Bladder

BL57

承山 · Chengshan

Support the Mountain

Mid-calf point for cramp and the back of the leg.

Local calf point

Use caution

System

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

Open the Bladder page

Where it is

In the middle of the calf, in the inverted-V where the two heads of the gastrocnemius meet, about halfway from the knee crease to the heel.

Nearby: Calf muscle. A cramp lives here. Don’t press a hot swollen calf.

Traditionally said to

A classic local point for calf cramp, and traditionally also for hemorrhoids as a channel symptom. The hemorrhoid note is historical, not a treatment plan.

What people look up

Local muscle tension Pain relief

Acupressure

Thumb into the V of the calf for 30–60 seconds when the muscle is tight, not when the whole calf is swollen.

When not to press: A swollen, red, or hot calf, especially with shortness of breath, needs urgent care. Do not massage it.

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 1–1.5 cun perpendicular.

Angle

Perpendicular, into the gastrocnemius.

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.