the whole meridian to come pouring down from the back, bringing relief from pain and stress.
Use Bladder 60 to open the flow of Qi in the back, hips and legs.
*Do not use this point in pregnancy
Locate BL 60
BL 60 is found midway between the high point of the outer ankle bone and the Achilles Tendon. Gently contact this area, feeling for a slight indentation in the tissue where BL 60 is located. Apply gentle circular massage to encourage the movement of Qi in the whole Bladder meridian.
To continue learning, check out the “All About the Bladder Meridian” video on demand.
I have a little scab of skin that grows in the BL 60 mostly on the left leg and sometimes on the right. It appears and disappears randomly. I usually pick the one on the left because it itches. Then it heals and doesn’t come back for a while. What is this and what does it mean?
I don’t know what the scab is or what it means. In order to understand what it may signify we would have to have an in-person consultation.
It is an interesting thing to notice when conditions show up on a specific point or meridian – I would keep wondering about it while learning more about the Bladder Meridian, its relationship to the Kidney Meridian, and the Water Element.
Wishing you health and happiness,
Cindy
I have a very sensitive bladder due to fibro. Any specific suggestion to help desensitize my bladder? I trot to the bathroom too much.
Hi
Disease and health are understood from a very different perspective when viewed through the lens of Chinese medicine, rather than modern science and western medicine. I recommend working with an experienced practitioner in your area in order to get the best support from this perspective.
[…] The first step is to differentiate the path of the pain. Is the pain traveling along the Gallbladder meridian or the Urinary Bladder meridian? […]
My husband has had a full knee replacement 5 years ago. The first comment he said coming out of the operation room was: “My back hurts so much, it’s unbearable.” We believe it might be the side effect of the epidurale he had during the operation. Can’t get any confirmation from any doctors on that, obviously!!??!! Do you believe that working on the BL60 and the BL31-32-33-34 would help? How long would It take to get the Qi moving in the meridians?
Yes! I would work the Bladder meridian along the entire back, give extra attention to BL 31-34, then work the meridian down both legs and again focus on BL 60. You may find tender areas along the meridian as you work – pause and give more time to those areas.
The intention is to get the Qi moving, so keep asking yourself and wondering “how can I help the Qi move here?” – and then allow your hands and intuition to guide you.
Be attentive to his experience – ask often if he is experiencing any discomfort (in that case, lighten your pressure or stop altogether). If he is experiencing relief, that is also very good information to know 🙂
The more consistent you can be with the massage to the meridian and points, the better the results can be. Depending on his experience of the massage, he might want to have the points worked a few times a week just to get a sense of how this may help. Let us know how it goes.
Are there any points on the bladder meridian (or any other points) which specifically deal with healing bladder problems, stress incontinence and urge incontinence……. I am praying you have healing points for these issues. If would definitely be life changing.
The point Ren 3 is often used for bladder issues. The best thing is to consult with a local health practitioner as every person is unique.