Bladder

BL10

天柱 · Tianzhu

Celestial Pillar

Base of the skull, beside the midline, for a stiff nape.

Local nape point

Use caution

System

Channel: Bladder (BL)
Element: Water
Yin or yang: yang
Organ system: Bladder
Region: Neck
Limb rule: Foot Taiyang

Open the Bladder page

Where it is

On the nape, about one and a half thumb-widths lateral to the midline, just below the base of the skull, in the trapezius.

Nearby: Skull base and upper cervical spine. The vertebral artery is deeper. Do not jab upward under the skull.

Traditionally said to

A local point for neck ache and occipital headache. Classical texts also mention the nose and the back. Strong pressure here is a common way people make themselves dizzy.

What people look up

Headache Local muscle tension Pain relief Dizziness

Acupressure

Thumbs or fingers under the skull, slightly downward into the muscle, 30–45 seconds. Not up into the foramen.

When not to press: Stop if you feel dizzy, see spots, or the pain is from a recent injury.

About 30–90 seconds is the usual window, unless the step above is shorter. Stop if pain, dizziness, or anything unusual shows up.

Licensed practice only

Needle depth, angle, electroacupuncture

Textbook language for students. Not instructions. A cun is a body-inch on that person, not a ruler inch. Do not needle yourself.

Depth

Common textbook range: about 0.5–0.8 cun perpendicular, slightly toward the spine in some manuals. Not upward toward the brainstem.

Angle

Perpendicular or slightly inferior. Never cephalad into the skull base.

Electroacupuncture

Introductory charts rarely assign a standard electroacupuncture setting here. Clinics that use current choose frequency and intensity for that person. No milliamp figure is given, because copying one would be misleading.